Respiratory Therapy Director

Respiratory Care Director

Employment Type: Full time

Shift: Day Shift

Position Highlights and Benefits

• Relocation package offered
• Wellness programs
• Education reimbursement
• Personalized health insurance plans including dental and vision
• Paid time off
• Long- and short-term leave
• Retirement planning
• Life insurance coverage

General Summary:

Plans, manages, and directs respiratory care services as defined by the Department's Scope of Service Statement. Assumes responsibility for all departmental equipment, facilities, budgeting, monitoring and activity reporting. Assures the department's services meet the needs of the customers and medical staff. Assures that services are provided in a cost effective, productive manner and that all services are customer focused. Provides an environment that allows staff to maximize their talents through professional growth, involvement and empowerment. In doing so, the position maintains the department's operating budget, develops goals and objectives and ensures that services are provided in a manner consistent with the mission and philosophy of Mercy One. Role models behavior that cultivates compassion and service quality. Serves as a leadership and clinical resource for department associates, Medical Staff, and other hospital staff and provides a framework for enabling maximum human development. Assumes a proactive role in improving quality and in assuring competency of the respiratory care services associates.

Essential Functions:

• Demonstrates specific customer focused behaviors:
• Attitude – Committed to providing excellent service to our customers. Treats everyone as important and each interaction as an opportunity to serve. Displays a friendly, open smile. Introduces self and describes role played in the care of the customer. Committed to meeting customer needs with care and concern.
• Acknowledgment – Demonstrates commitment by acknowledging customer promptly in a professional and courteous manner. Recognizes customer by making eye contact, addressing customer by name, offering help when needed. Introduces self to customer and anticipates their need, offering direction and/or escort if necessary.
• Privacy/Confidentiality – Ensures customers right to privacy and modesty by maintaining a secure and trusting environment. Respects privacy/confidentiality by restricting conversations to situations and locations where the information is necessary. Accesses only information that is a necessary part of job performance.
• Communication Skills – Greets customer, whether by phone or person, in a professional manner. Listens to customer's needs and offers information or assistance as necessary. Oral/written communication presented in a positive and open manner.
• Professional Behavior – Demonstrates professional behavior in dress (professional, tasteful and discreet) and in actions and interactions with customer. Promotes MMC in a positive manner. Works as an active member of team. Demonstrates empowerment to meet the needs and expectations of customers.
• Timely Responsiveness – Responds to customers promptly. Performs assigned task in a manner which precludes unnecessary wait time for the customer - promptly explains any necessary delay to the customer. Demonstrates ability to make customer comfortable while waiting.
• Planning Maintains awareness of current and developing practices in areas of responsibility. Develops departmental policies, goals, procedures, objectives and operational plans. Establishes a vision for areas of responsibility. Develops and implements programs, services and goals in order to meet the community and regional needs as identified within Mercy One/Trinity Health strategic and operational plans. Provides plans that are appropriately researched and documented. Knows, understands, incorporates, and demonstrates the Mercy and Trinity Health Mission, Vision, and Values in behaviors, practices, and decisions.
• Change Works effectively with direct reports, administration, and other hospital departments and outside organizations in achieving goals and objectives. Demonstrates an ability to achieve consensus on difficult and complex issues. Demonstrates activities to impact change within the service, e.g., able to cite examples of significant expense reduction, performance and quality improvement.
• Financial Management Assures the appropriate use of hospital man-hour and financial resources. Staffing and non-payroll costs are positive as compared to benchmarking tools. Monitors budget and analyzes variance. Services are provided in a manner that is cost competitive yet provides value to the customer.
• Human Resources Promotes a participative and professional environment. Counsels colleagues so as to maximize human resource potentials. Oversees an environment of high associates' involvement, engagement, morale, empowerment and job enrichment as measured by turnover, colleague opinion surveys, etc.
• Competency Oversees a departmental staff development plan that assures clinical/technical competence are maintained. Maximizes the use of hospital resources through a wide range of educational programming, e.g., in-service programs, seminars, conferences, and literature review, etc.
• Relationships Establishes and maintains relationships with medical staff, nursing units, departments, programs, and contracting facilities or agencies reliant on/or utilizing respiratory care.
• Regulations Maintains a working knowledge of applicable Federal, State, and local laws/codes and regulations, Mercy and Trinity Health's Organizational Integrity Program, Standards of Conduct, as well as other policies and procedures in order to ensure adherence in a manner that reflects honest, ethical, and professional behavior. Oversees and assures compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies, agencies, and licensure boards.
• Quality Oversees development and maintenance of quality control programs necessary to safeguard the welfare of patients, personnel and equipment, as well as ensure quality of respiratory care and neurodiagnostic services.
• Collaboration Coordinates activities of the respiratory care and neurodiagnostic services departments with other hospital departments and collaborates with other departments/services to enhance the smooth and efficient delivery of services to patients. Leads and/or participates in collaborative initiatives to improve care delivery and operations.
• Personal Growth Takes an active role in enhancing abilities to carry out job functions through personal and professional/job-related growth and development.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Newly hired director after July 1, 2025 must be credentialed as a registered respiratory therapist by the National Board for Respiratory Care.
• Bachelor's degree required from an accredited college or university. Master's degree in business or health care preferred.
• At least five (5) years of experience as a respiratory therapist. Previous supervisory experience preferred.
• Must have an active license as a respiratory care practitioner in the State of Iowa upon hire.
• Experience in another health care setting desirable, with critical care experience preferred.
• Must be BLS certified within 3 months of hire.
• Child and Dependent Adult Abuse Mandatory Reporter Training is required within 6 months of hire and every 3 years thereafter.
• Prefer ACLS certification within one year of hire.
• Ability to read, write and speak English language.
• Must be able to organize, prioritize, and function in an environment with multiple stress factors.
• Adaptability to performing under stress when confronted with emergent, critical, unusual, or dangerous situations, or situation in which working speed and sustained attention are vital aspects of the job.
• Must demonstrate the ability to exercise professional judgment in dealing with patients, physicians, and other healthcare team members.
• Must be able to use a computer for documentation and other relevant activities

MercyOne Central Iowa sets the standard for personalized and radically convenient care in the Des Moines metro area and surrounding counties. MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1893, is the longest continually operating hospital in Des Moines and Iowa's largest medical center, with 802 beds available. The hospital is one of the Midwest's largest referral centers.

With more than 7,000 colleagues and a medical staff of almost 1,500 physicians and allied health professionals, MercyOne Central Iowa is one of Iowa's largest employers.

Our Commitment

Rooted in our Mission and Core Values, we honor the dignity of every person and recognize the unique perspectives, experiences, and talents each colleague brings. By finding common ground and embracing our differences, we grow stronger together and deliver more compassionate, person-centered care. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law.