POSITION SUMMARY
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) serves as the senior executive leader of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center Inc. (GLIIHC). GLIIHC is an Indian Health Service Title V Urban Indian Health Center and a HRSA designated Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). The organization is accredited by the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Healthcare (AAAHC) and has Patient Centered Medical Home designations.
The CEO is responsible for the strategic, operational, financial, and clinical oversight of the organization. The CEO works collaboratively with the Board of Directors, executive leadership team, clinical providers, and community stakeholders to ensure the delivery of high-quality, accessible, patient-centered care consistent with the mission, vision, and values of the organization. The CEO ensures organizational compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including HRSA Health Center Program requirements, FTCA regulations, accreditation standards, payer requirements, and quality improvement expectations. The CEO promotes organizational sustainability, workforce development, operational excellence, and community impact while advancing health equity and integrated care services.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES/ SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Strategic Leadership
- Provides visionary leadership and strategic direction for the organization.
- Leads the implementation of the Agency's strategic plan and organizational priorities.
- Collaborates with the Board of Directors in organizational planning, governance, and policy development.
- Ensures alignment of operational activities with the mission, vision, and long-term sustainability goals of the organization.
- Advocates for the healthcare needs of the Native American community.
- Serves as a visible organizational leader, fostering community relationships, public trust, and a strong organizational reputation.
- Promotes organizational culture focused on quality, accountability, collaboration, innovation, and patient-centered care.
- Develops and integrates organizational partnerships with Local, State and National entities, i.e., Tribal and Non-Tribal community organizations, Tribal 638 healthcare systems, Wisconsin Primary Healthcare Association, Milwaukee Healthcare Partnership network, Indian Health Service (IHS) Bemidji Area Office, Human Resource and Service Administration, Wisconsin Colleges and Universities, Medical and Public Health Schools, local and state-WI Health Departments agencies, and funding organizations.
- Participates in local, state, and national healthcare initiatives and associations.
- Fosters workforce engagement, retention, succession planning, and leadership development.
- Promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and a positive organizational culture.
- Supports employee wellness, professional development, and performance accountability systems.
Administrative and Operational Oversight
- Directs the Center's operations to assure effective operations and integration of all clinical, community health, and administrative functions of the organization, including medical, behavioral health, dental, pharmacy, outreach, and support services, to advance the mission and improve the health and well-being of the Native American community.
- Partners with clinical leadership to establish organizational priorities, performance expectations, and quality outcomes across all clinical service lines.
- Provides strategic leadership in identifying and advancing grant and other funding opportunities that support organizational priorities and community health programs.
- Provides oversight of medical staff credentialing and privileging to ensure compliance with applicable standards, regulations, and organizational policies.
- Promotes the use of evidence-based practices, population health strategies, and quality improvement methodologies throughout all clinical and community programs.
- Monitors program performance through the review of quality, access, utilization, patient experience, workforce, and health outcome metrics.
- Establishes and maintains effective organizational staffing models, and reporting relationships to support operational efficiency and accountability
- Oversees organizational infrastructure, facilities, information technology, compliance systems, and risk management activities.
- Ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, local, HRSA, CMS, OSHA, HIPAA, and accreditation requirements.
- Ensures organizational preparedness for accreditation, operational reviews, HRSA site visits, and regulatory audits.
- Administers organizational performance metrics and operational dashboards.
Financial Management
- Provides oversight of organizational financial performance, budgeting, forecasting, and sustainability planning.
- Administers responsible financial stewardship of all federal and non-federal grants, State and Local grants, contracts, reimbursement, and organizational resources.
- Provides oversight with finance leadership regarding revenue cycle management, payer strategies, grant management, and financial controls.
- Presents annual operating budget and organizational financial reports with updates to the Board of Directors and Finance Committee.
- Leads the strategic direction for the Agency's annual fundraising as well as sponsorship of cultural and community events.
- Supports diversification of funding opportunities and organizational growth initiatives.
Quality Improvement & Compliance
- Leads the implementation of a comprehensive Quality Management & Improvement (QM&I) program.
- Directs the development, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of GLIIHC's Quality Management & Improvement (QM&I) Framework.
- Provides mentorship and coaching to Quality Improvement workgroups in the design, implementation, and evaluation of Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, translating improvement concepts into practical operational changes that drive measurable results.
- Leads enterprise-wide quality improvement initiatives utilizing data-driven methodologies.
- Monitors key quality indicators, patient safety events, risk management activities, and performance measures.
- Oversees clinical quality reporting including UDS, eCQMs, CMS quality measures, and other required reporting.
- Develops annual and quarterly reports for the Board of Directors.
- Promotes a culture of patient safety and continuous quality improvement.
- Promotes data-driven decision-making and performance improvement initiatives across departments.
- Ensures compliance with:
- HRSA Health Center Program regulations requirements
- UDS, GPRA and IHS reporting requirements
- FTCA requirements
- HIPAA regulations
- OSHA standards
- State and federal healthcare regulations
- Accreditation standards (e.g., AAAHC, NCQA PCMH)
- Oversees organizational risk management, incident reporting, and corrective action processes.
- Monitors organizational clinical and non-clinical performance metrics and operational KPI dashboards.
- Supports integrated care and population health management initiatives.
Workforce Leadership
- Recruits, supervises, and evaluates executive leadership team members.
- Fosters workforce engagement, retention, succession planning, and leadership development.
- Promotes interdisciplinary collaboration and a positive organizational culture.
- Ensures fair and equitable personnel practices consistent with organizational policies and employment laws.
- Supports employee wellness, professional development, and performance accountability systems.
Board Relations
- Serves as primary liaison to the Board of Directors.
- Supports Board committee structure, governance activities, and regulatory compliance.
- Prepares and presents reports related to organizational operations, finance, quality, compliance, strategic initiatives, and community impact.
- Assists the Board in policy review, strategic planning, and organizational decision-making.
- Ensures timely communication regarding organizational risks, opportunities, and operational priorities.
Community & External Relations
- Represents the organization with community partners, healthcare organizations, elected officials, and regulatory agencies.
- Strengthens American Indian community wellness through culturally responsive programs, outreach, and healthcare advocacy.
- Promotes the visibility and reputation of the organization within the community.
- Participates in local, state, and national healthcare initiatives and associations.
Minimum Qualifications
Education
Required:
- Master's degree in public health, business administration, healthcare administration, or a related field.
Preferred:
- Master of Public Health (MPH)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)
Experience
- Previous CEO or healthcare executive experience.
- The ideal candidate has a generational approach, a passion for, and deep experience working within Native American healthcare.
- Knowledge of and experience working with Native American languages, cultures, communities, and populations is required.
- Healthcare leadership experience working with diverse and underserved tribal populations in urban settings.
- Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive healthcare leadership experience.
- Minimum of 5 years in senior executive leadership preferred.
- Experience in an FQHC, community health center, integrated healthcare organization, or safety-net healthcare environment is strongly preferred.
- Experience with HRSA compliance, UDS reporting, GPRA-IHS and Primary Care Agency AAAHC/NCQA accreditation of healthcare operations readiness required.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of FQHC regulations, healthcare reimbursement, and community health systems.
- Strong leadership, strategic planning, and organizational development skills.
- Experience with quality improvement methodologies and performance management systems.
- Knowledge of integrated care models and population health strategies.
- Strong financial management and operational oversight abilities.
- Excellent communication, relationship-building, and presentation skills.
- Ability to lead organizational change and foster collaborative partnerships.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience overseeing integrated medical, behavioral health, dental, retail pharmaceutical, and enabling services.
- Experience with:
- Health Resources and Services Administration Health Center Program requirements
- Indian Health Service-Urban Indian Health program requirements
- National Committee for Quality Assurance PCMH standards
- Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care accreditation
- Grant management and federal funding oversight
- Healthcare informatics, EHR optimization, and operational analytics
Reporting Relationship
Reports directly to the Board of Directors.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Directly supervises executive leadership team members and oversees organizational operations across all departments and programs.
Work Environment
This position operates in a healthcare and administrative environment with regular interaction across clinical, operational, community, and governance settings. Travel may be required for meetings, conferences, advocacy, and organizational representation.
Executive Leadership Team Reporting to CEO
- Chief Operations Officer (COO)
- Chief Medical Officer (CMO)
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
- Public Health Advisor
- Director of Behavioral Health
- Director of Marketing and Communications
- Quality Improvement Manager
- Senior Advisor, Health Information Technology
|
Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, Inc.
$185,000 - negotiable - As an approved site for federal loan repayment programs, we offer qualified clinicians opportunities to reduce student debt while serving our community. Options include the NHSC Loan Repayment Program ($50,000-$75,000 for two years
Sep 24, 2026