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Chief Executive Officer - WSH

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Dept Behavioral Health/Develop

Location: Staunton, Virginia
Category: President and Chancellor
Date Posted: May 22, 2025
Application Deadline: Open until filled

Job Description

Full job description

Title: BH Hospital Chief Executive Officer

State Role Title: 19225

Hiring Range: Up to $200,000

Pay Band: 7

Agency: Dept Behavioral Health/Develop

Location: Central Office

Agency Website: www.dbhds.virginia.gov

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS) is seeking an accomplished and visionary healthcare executive to lead Western State Hospital (WSH), a 300-bed, Joint Commission-accredited inpatient psychiatric facility located in Staunton, Virginia. This hospital serves a diverse population of adult patients, including civil and forensic individuals who require specialized inpatient psychiatric treatment. As part of the Commonwealths state hospital system, Western State Hospital plays a critical role in supporting the mission of providing high-quality, recovery-oriented care. Working in close collaboration with other hospital leaders, you will support the Commonwealths ongoing efforts to standardize and modernize care practices, ensuring excellence across the continuum of care.

Western State Hospital is situated in the scenic Shenandoah Valley, surrounded by stunning natural landscapes and a strong sense of community. Staunton offers a charming blend of historical significance and modern amenities, with a vibrant downtown area, excellent public schools, and access to a wide range of cultural and recreational activities. Known for its rich cultural heritage and proximity to natural wonders like the Blue Ridge Mountains, the region offers a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. The area also enjoys a moderate climate, ideal for year-round outdoor activities, and is well-connected to major cities such as Richmond, Charlottesville, and Washington, D.C.

As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Western State Hospital, you will lead a high-performing, multidisciplinary team in delivering excellent, person-centered care to individuals with complex behavioral health needs. This position requires a dynamic and results-driven executive with a proven track record of managing large, complex healthcare operations. You will be responsible for ensuring the hospitals operational efficiency, meeting key performance targets, providing outstanding care, and supporting sound business and financial decision-making.

Key responsibilities include:

Leadership & Strategic Oversight: Oversee all aspects of hospital administration, including strategic planning, operations, human resources, finance, and quality improvement. Drive initiatives to enhance patient outcomes, operational efficiency, and financial performance. Ensure the hospital meets key performance metrics and quality standards while fostering a culture of excellence and safety.
Operational Excellence: Oversee and manage the administrative and business operations of a complex, multi-faceted hospital. Ensure the delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented care that meets the unique needs of civil and forensic patients. Collaborate with stakeholders to optimize workflows, reduce barriers to care, and maintain compliance with state and federal regulations.
Workforce Development: Build and cultivate a dynamic, engaged workforce through effective recruitment, training, and development programs. Lead multidisciplinary teams of behavioral health clinicians, professionals, and administrative staff to create a culture of teamwork, accountability, and employee engagement.
Collaboration & Partnership: Provide effective leadership to a network of diverse groups, including public and private community-based treatment programs and providers. Work closely with other leaders within the state hospital system, community providers, law enforcement, judicial entities, and advocacy groups to ensure a comprehensive approach to behavioral health care delivery. Actively participate in statewide planning efforts to advance best practices across the healthcare continuum.
Financial & Performance Management: Oversee the hospitals $100 million annual operating budget, ensuring fiscal responsibility and financial sustainability. Analyze and synthesize large amounts of data to develop logical conclusions, recommendations, and solutions for enhancing operational performance. Drive cost-effective, data-driven decision-making while maintaining high standards of care.
Innovation & Quality Improvement: Lead initiatives to drive quality improvement, with a focus on patient safety, evidence-based practices, and continuous performance enhancement. Guide the hospital through initiatives to achieve and maintain Centers for Medicaid and Medicare (CMS) deemed status certification.
Policy Interpretation & Implementation: Interpret and apply policy effectively, ensuring alignment with state regulations, accreditation standards, and best practices. Support the implementation of new policies and procedures to improve patient care and operational efficiency.

Minimum Qualifications

Leadership Experience: Significant experience in the management and administration of a behavioral health organization, with a progressive career trajectory in healthcare leadership.
Expertise in Behavioral Health: In-depth knowledge of trauma-informed, recovery-oriented care, as well as strategies for managing forensic populations and meeting the specific needs of civil and forensic patients.
Operational Acumen: Ability to lead and manage multifaceted healthcare operations, with a strong focus on financial management, workforce development, and achieving operational goals. Experience with budget oversight, fiscal management, and efficient operations is essential.
Strategic and Visionary Thinking: Expertise in strategic planning, change management, and systems thinking, with a demonstrated ability to drive large-scale improvements across an organization.
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement: Ability to lead and effectively communicate with diverse groups, including facility staff, consumers, families, advocacy organizations, elected officials, and community-based providers. Experience in fostering collaboration across multi-disciplinary teams and external partners.
Criminal Justice & Forensic Care: Experience with executive leadership in programs for individuals with criminal justice involvement or forensic status is highly desirable.
Healthcare Management Experience: Experience in inpatient behavioral health hospital leadership, particularly in forensic and geropsychiatric care, is a significant advantage.

Additional Considerations

Certification in behavioral health or relevant leadership certifications.

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

For consideration, interested applicants must apply by completing the online application. A resume may also be included with your submission. However, emailed, faxed, and hand-delivered applications and/or resumes will not be accepted. This position is open until filled; however, applications/resumes will begin to be reviewed within seven (7) business days of the date of this posting. Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act.

DBHDS welcomes all applicants authorized to work in the U.S. For more information on how to seek this authorization, please refer to Working in the United States or contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office directly.

For any technical assistance with the jobs.virginia.gov website, please contact applicantinquiry@dhrm.virginia.gov.

Contact Information

Name: Keiana Bobbitt

Phone: N/A

Email: keiana.bobbitt@dbhds.virginia.gov - Inquiries Only/No Submissions, to include resumes.

In support of the Commonwealths commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.

Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force. Equal Opportunity Employer

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