Executive Director, Island Health Project

Island Health Project Seeks Executive Director

About Fishers Island and the Island Health Project

Located off the coast of Connecticut but physically a part of New York State, Fishers Island is a small, remote, and interconnected community with deep maritime roots, dramatic coastal beauty, and a strong sense of tradition, an island to which families have been coming for generations. The year-round population is in the hundreds but swells to several thousand in season when sailing, boating, fishing, golf, beach life, and conservation shape the island’s identity. Access to the island is via ferry from New London, CT, and upon arrival on this small, quiet, and intentionally low-key island, life slows down considerably.

The Island Health Project (IHP) is a pivotal, island-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting high-quality health care for Fishers Island residents and visitors. IHP provides philanthropic and operational support to Fishers Island Medical Services, P.C. (FIMS), the independent medical practice through which all clinical care is delivered. FIMS’s medical staff, consisting of a full-time physician and a nursing team (which flexes seasonally), provides primary care, emergency medicine, and blood draws at the island’s medical office. FIMS also coordinates physical therapy, home care, and hospice care in partnership with other off-island entities. The Executive Director will be FIMS’ chief administrator while working in close partnership with the IHP Board of Directors.

IHP’s annual budget is over $1 million, and the organization has been finanically well-supported by the island’s residents through significant annual philanthropy and a growing endowment.

A Time of Transition for IHP

After fourteen years of service by its most recent physician, a new physician is currently being hired. Also, since its inception, the IHP Board of Directors has been a vigorous working board with members contributing countless hours to running IHP; essentially, board members have collectively served as unpaid administrators. Even though the board has been highly effective and IHP is well-regarded, given the ever-evolving health care landscape and the recent physician transition, the board determined now is the optimal time to hire a professional administrator for the practice which will allow it to transition to a governing board focused on customary board responsibilities such as mission, vision, financial sustainability, and philanthropy.

The Executive Director Opportunity

The IHP Executive Director will be the chief administrator of the FIMS practice working collaboratively with the medical staff and partner organizations to ensure that FIMS efficiently and effectively delivers the highest quality health care in this unique island environment and within the ever-changing and increasingly complex health care sector. The FIMS physician will report to the Executive Director for administrative management and support but to the Board for clinical oversight. All other FIMS staff will report directly to the Executive Director. High priorities for the Executive Director include:

• Organizational & Governance Transition – Shifting day-to-day responsibilities from the Board of Directors to the Executive Director; clarifying governance versus management roles and responsibilities to reduce the workload on board members and committees; establishing clear responsibilities and decision-making authority amongst and between the staff and board; and building and sustaining strong working relationships with the board and committee chairs.
• Systems & Infrastructure – Conducting an operational review and then establishing and implementing the structure, systems, policies, and procedures to ensure efficient operations, potential program expansion, compliance with health care regulations, electronic systems integration, back-office effectiveness, and organizational cohesiveness.
• Leadership, People Management, and Culture – Professionalizing IHP operations and serving as the persistent yet patient change-agent to move the organization from a volunteer-driven administrative model; building cohesiveness across a fragmented, multi-role team; managing and supporting staff performance, satisfaction, and retention; fostering and modeling clear and consistent communication; and serving as the liaison between the staff, board, and resident physician.
• Fundraising and Financial Management – Bringing additional discipline and transparency to IHP’s financial operations and reporting; providing strong, consistent, and strategic administrative support for fundraising efforts (including creation and oversight of an annual calendar as well as donor tracking, acknowledgment, and stewardship); and ensuring proper insurance procurement and management.

Profile of the Ideal Candidate

Desired Background and Experience:

• A minimum of four years of senior leadership, or equivalent experience.
• Experience in health care management preferred.
• Knowledge of and experience with governance best practices and financial management.

Skills and Qualities:

Strategic Team Leader

• Skilled at strategic planning, project management, and operational execution.
• A firm and fair leader who can patiently lead an established organization through change and lead through influence rather than through direct oversight and authority.
• Excellent organizational skills, someone who takes initiative and follows through.
• Knowledge of board best practices and able to strike the appropriate balance between governance and management.
• Personnel management experience, including delegation, setting clear expectations, and performance oversight.
• Skilled at developing and sustaining mutually beneficial partnerships with other service providers.

Experienced Administration of Fundraising and Financial Practices

• Skilled at providing oversight and administrative support to a robust development function.
• Able to contribute to donor cultivation and stewardship efforts led by the Board of Directors and its Development Committee.
• Experience managing finances including budget development, financial reporting, endowment management, and resource allocation as well as serving as a liaison to the board’s Finance Committee.

Exceptional Teambuilder with Strong Communicator Skills

• Skilled at navigating relationships with board members, the physician, staff, and partners meeting diverse personalities where they are at and respecting long tenures and traditional perspectives.
• Strong teambuilder who fosters cohesion and trust to move a team in a common direction toward agreed-upon goals.
• Approachable, warm, friendly, and empathetic, an active listener with high emotional intelligence.
• Adept at having hard conversations, reaching consensus, setting boundaries, and holding self and others accountable.
• Charismatic, personable, and authentic with the ability to establish a strong presence in the local community as one of IHP’s external representative.

Flexible and Adaptable Implementer

• Ability to enhance operational efficiency, modernize systems, and improve technology usage.
• Open-minded, creative, and forward-thinking; flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances, with the capacity to pivot and “go with the flow” when needed.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, not intimidated by the unknown, and resilient.
• Willing to learn and wear many hats, be a “jack of all trades” during this transitional period.
• Able to maintain composure, humor, and perspective while recognizing and respecting the unique island/seasonal community in which IHP operates.

Compensation, Benefits, Working Expectations:

This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position with a starting compensation range of $120,000 to $140,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. IHP will negotiate and provide a benefits package up to 25% of annual salary to meet the needs of its hire. Although the Executive Director does not have to reside on Fishers Island, a regular presence on island will be expected. IHP has an on-island apartment which can be used periodically by the Executive Director in conjunction with others.

Application Process and Additional Information

IHP is an equal opportunity employer and views diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence as vital guiding principles in its work. IHP welcomes and encourages applications from anyone who may contribute to the mission of IHP to provide healthcare to year-round and seasonal residents as well as visitors.

Candidate must include a resume and a cover letter, both in PDF format, which describe how qualifications and experience match the needs and mission of IHP. A background check will be required for finalists. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Upload required documents to: https://eostransitions.applicantpool.com/jobs/.

This executive search is being conducted by Eos Transition Partners consultant, John Tarvin. All submissions will be acknowledged and are confidential, and any questions can be submitted to John at: jtarvin@eostransitions.com.