Director of Patient and Family-Centered Services

The Director of Patient- and Family-Centered Services (PFCS) at University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital provides strategic leadership and oversight of division-wide operations, programs, and patient care initiatives. This role encompasses three core areas: Child Life, Pediatric Injury Prevention and Community Outreach, and CWS Patient and Family-Centered Care. The Director directly supervises the Manager of Child Life, Manager of Injury Prevention and Community Outreach, and unit-based Family Support Specialists.

With a mission to foster and champion a culture of patient- and family-centered pediatric and women’s care, the Director collaborates across Children’s and Women’s Services (CWS), the Stead Family Children’s Hospital, and the broader University of Iowa Health Care system. They work in close partnership with internal and external stakeholders to advance care quality, safety, and the patient experience.

This role also drives staff development, leading educational initiatives that promote best practices in patient- and family-centered care. The Director fosters academic collaboration, serving as a mentor to colleagues, students, faculty, and staff committed to this philosophy.

The work of the PFCS division significantly influences the lived experience of patients, families, learners, volunteers, and professionals across both the University of Iowa campus and the health care enterprise.

·         Provide strategic leadership and oversight of human resources functions for the PFCS division, ensuring alignment with departmental and organizational goals.

·         Collaborate with departmental HR representatives and/or senior HR leaders to benchmark, develop, implement, and monitor effective staffing models across PFCS units.

·         Lead recruitment, development, and performance management of unit and clinic managers, assistant directors, supervisors, and assistant managers.

·         Foster a consistent and coordinated approach to HR management by working across clinical functions and partnering with collegiate, hospital, and health care leadership.

·         Direct performance leadership initiatives for all PFCS staff to ensure delivery of high-quality patient care and administrative services across Children’s and Women’s Services (CWS), Stead Family Children’s Hospital, and the broader PFCS department.

·         Oversee staff selection, onboarding, competency verification, training, and development; facilitate regular performance evaluations.

·         Hold unit leaders accountable for cultivating a culture of high performance and engagement by setting clear expectations, providing regular feedback, and supporting continuous improvement.

·         Co-create and annually review employee engagement improvement plans with PFCS staff, documenting progress and outcomes.

·         Approve staffing allocations and manage resources to meet evolving operational and patient care needs.

·         Develop and maintain an effective PFCS leadership team through talent development and succession planning.

·         Champion shared governance principles by encouraging active staff participation in decision-making processes that shape practice and culture

Financial Management

Provide strategic leadership in financial planning and oversight for all PFCS division operations, ensuring fiscal integrity and alignment with organizational priorities.

·         Develop and/or direct the development of programmatic and departmental budgets; establish systems for efficient implementation, real-time tracking, and ongoing fiscal monitoring.

·         Lead financial administration efforts, including budget forecasting, variance analysis, and recommendations to support operational and philanthropic goals.

·         Oversee management of financial data across operational and philanthropic accounts, ensuring accurate reporting, timely reconciliation, and resolution of budget discrepancies.

·         Hold PFCS leaders accountable for managing their individual budgets responsibly and in accordance with fiscal expectations.

·         Serve as a key resource on revenue generation strategies, including patient revenue processes, research funding, state appropriations, and other funding mechanisms.

·         Provide fiscal leadership for initiatives such as real-time inventory tracking and cost recovery for supplies and equipment.

·         Collaborate with PFCS and CWS leaders to address budget challenges using innovative and sustainable approaches.

·         Maintain accountability for all financial activities within PFCS, including oversight of Stead Family Children’s Hospital Safety Store revenue operations.

Operations, Standards of Care Regulatory Compliance,  Quality & Patient Satisfaction

Provide executive oversight of PFCS operations and lead strategic initiatives that enhance patient care delivery, regulatory compliance, quality performance, and satisfaction outcomes across Children’s and Women’s Services.

·         Oversee administrative operations and accountability for core PFCS units, including Patient and Family-Centered Care, Pediatric Injury Prevention and Community Outreach, and the Child Life Department.

·         Partner with nursing, medical, and administrative leaders to plan and implement consistent, evidence-based patient- and family-centered care across pediatric and women’s services.

·         Analyze clinical and administrative data to optimize service line productivity, workflow efficiency, and operational effectiveness.

·         Identify emerging needs, service trends, and forecast priorities to establish and maintain quality assurance standards across PFCS service lines and CWS division (as assigned by the ACNO).

·         Collaborate across multiple clinical functions to develop, monitor, and improve service and quality performance metrics tailored to children’s and women’s health care.

·         Design, implement, and oversee division-wide strategies to improve patient and family satisfaction, in collaboration with the Office of The Patient Experience; set measurable goals and evaluate progress against CWS benchmarks.

·         Administer and analyze patient and family satisfaction data, including survey results across inpatient (Peds, NICU) and outpatient service areas; interpret findings and disseminate actionable insights to care teams.

·         Support strategic planning and action plan development across PFCS, SFCH, and CWS units; present progress updates and outcomes to CWS ACNO and associate directors.

·         Promote an environment of shared decision-making and multidisciplinary collaboration to address patient care and service delivery issues.

·         Ensure all clinical services, educational offerings, and research activities are compliant with internal standards and external regulations, including requirements of The Joint Commission.

·         Lead the design and implementation of innovative scheduling workflows and processes for PFCS service lines to support operational excellence.

·         Oversee collaboration with senior leadership and safety teams, including UI Health Care Safety & Security and Infection Prevention, to ensure the protection of minors on all UI Health Care campuses; manage family presence, visitation, and related pediatric policies and public space usage in CWS/SFCH.

Patient Care/Services Delivery

Lead the advancement of patient care delivery across PFCS service lines through strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and a commitment to evidence-based and family-centered practices.

·         Research, develop, and implement best practice models of care and service delivery to ensure consistent, high-quality standards are upheld for children and families throughout the CWS division and the broader UI Health Care system, including MCU, MCD, MCNL, and affiliated clinics.

·         Collaborate with medical directors, interdisciplinary teams, and administrative departments to coordinate implementation efforts and address operational challenges in deploying new care models.

·         Champion the principles of patient- and family-centered care by fostering service excellence and ensuring positive interactions between staff, patients, and families.

·         Ensure full compliance with federal and state regulations related to safety, risk management, infection control, and other applicable standards as defined by external accrediting and enforcement agencies.

Planning and Goal Management

Provide strategic and administrative leadership for planning initiatives across PFCS, aligning division goals with broader organizational priorities and ensuring effective execution and continuous evaluation.

·         Lead development and implementation of the PFCS strategic plan in coordination with CWS and Stead Family Children’s Hospital planning efforts.

·         Establish, promote, monitor, and assess PFCS program goals to drive performance and alignment with patient- and family-centered care principles.

·         Collaborate with unit leaders to build and execute tactical plans; track progress, identify improvement opportunities, and adjust strategies as needed.

·         Demonstrate ongoing professional growth by engaging with state and national associations, staying current with industry trends, and actively participating in relevant community initiatives.

·         Communicate proactively and transparently with CWS and SFCH leadership to ensure situational awareness of system-wide initiatives, planning updates, and operational priorities.

·         Review and interpret statistical and performance data to enhance service productivity, operational efficiency, and patient/family satisfaction; apply insights to inform service expansion and process improvement.

Communication/Collaboration

Provide leadership in facilitating effective communication strategies and cultivating collaborative partnerships across PFCS, Children’s and Women’s Services (CWS), and the broader UI Health Care system to support strategic objectives, operational consistency, and patient-family advocacy.

·         Lead the development and implementation of communication plans that support program expansion, autonomy, and alignment with PFCS and CWS priorities.

·         Provide operational leadership for the Stead Family Children’s Hospital Family and Youth Advisory Councils, ensuring meaningful engagement and responsiveness to patient and family perspectives.

·         Establish and nurture relationships with internal and external constituencies including donors, alumni, and media representatives at local, state, regional, and national levels.

·         Serve as a liaison and strategic consultant for core internal and external partners, including but not limited to:

o    University of Iowa Center for Advancement

o    University of Iowa Athletics

o    CWS Care Coordination Services

o    Office of The Patient Experience

o    Guest Services (including Concierge Services and Helen Rossi Guesthouse)

o    Marketing and Communications

o    Environmental and Engineering Services

o    Capital Management

o    Rehabilitation Services

o    Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois

·         Facilitate cross-departmental communication and collaboration to support the standardization and coordination of care delivery models.

·         Collaborate with physicians, staff, and healthcare leadership to identify opportunities for service enhancement, program development, and capital investment planning.

·         Build effective working relationships throughout UI Health Care to support hospital, collegiate, and community leadership initiatives.

·         Chair or participate in hospital and divisional committees and special projects as assigned by the ACNO, CWS, and the Chief Administrative Officer of Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

·         Serve as a liaison to senior leaders and key organizational stakeholders to promote shared planning, rapid decision-making, and effective problem resolution.

Education Programs

Provide strategic leadership for PFCS educational initiatives to foster continuous learning, staff competency, patient/family education, and collaboration with academic institutions.

·         Design and implement orientation programs and staff development strategies that promote clinical competency, professional growth, and role-specific excellence across PFCS service lines.

·         Maintain a dynamic and collaborative learning environment for University of Iowa students, particularly those enrolled in health-related undergraduate and graduate programs such as Health, Sport, and Human Physiology, Health Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, and the College of Nursing.

·         Collaborate with faculty and university departments to develop and deliver educational content, presentations, and experiential learning opportunities that support PFCS mission and values.

·         Develop and sustain efficient systems and strategic partnerships for the provision of patient and family education across the CWS division.

·         Provide oversight and guidance to managers in the delivery of required clinical and continuing education for PFCS staff to meet organizational standards and service expectations.

·         Serve as the accountable leader for all PFCS educational programs and formal education agreements with external academic institutions, including activities within Child Life, Injury Prevention and Community Outreach, and Patient and Family-Centered Care.

Research Administration

Provide leadership and oversight for clinical and academic research collaborations within PFCS, with a focus on advancing evidence-based practice and improving care outcomes for children and women.

·         Ensure access to current health care research, clinical studies, and evidence-based practices that support PFCS service line innovation and excellence.

·         Benchmark programs, protocols, and service delivery strategies against comparable peer institutions to identify best practices and opportunities for improvement.