UK St. Claire HealthCare is seeking an inspiring, strategic, and transformational nursing leader to serve as its next Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). This is an exceptional opportunity to join one of Kentucky's most respected and financially strong community health systems and help shape the future of nursing, patient care, and clinical excellence across a growing regional healthcare organization.
Headquartered in Morehead, Kentucky, UK St. Claire HealthCare is the region's leading provider of healthcare services, serving an 11-county area across northeastern Kentucky. The organization is anchored by UK St. Claire Regional Medical Center, a 159-bed hospital recognized as the largest rural hospital in the region. As a member of the University of Kentucky healthcare family, UK St. Claire continues to strengthen academic, clinical, and workforce partnerships while expanding access to high-quality care throughout eastern Kentucky. The health system includes an extensive network of primary care and specialty practices, urgent care centers, outpatient services, home health, hospice, and other ancillary programs that support the health and well-being of the communities it serves.
Reporting directly to the President and Chief Executive Officer, the CNO serves as the senior nursing executive and a key member of the executive leadership team. The successful candidate will provide strategic and operational leadership for nursing services across the enterprise while advancing a culture centered on quality, safety, service excellence, workforce engagement, innovation, and patient-centered care.
The CNO will lead nursing strategy and operations, ensuring the delivery of exceptional clinical outcomes and an outstanding patient experience. Key priorities include strengthening nursing recruitment and retention, developing future nurse leaders, advancing succession planning initiatives, supporting professional practice and evidence-based care, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. This executive will partner closely with physicians, operational leaders, and frontline caregivers to enhance care delivery, improve performance outcomes, and position nursing as a strategic driver of organizational success.
The ideal candidate will bring a demonstrated record of nursing leadership within a complex healthcare environment and a passion for developing high-performing teams. The next CNO must possess strong operational and financial acumen, exceptional relationship-building skills, and the ability to lead through influence while effectively navigating change and organizational growth.
Qualifications
· Nursing degree from an accredited college or university required.
· Master's degree in Nursing or related field required.
· Eligible for a current and unencumbered Kentucky nursing license.
· Ability to attain the ANCC Nurse Executive Advanced Certification within two years of appointment.
· Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible nursing leadership experience.
· Demonstrated expertise in evidence-based nursing practice and contemporary healthcare delivery models.
· Strong analytical, operational, financial, and problem-solving capabilities.
· Proven experience improving quality outcomes, patient satisfaction, workforce engagement, and clinical performance.
· Track record of building trusted relationships across multidisciplinary teams and leading organizational change.
This is a unique opportunity for a visionary nursing executive to influence healthcare delivery across a vibrant regional health system while making a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of communities throughout eastern Kentucky. UK St. Claire HealthCare offers the platform, resources, and leadership support to drive innovation, advance nursing excellence, and help shape the future of healthcare in the region.
Please direct all applications, nominations and inquiries to the WittKieffer consultants assisting UK St. Claire with this recruitment, preferably via e-mail, to [email protected] or by phone, 267-766-0410. Please direct all nominations and applications to Diane Smith and April Allen by clicking the buttons below for the WittKieffer Candidate Portal.