Chief Operating Officer

Company Overview

Macon County Samaritan Hospital has served Macon and surrounding communities for more than 95 years. The hospital provides personalized care through emergency services, specialty care, diagnostic services, rehabilitation and therapy programs.

Position Overview

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and serves as a key member of the executive leadership team. This position integrates operational oversight of hospital and clinic functions to ensure safe, efficient, and high-quality care delivery across Samaritan Hospital and TFHC. The COO is responsible for directing, supervising, and coordinating business operations; ensuring compliance with regulatory and quality standards; driving operational efficiency, fiscal accountability, and strategic growth; and supporting the CEO in executing the strategic plan through integrated clinical and operational excellence.

Core Responsibilities

1. Critical Access Hospital & Clinic Operations

• Daily Management: Direct day-to-day activities across non-nursing clinical departments (Specialty Clinics, Wound Clinic, and outpatient Rural Health Clinic) as well as Patient Accounts, IT, Controller, and Materials Management.
• Patient Throughput: Optimize workflow, patient flow, and resource utilization between the emergency department, acute care beds, and outpatient centers.
• Community Alignment: Monitor regional health trends to adapt clinic services, addressing local healthcare staff shortages and evolving access needs.

1. Financial Stewardship & CAH Compliance

• Reimbursement Integrity: Partner with financial leadership to preserve the hospital’s Medicare cost-based reimbursement through annual average length of stay limits, chargemaster updates, prior authorization guidelines, and other managed care/MA restrictions.
• Revenue Cycle Oversight: Drive accountability for departmental operational budgets, staffing productivity, expense management, and capital expenditure planning with a knowledge base of grant funding application opportunities.

1. Quality, Safety, & Regulatory Readiness

• Compliance: Maintain continuous regulatory readiness for CMS state licensure, and specialized rural health certifications.
• Performance Improvement: Work with clinical leadership on evidence-based initiatives to enhance patient safety metrics, reduce avoidable readmissions, and meet Accountable Care Organization (ACO) performance metrics (PI &MIPS). QHIP, eCQM, and other state reporting.

1. Leadership & Workforce Development

• Provider Collaboration: Foster transparent, collaborative relationships with physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), and hospital leadership.
• Talent Retention: Direct, mentor, and evaluate department directors; champion cross-training initiatives to mitigate staffing vulnerability inherent in rural health systems.
• Assist the CEO in developing and implementing long-range strategic and operational plans.
• Oversee departmental budgeting and expense management in collaboration with the Controller to ensure responsible fiscal stewardship and operational efficiency.
• Monitor productivity, efficiency, and patient satisfaction metrics and make data-driven recommendations for improvement.
• Serve as a visible ambassador within the hospital, clinics, and community.

1. Skills

Strategic Leadership: The ability to set long-term strategies for the organization and develop comprehensive actions to achieve those chosen strategies.

Organization Engagement : The ability to communicate to groups within the organization in an engaging and motivational manner with the objective of moving the organization toward chosen strategies and goals.

Critical Thinking : Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Job Qualifications

Education

Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA), Business Administration (MBA), or equivalent required.

Experience

5+ years of progressive senior leadership experience; direct management within a Critical Access Hospital or Rural Health Clinic model is strongly preferred.

Technical Knowledge

Comprehensive understanding of CMS Conditions of Participation for CAHs, cost-report dynamics, and rural health clinic billing guidelines.

Core Competencies

Proven capabilities in operational transformation, change management, community relations, and crisis escalation.

This job description is not intended to be all inclusive. This document is for management communication only and is not intended to imply a written or implied contract of employment.

Pay: From $90,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person