Assistant Chief Nursing Officer – Ancillary Services

Overview

The Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, part of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), is seeking a dynamic nursing professional for the role of Assistant Chief Nursing Officer (ACNO), Ancillary Services.  Reporting directly to the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), you will collaborate with multiple state agencies and hospital leadership to ensure nursing services meet high standards of care, safety, and efficiency in inpatient and outpatient services. Overseeing a wide range of ancillary and clinical services, including Social Services, Respiratory Therapy, and more, this role plays a key part in patient-centered care. You will also work closely with various state agencies, including the Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Developmental Services (DDS), and Department of Corrections (DOC), to enhance service coordination and patient outcomes.  With a focus on operational excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration, you will guide managers in clinical functions while fostering professional growth through delegation, performance appraisals, and leadership development.

The position requires a strategic leader who can manage budgets, staffing, and compliance initiatives, while actively participating in performance improvement and patient safety initiatives. You will be an advocate for staff and patient well-being, ensuring union relations, staff education, and operational goals are met. As a visible and accessible leader, your efforts will directly contribute to enhancing patient outcomes and maintaining a culture of high-quality, compassionate care.

Please Note: Selected Candidate must have a current and valid registration as a professional nurse under the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM, with Weekends Off

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and not all inclusive):

• Provide leadership and guidance to managers in operational and clinical functions of patient care, ensuring effective delegation and accountability.
• Foster the development of leadership skills in managers through the delegation of special tasks and projects, ensuring realistic deadlines are met.
• Act as an advocate for planned organizational change and oversee meaningful performance appraisals, including the completion of written annual evaluations.
• Manage agency personnel usage, reconcile billing, and approve overtime to meet staffing needs while monitoring cost control.
• Maintain knowledge of union contracts, ensuring positive labor-management relations through active participation in meetings.
• Ensure ongoing staff education and orientation to maintain the competencies of nursing personnel at all levels.
• Conduct investigations related to patient complaints, employee conduct, and reportable incidents, collaborating with Labor Relations to uphold agreements.
• Provide oversight and coordination of nursing performance improvement initiatives focused on patient safety, compliance, and quality outcomes.
• Lead committees and participate as an active member of performance improvement and patient care assessment efforts in collaboration with hospital leadership.
• Promote interdisciplinary communication and cooperation while maintaining visibility and accessibility to staff, fostering a positive workplace environment.
• Engage with patients, families, and the community to address concerns, ensuring exceptional customer relations and public interaction.
• Develop, manage, and monitor departmental budgets, analyzing variances, controlling overtime, and contributing to revenue-generating strategies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven experience in an acute healthcare setting including knowledge of the principals and practices of management, especially planning, organizing, directing, motivating, controlling and decision-making.
• Knowledge of the principals, practices and techniques of supervision and employee relations, and proven ability to lead a successful team.
• Ability to effect positive change through expertise and collaboration.
• Strong emphasis on excellence in operational services and patient care, communication, and improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of the principals and practices of healthcare program budgeting.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships, both internally and externally.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) five (5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in a particular specialty (i.e. scientific, professional, or technical) and must possess current license and/or registration requirements established for the performance of the position, of which (B) at least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below:

• A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.
• A Bachelor’s degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.
• A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the (A) required experience.
• A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the (A) required experience.

 

DPH Mission Statement:

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high-quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth. We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. According to comparative analyses, Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states, but we still face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious diseases, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.

 

More information can be found at: www.mass.gov/DPH

 

About the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital:

Lemuel Shattuck Hospital is a fully Joint Commission accredited teaching facility that provides acute, subacute, and ambulatory care to patients referred by public agencies and private sector providers. Shattuck Hospital’s services help economically and socially disadvantaged patients to get high quality, cost-effective care from a staff that respects their dignity.

Located in the heart of Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, the Shattuck Hospital includes 248 inpatient beds including 95 Psychiatric beds and 29 Correctional Health beds. In addition, the Shattuck has a full outpatient clinic with many specialties that offers treatment to patients of the Department of Mental Health as well as Department of Correction and House of Correction inmates and community patients.

The Shattuck hospital is on the forefront of substance use disorder treatment including a Suboxone clinic serving 200 patients. In addition to direct medical services LSH hosts and supports an array of services located on the campus, serving patients struggling with addictions and homelessness.

 

Learn more about:  what it’s like to work as a DPH nurse

Learn more about Shattuck Hospital: https://www.mass.gov/locations/lemuel-shattuck-hospital

Relocation information: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/dph-renovation-for-shattuck-hospital-replacement-building