Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation (Baptist) is seeking a strategic and collaborative executive to serve as its next Chief Academic Officer and System Designated Institutional Official (CAO/System DIO). This is an excellent opportunity for a contemporary, inspiring leader experienced in medical education to serve at one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit systems and to develop the strategic vision across the system to attract and train the next generation of physicians.
Baptist Memorial Health Care provides a comprehensive care network that includes six full-service hospitals, ten community hospitals, six critical access hospitals, a specialized women’s and children’s hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency unit, a comprehensive cancer care network, fitness and rehabilitation centers, urgent care clinics, imaging centers, ambulatory services, and a large, diverse provider network, Baptist Memorial Medical Group (BMMG). Baptist partners organizationally and strategically with Baptist Health Sciences University (BHSU) and its new College of Osteopathic Medicine, Baptist Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine (BUCOM), to fulfill a 115-year mission of healing, preaching, and teaching for the communities they serve.
Baptist Memorial Medical Education’s residency and fellowship programs, along with the Baptist Clinical Research Institute, enhance Baptist’s ability to deliver exceptional care. Wherever you go within the Baptist health system, you encounter the same shared goal – to help people achieve health for life through compassionate service inspired by faith.
Reporting to the Vice President and System Chief Medical Officer (System CMO), the CAO/System DIO, will serve as the leader of the GME enterprise at Baptist. This includes 14 ACGME-accredited residencies and two ACGME accredited fellowships across multiple Baptist locations, with more than 180 trainees. In this role, the CAO/System DIO provides administrative oversight and strategic direction for all ACGME-accredited programs, ensuring compliance with ACGME institutional, common, specialty, and subspecialty-specific program requirements. This executive sets the strategic academic vision for Baptist in partnership with the System CMO, Baptist operational market leaders, and BMMG leaders, and is responsible for ensuring compliance with regulations and regulatory bodies in all aspects of the academic mission.
The incoming CAO/System DIO will analyze the infrastructure, performance, and financial health of the graduate medical education programs and develop a strategic plan to expand an already excellent graduate medical education program, increase interdisciplinary educational and clinical research, and improve program directors’ and faculty development. The CAO/System DIO will serve as a role model and key leader in fostering an optimal culture for learners throughout the Baptist system.
The CAO/System DIO must communicate goals and objectives to all their areas of responsibility within the academic enterprise. This is a nuanced and complex task and will require experience in large-scale communications and consensus-building. It is very important that the CAO/System DIO be a team player and a visible leader. The successful candidate will have an M.D., D.O., or equivalent terminal degree with significant experience in academic medicine and a proven track record of championing excellence, leading change, and fostering engagement. Additionally, they will need to possess exceptional relational and team-building skills to work across disciplines, markets, and institutions to orchestrate and promote a system-wide focus on the academic mission.
The successful candidate will demonstrate national recognition for productivity and achievement in education and the ability to collaborate strategically with colleagues. As the academic administrative leader serving Baptist, candidates should possess strong business acumen and a deep understanding of how to strengthen academic programs and institutional competitiveness within a highly competitive environment. Exceptional communication skills, financial acumen and a clear vision for promoting the academic mission amidst a changing healthcare and education landscape are essential for the next CAO/System DIO.
All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include a CV/resume and a letter of interest as separate documents. Review of applications has begun and will continue until the position is filled.
Please direct all applications, nominations, and inquiries to the WittKieffer consultants assisting the IHP with this recruitment, preferably via e-mail, to [email protected].