About Health and Hospitals Corporation and its Central Services Organization

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlus, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC is committed to making exemplary healthcare accessible to all New Yorkers, and will be playing a crucial role in delivery system transformation over the next five years through its leading role in DSRIP, the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment program. Through DSRIP, NYS DOH has allocated $6.42 Billion Medicaid dollars to fundamentally restructure the health care delivery system to transition care delivery from a largely inpatient-focused system to a community-facing system that addresses both medical needs and social determinants of health. DSRIP is a 5-year, performance payment-based program with primary goal of reducing avoidable hospital use by 25% over 5 years. At the end of program life, the aim is for the newly-transformed system to be sustainable.

HHC has formally partnered with hundreds of New York City provider and service organizations in order to achieve DSRIP transformation goals. This partnership is referred to by NYS DOH as a Performing Provider System (PPS), and the PPS led by HHC is called OneCity Health. HHC created a wholly-owned subsidiary of HHC, called OneCity Health Services, whose function is to provide operational, program, IT and other support to all OneCity Health partners and governing bodies.

Job Description

The Communications Director reports directly to the OneCity Health Services CEO and is responsible for design of an integrated communications and engagement strategy for internal and external stakeholders in the DSRIP effort.

Over the next few years, the collection of OneCity Health partners will endeavor to transform into a well-integrated, community-based system that improves the health and well-being of New Yorkers. Our partners include hospitals, community-based primary and behavioral healthcare providers, home health agencies, community-based organizations (CBOs), and many others. To succeed, all stakeholders will need to embrace change, and there is no group more important to engage and inspire than our care and services providers who work directly with patients and their families. A large part of the Communication Director’s effort will be applied to design and execution of a compelling communications program that engages, inspires, and clarifies roles in transformation.

We expect that the program will create a wide array of opportunities for key DSRIP and OneCity Health stakeholders to engage in two-way and multi-party dialogue, and the successful candidate will create a series of engagement platforms, including traditional and new media approaches, to educate and engage patients and their families, community and facility-based organizations and care providers; PPS partners’ employees, and community, City and State leaders.

To succeed, the Communications Director will work effectively with other OneCity Health Services functional leads, HHC leadership and communications teams, and the communications leadership of partner organizations, to coordinate the subject matter and timing of stakeholder outreach.

This role requires extensive knowledge of written, digital, and in-person communications platforms, as well as an understanding of healthcare delivery systems. The Communications Director will work closely with the CSO leadership and staff to ensure broad knowledge of OneCity Health’s initiatives, and provide recommendations, guidance, and support for all communications needs.

Core job responsibilities will include:

Successfully developing and leading complex communications and engagement programs that provide opportunities to link internal and external audiences’ needs and interests, with PPS programs and projects.
Building programs to communicate to and with patients and their families; facility-based organizations and community-based organizations and providers of care and services; PPS partners’ employees; and community, City and State leaders.
Providing regular counsel on various strategies as the CSO’s mission, vision, values, and culture take shape.
Serving as the principal communications advisor to the CEO
Remaining current with healthcare industry trends and providing strategic recommendations that elevate and educate multiple audiences about OneCity Health’s role in New York City’s changing healthcare environment.
Developing, managing, and revising OneCity Health’s communications strategy, which will supports OneCity Health’s larger strategic vision.
Collaborating with the other CSO functional areas to produce written materials for a wide range of stakeholders on OneCity Health’s DSRIP initiatives.
Assisting leadership in preparing for speaking engagements, media interviews, and public appearances.
CSO management of OneCity Health’s internal and external websites.
CSO management of OneCity Health’s brand and communications standards, policies, and procedures.
Conducting ongoing research to evaluate audience attitudes and the effectiveness of the communications.
Remaining up-to-date on latest communication trends and strategies.
Assisting in development of OneCity Health’s crisis communication response, when necessary.

Minimum Qualifications

A Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in Hospital Administration, Health Care Planning, Business Administration, Public Administration or an approved related program and seven years of progressively responsible experience in health and medical service administration, public administration, personnel and labor relations, finance or appropriate functional discipline with an emphasis on planning, liaison and interorganizational relationships, or related administrative or managerial functions; or,
A Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited college or university and eight years of progressively responsible experience in health and medical service administration, public administration, personnel and labor relations, finance or appropriate functional discipline with an emphasis on planning, liaison and interorganizational relationships, or related administrative or managerial functions; or,
A satisfactory equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Department Preferences

Preference will be given to qualified applicants with:

BA degree, preferably in journalism, communications, or marketing; master’s degree highly preferred.
Healthcare industry experience
10+ years of experience in communications and 10+ years of experience in managing people and projects.
Superb listening skills and ability to build trust quickly
A creative eye and command of best-practices for print, video and on-line communications channels.
Good knowledge and success with digital communications solutions.
Experience communicating with both internal and external audiences.
Demonstrated ability to work well with internal and external constituents, at every level of an organization.
Ability to prioritize responsibilities, handle multiple projects simultaneously and delegate responsibilities when appropriate.
Ability to work well under the pressure of deadlines and the stress of undertaking multiple projects at one time.
Ability to make complex decisions with imperfect information.

How to apply

Please e-mail a resume and cover letter to jared.augenstein@nychhc.org.