Director of Emergency Nursing Services

The Department of Nursing Administration at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is seeking a full-time TH Associate Administrator, Director of Emergency Nursing Services.

Position Summary

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University seeks an accomplished, innovative, and collaborative healthcare leader to serve as Director of the Emergency Department. Reporting to senior hospital leadership, the Director is responsible for the strategic, operational, financial, and clinical leadership of one of the institution's most critical and complex service lines.

As the primary point of entry to University Hospital of Brooklyn, the Emergency Department accounts for approximately 90% of inpatient admissions and provides comprehensive emergency care to one of New York City's most diverse and medically complex patient populations. The Director will lead a multidisciplinary workforce in delivering exceptional patient-centered care while advancing operational excellence, quality outcomes, workforce engagement, patient safety, regulatory compliance, and fiscal stewardship.

Working collaboratively with physician leadership, nursing, allied health professionals, hospital administration, and community partners, the Director will develop and implement innovative strategies that improve patient access, throughput, quality, experience, and organizational performance. This leader will cultivate a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and service excellence while ensuring the Emergency Department remains responsive to the evolving healthcare needs of the Brooklyn community.

The successful candidate will be an experienced healthcare executive with demonstrated success leading complex clinical operations, driving organizational change, developing high-performing multidisciplinary teams, and achieving measurable improvements in quality, safety, operational performance, and patient experience.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Provide executive leadership for all clinical, operational, financial, and administrative functions of the Emergency Department.
• Develop and execute strategic initiatives that align departmental priorities with the mission, vision, and strategic goals of SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.
• Partner with physician leadership and executive administration to establish long-term goals that advance clinical excellence, operational performance, workforce engagement, and patient-centered care.
• Lead organizational change initiatives that promote innovation, adaptability, and continuous improvement.
• Foster an inclusive culture built on accountability, collaboration, transparency, diversity, equity, inclusion, and professional excellence.

Operational Excellence

• Direct the day-to-day operations of a high-volume Emergency Department to ensure safe, efficient, and effective patient care delivery.
• Optimize patient throughput by improving key operational metrics, including door-to-provider time, emergency department length of stay, boarding time, Left Without Being Seen (LWBS), and patient satisfaction.
• Collaborate with inpatient services, ancillary departments, EMS, care management, environmental services, security, and bed management to improve patient flow and organizational efficiency.
• Develop staffing models and operational plans that balance patient demand, workforce capacity, regulatory compliance, and fiscal responsibility.
• Ensure departmental readiness for emergency preparedness, disaster response, surge capacity, and mass casualty events.

Clinical Quality & Patient Safety

• Promote a culture of clinical excellence through evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and patient-centered care.
• Lead initiatives that improve patient safety, clinical outcomes, regulatory compliance, and organizational performance.
• Monitor departmental quality indicators and implement performance improvement strategies that achieve measurable and sustainable results.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and accreditation standards, including The Joint Commission, New York State Department of Health, CMS, OSHA, and other regulatory agencies.
• Support a High Reliability Organization culture through proactive risk identification, event review, and continuous learning.

Financial & Resource Stewardship

• Develop, administer, and monitor departmental operating and capital budgets.
• Optimize financial performance through responsible resource allocation, labor management, productivity improvement, and cost containment strategies.
• Evaluate capital equipment, technology, and operational investments that improve patient care and organizational performance.
• Utilize operational and financial data to guide strategic decision-making and resource planning.

Workforce Leadership & Talent Development

• Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain a highly engaged multidisciplinary workforce.
• Promote leadership development, succession planning, employee engagement, and professional growth.
• Foster a healthy work environment that values teamwork, accountability, innovation, recognition, and continuous learning.
• Establish performance expectations and provide coaching, feedback, and development opportunities that support organizational success.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build collaborative relationships with physicians, nursing leadership, allied health professionals, hospital administration, EMS providers, community organizations, and academic partners.
• Represent the Emergency Department on hospital committees, leadership councils, and interdisciplinary initiatives.
• Promote effective communication and collaboration across departments to improve patient care, operational performance, and organizational effectiveness.