Director, Emergency Readiness and Response
University of Iowa

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics-recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States-is Iowa's only comprehensive academic medical center and a regional referral center. More than 12,000 employees, students, and volunteers work together daily to provide safe, quality health care and excellent service for our patients. Simply stated, our mission is: Changing Medicine. Changing Lives.®

University of Iowa Health Care seeks a Director of Emergency Readiness and Response to direct the execution of all planning, mitigation, response, and recovery of UI Health Care's emergency preparedness program. This role provides guidance to senior leaders and executives regarding activities and overall readiness for emergency response and the institution's capability to continue services. The director will address internal and external emergency event responses to minimize risk to patients, visitors, employees, and property while maintaining quality patient care during a crisis. This role stays current on applicable state and national standards, including the Incident Management System, Hospital Preparedness Program, CMS, and Joint Commission Emergency Management.

Responsibilities:

Program Management

• Plan, coordinate, maintain, and update UI Health Care's emergency preparedness program. Ensure the emergency operations plan aligns with community plans. Review and update annually.
• Collaborate with departmental leaders on designing and implementing department-specific emergency response plans.
• Collaborate with University personnel on campus-wide emergency preparedness activities and responses and the direction of healthcare Senior leadership
• Provide leadership in designing and conducting tests of UI Health Care's emergency response plans at least twice annually.
• Manage business continuity plan, ensuring the institution can access critical supplies and resources. Develop protocols to ensure appropriate and equitable resource allocation.
• Manage frequent and consistent disaster planning and preparedness exercises or drills. Capture data to assess the success of drills and implement response improvements.
• Manage the Iowa Health Care Special Pathogen Unit capability and liaise with response partners involved in emerging pathogens while maintaining awareness of emerging threats.
• Manage the process for writing and submitting after-action reports in a timely manner. Convenes a multidisciplinary team to review and critique each drill by documenting recommendations and lessons learned. Creates and manages work plans to mitigate and address issues identified in after-action reports with appropriate follow-through to project completion.
• Develop ad hoc specific drills for areas identified at the request of the Emergency Management Working Group.
• Assists in pursuing and developing disaster-related Memos of Understanding (MOUs).
• Coordinate hazard vulnerability analysis (HVA) for Iowa Health Care hospitals, ambulatory clinics, and offsite & outreach clinics around the state.
• Facilitate training- related to Hazmat Decontamination, HICS, MRI Safety, emerging pathogens and biocontamination, evacuation sled training, natural disasters, and other emergency preparedness activities.
• Serve on Hospital Incident Command Structure
• Serve as co-chair for the Emergency Management Working Group as part of the Clinical Systems Committee structure.
• Participates in the Hospital Alliance for Preparedness in Iowa (HAPI) group.
• Other emergency preparedness activities are assigned by senior leadership and the Incident Command structure.

Communication

• Establishes and maintains effective communications and working relationships with other University leaders, Local, State, and Federal emergency management agencies, and civic and business groups to ensure effective communications, preparedness, coordination, and response to emergency situations; and provides guidance and expertise to campus leadership regarding emergency management operations.
• Serve as liaison to Joint Commission Emergency Management and other disaster preparedness response groups in disaster planning and actual incident responses.
• Represent UI Health Care at meetings of the Johnson County Public Health and Emergency Management Agency, State EMS and IDPH-related committees, and business and public sector planning groups.
• Coordinate integrated communications plan with Hospital Administration and Marketing and Communications
• Maintain relationships with related external agencies at the federal, state, and local levels.
• Serve as a resource for key stakeholders.

Compliance

• Assure that UI Health Care Emergency Operation Plans and activities remain in compliance with Joint Commission guidelines for Emergency Management standards and other applicable standards, including IMS, CMS, and Hospital Preparedness Program.
• Ensure continuous compliance to all required standards for Emergency Management.

Financial Management

• Maintain emergency preparedness operating budget.
• Identify and manage federal and state grants and other funding opportunities for emergency preparedness.

HR Management

• Develop and manage the performance of direct reports (if applicable)

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent amount of education and experience.
• Licensure Requirement: Professional certification in Emergency Management preferred.
• 7 years of experience in emergency management/disaster preparedness or related field
• Familiarity with the Hospital Incident Command System structure and Joint Commission Emergency Management
• Project management experience
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Requires excellent analytic, consultative, and presentation skills.
• Effective management skills including planning, directing, evaluating, and controlling systems.
• Proficient in MS Office and additional computer applications
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal and interdisciplinary team leadership skills with professional experience working effectively with individuals from various backgrounds and perspectives.

Highly Desired Qualifications:

• Master's degree in directly related field
• 5-10 years of directly relevant experience
• Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) conferred by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM)
• Prior experience in a hospital emergency management role and coordinating health care preparedness, response, recovery processes, and audits in an Academic Medical Center (AMC).
• Successful completion of National Incident Management System (NIMS) training - Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 300, 400, 700 and 800

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with coordinating health care preparedness, response, and recovery processes.
• Certified Healthcare Emergency Coordinator (CHEC)
• Project management certification
• Successful completion of FEMA's Professional Development Series (PDS)

Application Process: To be considered, applicants must upload a cover letter and resume (under the submission of relevant materials) that clearly address how they meet the listed required and desired qualifications of this position. Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days. Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification.

Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process. For questions, contact Sharon Walther at sharon-walther@uiowa.edu.

This position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization.

Additional Information

• Classification Title: Support Services Director
• Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific
• Schedule: Full-time
• Work Modality Options: On Campus

Compensation

• Pay Level: 6A

Contact Information

• Organization: Healthcare
• Contact Name: Sharon Walther
• Contact Email: sharon-walther@uiowa.edu

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