THE ORGANIZATION
The Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas is an international community of Roman Catholic women who dedicate their lives to God through vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and service. For more than 185 years, motivated by the Gospel of Jesus and inspired by the spirit of their founder Catherine McAuley, the Sisters of Mercy have responded to the continually changing needs of the times. With approximately 2,000 sisters in the Americas, they strive to make a difference in the lives of those in need in North, South, and Central America, the Caribbean, Guam, and the Philippines. This vast geography brings a richness of cultures and opportunities for service to God’s people and for sharing the mission of Mercy.
The Sisters serve in ministries founded and operated by the Sisters of Mercy and those sponsored by other groups. The unifying thread is that all Sisters of Mercy take life-long vows of poverty, chastity, obedience, and service. They are also guided by the five Critical Concerns: care for the Earth, immigration, nonviolence, racism, and women. Sustained and inspired by their relationship with God and one another, the mission of the Sisters of Mercy is to respond with vision and compassion to the needs of people who are poor, sick, and uneducated.
Background & History
In 1991, Mercy communities and individual Sisters came together to form the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy, identifying opportunities for greater collaboration, building of relationships, and options for ministry among themselves as they recognized the potential that comes from pursuing a collective course of action. This evaluation, reflection, and planning has focused on new ways to strengthen identity and mission while preserving assets and providing for meaningful ministry and retirement for members.
For the past several years, the Sisters of Mercy have been engaged in a massive process of organizational change, described as the Journey of Oneness. Through the Journey of Oneness, Sisters of Mercy have been reimagining and redesigning structures to be more supportive and responsive to their own needs as an international community. The heart of the Journey of Oneness is about sustaining the mission of Mercy into the future. The organization is led by the Institute Leadership Team (ILT) of five elected Sisters of Mercy with appointed Institute Ministers and Sisters Life Ministers. Management of key functions has been centralized.
For additional information, please visit their website at https://www.sistersofmercy.org.
THE POSITION
The Senior Director of Health & Wellness is a newly created role designed to plan, develop, and implement a common vision and strategy of health and wellness necessary to assist and support all Sisters of Mercy within the United States. Reporting to the Regional Chief Operating Officer (RCOO) and under the guidance of the Institute Leadership Team (ILT), the new Senior Director will provide oversight, management, guidance, collaboration, and facilitation for all areas of health and wellness. This role will provide direct supervision to Regional Health & Wellness Directors, creating and maintaining a health and wellness culture and developing policies and procedures that ensure quality and fairness across the Institute. The Senior Director will develop, implement, evaluate, and update the strategic plan for the overall health and wellness for the Sisters of Mercy in the US while managing all aspects of the Institute Health & Wellness care centers and budgeted resources.
The Senior Director of Health & Wellness is a hybrid role and can be located in the Institute office in Silver Spring, MD, or in an administrative office in Belmont, NC; Omaha, NE; Rochester, NY; Cumberland, RI; and Merion, PA.
Qualified candidates will have a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience within complex organizations in nursing, social work, gerontology, healthcare administration, or related field. The successful candidate must have the ability to identify and succinctly define problems, collect pertinent data, determine relevant analyses, and draw valid conclusions. Candidates will share a commitment to the mission and values of the Sisters of Mercy and an appreciation of the traditions and culture associated with the Mercy charism. Must have strong management skills, marked by a collaborative leadership style, a desire to innovate, and the ability to develop and mentor a staff. Master’s degree in nursing, social work, or healthcare administration required. Solid computer skills are necessary including proficiency of Microsoft Office. Must be willing and able to travel throughout the United States.
Specific Responsibilities
- Develops and manages all aspects of the Institute’s Health and Wellness structure and budget resources, in collaboration with the Regional COO, ILT, Institute COO (ICOO), Institute Financial Officer (IFO), and Regional Health & Wellness
- Provides oversight of Regional Health & Wellness Directors and their responsibilities as outlined in their position description.
- Oversees the ongoing evaluation of existing Institute healthcare structures and facilities.
- Recommends changes in use of resources, ensuring resource optimization and quality in the Mercy Tradition.
- Collaborates with Regional Health & Wellness Directors and Regional COO to make recommendations to the ILT related to long term care best practice initiatives and the effective utilization of retirement residencies.
- Collaborates with the appropriate Institute community members and departments within the Sisters of Mercy as well as the Institute Health and Wellness Committee on Health and Wellness concerns.
- Communicates regularly and when requested with the ILT, ICOO, and IFO.
- Promotes, models, and maintains a positive, compassionate workplace environment while developing and maintaining respectful relationships.
- Collaborates with the ILT liaison to Health and Wellness as needed.
- Assures that the Mercy Charism and Values are instilled in Health and Wellness staff at all levels.
- Annually prepares and submits the Institute’s Health and Wellness budget for approval by Finance or the ILT as appropriate.
- Provides for wise stewardship of resources by monitoring and accounting for the Institute’s Health and Wellness budget.
- Keeps abreast on current issues and cutting edge thinking on health and wellness from thought leaders from around the country.
- Acts as a resource person to Sisters beyond the continental United States as requested.
THE CANDIDATE
The Senior Director of Health & Wellness must understand the goals and mission of the Sisters of Mercy along with an appreciation of their traditions and cultures associated with the care models for the Sisters. The ideal candidate will be a compassionate and agile leader with the ability to think strategically, anticipate future consequences and trends, and incorporate them into an organizational health and wellness plan. The successful candidate must be a thought leader on health and wellness with the ability to summarize and disseminate information and best practices to the ILT and Regional Health & Wellness Directors. The ability to effectively collaborate with members of the Sisters of Mercy in building an infrastructure to support overall wellness and long-term healthcare for the Sisters will be essential to the success of the incoming Senior Director.
Qualifications
- Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience within complex organizations in nursing, social work, gerontology, healthcare administration, or related field, ideally in a faith-based environment or religious setting.
- Demonstrated knowledge and appreciation of Catholic social teachings and the traditions and culture of the Sisters of Mercy.
- Visionary and strategic planning capabilities to be applied toward the development of an innovative health and wellness program and the leadership necessary to ensure its successful implementation.
- Knowledge of levels of care for an aging population.
- Understanding of a variety of insurance plans and health and wellness
- Ability to create and maintain a culture of wellness.
- Strong organizational and interpersonal skills with the demonstrated ability to build, foster, and maintain positive relationships with both internal and external constituents.
- Excellent written, oral, and listening communications skills, including meaningful communication of data.
- Ability to access and collaborate with experts in pastoral care and spiritual formation.
- Ability to access, communicate, and apply knowledge in the areas of geriatric health, wellness, and organizational development.
- Proven success identifying and succinctly defining problems, collecting pertinent data, determining relevant analyses, and drawing valid conclusions.
- Proven leadership skills in consensus building through dialogue, problem solving, and empowerment for decision making.
- Demonstrated ability to cultivate effective working relationships with Sisters, staff, and external contacts.
- Self-directed with ability to prioritize and manage requests from multiple sources in a timely manner.
- Solid computer skills with proficiency of Microsoft Office products.
- Prior experience in a healthcare or religious organization strongly
- Master’s degree in nursing, social work, healthcare administration, or related field required.
- Must be willing and able to travel throughout the United States to Mercy sponsored locations and Mercy Care Centers (up to 40%).
The salary range for this position is $200,000 – $220,000 with flexibility based on education, skills, experience, and location. For a complete position description, listing of qualifications, and additional information on the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, visit our website at www.lambertassoc.com.
For inquiries, nominations and applications please contact: Catharine McGeever, Partner
610-924-9100 · cfmcgeever@lambertassoc.com