Cleveland County is seeking its next Public Health Director who will lead staff and work effectively within demands of an organization which follows State of NC Health and Human Services regulations and report to the Cleveland County Manager and Board of Commissioners. The successful candidate will be a proven public health administrator who has impeccable integrity and is a compassionate, strategic thinker with a record of outstanding community engagement, transparency, staff excellence and innovative leadership in health service delivery.  The incoming Health Director must value teamwork and collaboration, as well as champion outstanding service while holding high standards for self and others. The environment is ripe for a leader who is a change agent ready to make an impact both in the agency and in the community.

About the Department and Position: The Public Health Director is responsible for delivering and promoting public health services, strategies and initiatives to the citizens of Cleveland County. The Health Department provides Clinical and Community Services. Clinical Services include: Adult Health/General Clinic, Child Health, Dental, Diabetes Clinic, Family Planning, Immunizations, Maternal Health, School Health, WIC and Nutrition, Employee Wellness Center and a grant funded program called Nurse Family Partnership. Community Services include: Environmental Health, Health Education, Solid Waste and Pharmacy. The Health Director will be responsible for nearly 200 employees and a budget around $14M.

Priorities for the next Health Director include:

• Establishing goals and plans to improve Cleveland County Health ranking in NC
• Preparing and responding to Medicaid transformation
• Strategic focus on communicable diseases and the increase in opioid and tobacco use

 The new Health Director will work with County Administration, the Cleveland County Public Health Advisory Board and the Board of County Commissioners to address the key health concerns and priorities while working to envision new priorities to protect and promote the health care of the citizens of Cleveland County. Building a transparent, informational and accountable relationship with the Board and public is essential. Like many communities, increases in opioid addiction and the prevalence of STDs create challenges for innovative outreach, education, treatment and prevention. Ongoing disparity of income and healthcare access require innovative programs and initiatives to ensure people can receive outstanding healthcare. The next director must be a passionate advocate for citizen access to outstanding public health care and the ongoing development of a climate of excellence in which staff grow and thrive in delivering outstanding customer service.

In Addition, the Successful Candidate (is):

• a transformational leader who works to inspire staff by role modeling high standards, accountability, and excellence in word and deed;
• a creative and collaborative leader who builds unique partnerships with both traditional and non-traditional partners
• a respected and skillful leader who is able to effectively recruit, retain, manage, develop and engage talented staff;
• an assertive advocate for the needs of Public Health clients, community members and employees with key stakeholders and decision makers who influence policy, law and funding;
• an effective influencer who matches goals, data and strategy to aid decision makers in understanding needs and resources needed to improve service delivery;
• skillful in diplomatically engaging with a diversity of stakeholders such as individual citizens, community groups, employees, regional, state and federal authorities in order to leverage County opportunities and mitigate challenges;
• will expand and enhance a culture of excellent customer service for all stakeholders;
• will break down silos and barriers effectively while building bridges and paths to solutions in partnership with others;
• embraces innovative solutions such as offering provider training programs, leveraging technology, partnering to remove obstacles (e.g. cultural and language barriers, transportation, etc.) in order to solve challenging health care delivery issues;
• advocates for services of the agency to regulatory bodies and programmatic partners;
• is experienced in developing, managing and coordinating a budget that consists of funds from multiple sources;
• is knowledgeable about the legal and philosophical basis for health programs and applies standards to ensure compliance;
• networks with peers in neighboring communities, the state and region to benchmark the organization, identify best practices and leverage resources; and,
• communicates excellently both verbally and in writing and possesses well-developed interpersonal skills and abilities.

To apply, please go to https://www.developmentalassociates.com and view the client openings on the left side of the home page.  Click on the Public Health Director – Cleveland County link.   All applications must be submitted online.  All inquiries should be emailed to hiring@developmentalassociates.com.   Resume screening begins December 5, 2019.  On-site interviews and skill evaluation for the semi-finalists is January 22-23, 2020 in Cleveland County.  Cleveland County is an Equal Opportunity Employer.