Chief Operating Officer in Fort Dodge, Iowa at Community Health Center of Fort Dodge, Inc

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is responsible for transforming CHCFD from a reactive, site-variable organization into a standardized, data-driven, high-accountability health system. This role drives operational excellence across all locations by implementing consistent workflows, enforcing performance expectations, and building leaders who own outcomes.

The COO ensures that every operational function, from front desk to referral management to outreach, operates with clarity, consistency, and measurable results, aligned with CHCFD’s mission, HRSA/FQHC requirements, and financial sustainability.

This role is execution-focused leadership responsible for turning strategy into daily operational reality.

Reporting Structure

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Direct Reports May Include:

• Office Managers (all sites)
• Front Office Supervisors
• Outreach Coordinator
• Director of Technology / IT
• Referral Coordinator
• Recruitment & Benefits Specialist
• Additional operational leaders as assigned

Core Responsibilities

1. Operational Standardization & Execution

• Develop and implement standardized workflows across all CHCFD sites
• Eliminate variation in front desk, scheduling, preregistration, and patient flow processes
• Ensure all locations operate under one system, one standard, one expectation
• Build and maintain playbooks and SOPs for all operational functions
• Conduct routine audits to ensure adherence to standards
• Rapidly identify breakdowns and implement corrective action

Success looks like:

• No variation in how work is done across sites
• Staff can move between sites with no confusion
• Clear, documented workflows exist for all major processes

2. Front Office & Patient Access Optimization

• Oversee all front office operations across sites
• Ensure accurate registration, insurance capture, and eligibility verification
• Standardize scheduling practices to maximize access and productivity
• Improve booking rates, reduce no-shows, and increase same-day utilization
• Implement accountability for preregistration and work queue management

Key focus areas:

• Insurance capture at or before check-in
• MyChart utilization and patient engagement
• Appointment optimization (no gaps, correct visit types)
• Patient throughput and experience

3. Leadership Development & Accountability

• Develop clinic supervisors and front office leaders into high-accountability managers
• Set clear expectations for performance and behavior
• Hold leaders accountable for team outcomes, not just activity
• Address performance issues directly and consistently
• Eliminate avoidance of difficult conversations

Expectation:

Leaders under the COO do not “manage tasks”, they own outcomes

4. Data-Driven Performance Management

• Build and maintain operational dashboards (Epic, Compass Rose, etc.)
• Monitor KPIs across all departments and sites
• Use data to drive decision-making—not anecdote
• Hold weekly operational reviews with leaders
• Identify trends and implement proactive solutions

5. Recruitment Strategy & Workforce Optimization

• Oversee all recruitment functions across CHCFD
• Develop and implement a proactive workforce strategy aligned with growth and access goals
• Ensure timely recruitment of:
  • Providers
  • Clinical staff
  • Front office staff
• Partner with leadership to forecast staffing needs based on:
  • Patient demand
  • Access gaps
  • Expansion plans

Operational Expectations:

• Reduce time-to-fill for all positions
• Eliminate reactive hiring
• Build pipelines for high-need roles (especially dental, medical, behavioral health)
• Standardize hiring processes across sites
• Ensure consistent interview quality and selection criteria
• Hold hiring managers accountable for timely decision-making

Recruitment KPIs:

• Time-to-fill by position type
• Vacancy rate by department/site
• Offer acceptance rate
• Turnover within first 90 days
• Provider vacancy impact on access/productivity

6. Benefits Strategy & Workforce Retention

• Oversee benefits administration and strategy
• Ensure benefits offerings are competitive and support recruitment
• Align benefits with workforce needs and organizational goals
• Partner with HR/benefits staff to:
  • Improve employee understanding of benefits
  • Increase engagement/utilization
  • Reduce confusion and administrative inefficiencies

Operational Expectations:

• Ensure benefits are clearly communicated to staff
• Standardize onboarding and benefits enrollment processes
• Identify gaps contributing to turnover or dissatisfaction
• Ensure benefits support retention of high-value roles

Benefits KPIs:

• Employee retention rate
• Benefits utilization trends
• Employee satisfaction related to benefits
• Open enrollment completion accuracy
• New hire benefits enrollment completion

7. Workforce Planning & Staffing Model Alignment

• Align staffing models with operational demand
• Ensure appropriate staffing levels across all sites
• Identify under- or over-staffing trends
• Adjust staffing proactively based on:
  • Volume
  • Productivity
  • Expansion
  • Seasonal trends

Expectation:

Staffing is intentional, not reactive.

8. Care Coordination Integration (TCM/CCM Support)

• Partner with CCMO to operationalize TCM/CCM workflows
• Ensure front-end workflows support care management success:
  • Accurate patient data
  • Scheduling alignment
  • Referral coordination
• Remove operational barriers to care coordination programs

9. Referral & Care Continuity Optimization

• Oversee referral coordination processes
• Ensure timely referral completion and tracking
• Eliminate referral leakage and delays
• Standardize referral workflows across sites

10. Technology & Workflow Optimization

• Partner with IT to ensure Epic and supporting systems drive efficiency
• Lead operational input into system builds and enhancements
• Ensure staff are using systems correctly and consistently
• Eliminate workarounds that reduce efficiency or accuracy

11. Outreach & Community Engagement Operations

• Oversee outreach strategy and execution
• Ensure events align with patient acquisition and access goals
• Track ROI and effectiveness of outreach efforts
• Integrate outreach with operational capacity

12. Compliance & FQHC Operational Readiness

• Ensure operations align with HRSA requirements and OSV expectations
• Maintain readiness for audits and reviews
• Ensure documentation and workflows support compliance
• Partner with Quality and Risk leadership

13. Continuous Improvement & Change Management

• Lead organizational change initiatives
• Identify inefficiencies and implement solutions
• Build a culture of continuous improvement
• Move the organization from:
  • Reactive → Proactive
  • Inconsistent → Standardized
  • Task-based → Outcome-driven

Education

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, Operations Management, or related field

Preferred:

• Master’s degree (MBA, MHA, MPH, or similar) with emphasis in:
  • Operations Management
  • Healthcare Administration
  • Business Strategy
  • Organizational Leadership

Strongly Preferred:

• Formal training or certification in:
  • Lean / Six Sigma / Process Improvement
  • Healthcare Operations or Practice Management
  • Project Management (PMP or equivalent)

Experience

Required:

• Minimum 7–10 years of progressive leadership experience in healthcare operations, multi-site operations, or a similarly complex service environment
• Minimum 3–5 years in a senior leadership role (Director level or above) with direct accountability for operational performance
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-site operations or large, cross-functional teams

Critical Experience Requirements

Candidates must demonstrate proven success in:

Operational Standardization

• Leading organizations from inconsistent workflows to standardized processes
• Developing and implementing SOPs across multiple locations or departments
• Reducing variation and improving efficiency at scale

Performance Management & Accountability

• Holding leaders and staff accountable to measurable expectations
• Addressing underperformance directly and consistently
• Implementing performance improvement plans and driving results

Data-Driven Decision Making

• Building and using dashboards to manage operations
• Translating data into actionable operational changes
• Managing KPIs tied to access, productivity, and financial outcomes

Front-End Revenue Cycle & Access Operations

• Deep understanding of:
  • Patient registration accuracy
  • Insurance verification
  • Scheduling optimization
  • Workqueue management
• Demonstrated impact on:
  • Reducing denials
  • Improving access
  • Increasing utilization

Workforce Strategy & Recruitment Oversight

• Experience overseeing or partnering closely with recruitment teams
• Demonstrated ability to:
  • Reduce time-to-fill
  • Build hiring pipelines
  • Align staffing with operational demand
• Experience addressing workforce shortages in critical roles

Leadership Development

• Building high-performing leadership teams
• Coaching supervisors into accountable, outcome-driven leaders
• Managing through other leaders—not just direct staff

Highly Preferred Experience

• Experience in an FQHC or similar mission-driven healthcare organization
• Knowledge of:
  • HRSA requirements
  • UDS reporting
  • Access and quality metrics
• Experience implementing or optimizing Epic or similar EHR systems
• Experience working in rapid growth or turnaround environments
• Experience integrating care management programs (TCM/CCM) into operations