President & COO - Duke Health Cary

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The President & COO is the senior executive accountable for setting the vision and strategic direction for a new state‑of‑the‑art community hospital campus. The first phase of the campus (98,000 SF medical office building) opened last year. In 2027, the 112,000 SF high end micro hospital including an ambulatory care center and first phase of the freestanding ED will open. In 2029, the third phase of the campus (430,000 SF) will open which will include expansion of the perioperative platform and ED services, a full‑service cancer center and women’s health center along with 100 inpatient beds. The campus has capacity to grow to more than 500 inpatient beds. The remaining property on the campus will be used to develop a mix‑use destination location including retail, walking trails, hotels, and other potential services.

JOB DESCRIPTION

While overseeing the development of this key strategic project and establishing the culture, staffing and operational planning for phase 2 and 3 of the project is a critical component of this role. This role will evolve to be the executive in charge of this site after its opening with primary objectives being strategic development, construction oversight, activation, and ongoing clinical and administrative operations of the new full‑service Duke Health Cary Hospital. This role converts enterprise strategy into a high‑reliability operating model; ensures operational readiness and service excellence through Lean management principles; and delivers top outcomes in quality, safety, patient experience, access, throughput, workforce engagement, and financial performance.

The position will lead multi‑year planning and execution for a major capital project (phase 3 and associated campus development), including scope, schedule, and budget governance, sustainability initiatives (electrification strategy, carbon reduction), and future‑proofing for expansion (e.g., shell floors, parking, and infrastructure). The President & COO will oversee operational ramp‑up, workforce planning, and community engagement to ensure successful go‑live and long‑term performance.

Additional Campus Facts:

Building 100 (B100):

• 98,000 SF; fully open and dedicated to ambulatory care.
• 112,000 SF; scheduled to open April 2027.

Building 300 (B300) Hospital:

• 430,000 SF; scheduled to open Summer 2029 and will include a comprehensive cancer center (clinic space, infusion, LINAC), medical/surgical and ICU beds, labor & delivery, postpartum and NICU services, full perioperative and imaging platforms, emergency department, cath/EP/IR suites, and shelled space for future expansion.

Medical Campus Footprint:

Reporting & Governance

• Reports to Duke University Health System (DUHS) EVP and Chief Acute Care Services Officer.
• Partners with DUHS leadership across Medical Staff, Nursing & Patient Care Services, Quality & Safety, Finance, HR, Strategy, Digital/IT, Facilities Planning, Supply Chain, Compliance, and Communications.

Responsibilities

• Translate Duke Health strategy into annual operating plans with clear KPIs; ensure access, capacity, and flow across inpatient, ED, OR/procedural areas, diagnostic services, and ambulatory interfaces; maintain timely operational and financial dashboards.
• Implement Lean principles in all operations for continuous performance improvement and to scale the Duke Excellence operating model.
• Define prioritized service lines (e.g., emergency/trauma, medical‑surgical, perioperative, critical care, cardiovascular, imaging, lab, pharmacy, rehabilitation, women’s health, behavioral health, oncology, and ambulatory interfaces) and standards for care pathways, staffing models, and throughput.
• Achieve best‑in‑class outcomes for safety, clinical quality, equity, and patient experience; drive reduction of serious safety events, infection prevention, pathway adherence, and environment‑of‑care standards.
• Own hospital P&L; meet/exceed plan for margin, productivity, and cost performance; steward capital deployment and activation budgets.
• Manage budget decisions and contingency strategies as outlined in board pre‑read (e.g., electrification allowance, mechanical space adjustments, escalation allowances).
• Lead campus master planning, facility programming and design, and construction contracting within Duke governance. Maintain disciplined scope, schedule, and budget controls; provide transparent progress reporting to DUHS leadership and boards.
• Serve as the leading external face for Cary Hospital with community leaders, payors, and referring providers; build regional referral relationships and collaborative networks that expand access and improve outcomes.
• Serve as the executive lead for community engagement, local partnerships, and brand rollout in coordination with Duke Health Communications and Development; represent the hospital with civic, legislative, and payor stakeholders.
• Partner with DUHS Strategy/Finance and Development on funding and philanthropy for construction, technology, and programmatic priorities; implement robust financial controls and reporting.
• Strengthen medical staff relations and provider engagement; manage medical staff bylaws/privileges and service line leadership structures aligned with Duke Health standards.
• Partner with Human Resources to lead multi‑year workforce planning, recruitment, training, and leadership development; sequence hiring and readiness events to activation milestones; run an integrated command structure for go‑live, stabilization, and ramp to steady state.
• Coordinate academic alignment (education, training, and research conducted at Cary Hospital) with Duke School of Medicine and School of Nursing, consistent with hospital operations and capacity.
• Establish back‑office functions (finance, revenue cycle, IT, HR, facilities, materials management, analytics) and operating policies required for licensure, accreditation, and activation; implement enterprise controls, risk management, and business continuity plans.
• Ensure continuous readiness for licensure, accreditation, and external regulatory reviews.
• Sustain continuous regulatory readiness and exceptional patient experience outcomes.
• Oversee equipment and technology selection/integration (EHR, digital front door, perioperative systems, imaging modalities, automated pharmacy/lab, care coordination tools) and patient‑centered experience design including wayfinding, amenities, and service recovery.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; MD/DO, MBA/MPH/MHA Master’s in Health Administration, Business/Public Administration, or related field required.
• Experience: 10+ years of progressive leadership in complex hospital or health‑system operations; demonstrated success in major capital programs, new facility activation, multi‑service line operations, medical staff integration, and P&L stewardship.
• Demonstrated leadership in overseeing a broad and complex portfolio of clinical services within an academic medical center or community hospital setting, with responsibility for strategic direction, operational excellence, and the delivery of high quality, patient centered care.
• Skills: Strategic planning, matrix leadership, construction and activation governance, Lean/performance improvement, regulatory and accreditation, workforce strategy, stakeholder engagement, philanthropy partnership, digital/technology integration, exceptional board and community presence.
• Aligns Duke Health strategy with Cary campus development and operations.
• Leads multi‑year facility and operating model build with disciplined scope, schedule, and budget control.
• Delivers reliable access/flow, quality, and experience across full hospital services.
• Builds an inclusive, engaged workforce with strong leadership pipelines and safety culture.
• Deepens ties to Duke’s education and research missions at the Cary site.

Skills and Abilities

• Proven success in leading organizations to consistent financial and operational success.
• Expertise in financial management, budgeting, and performance optimization.
• Strong strategic planning, project management, and change leadership skills.
• Strong understanding of industry and technology trends.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal abilities; ability to resolve conflicts fairly and diplomatically.
• Ability to quickly establish credibility and rapport with senior executives, physicians and staff.
• Open, honest, and transparent leadership style.
• High degree of professionalism and accountability.
• Superior people skills; unquestionable ethics, honesty, and integrity.
• Proactive, visionary, and strategic business partner.
• Intellectual curiosity, creativity, and strategic thinking skills.
• Innovation and initiative in developing new procedures and best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex situations, develop solutions, and implement effective strategies.
• Ability to work independently and accept full responsibility for actions.
• Adaptability to changing work priorities and business methods.
• Ability to direct and mentor multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to research, gather, and organize information for concise reporting.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.