Director of Emergency Management & Command Center Operations
Position Summary
The Director of Emergency Management & Command Center Operations is responsible for designing, implementing, and leading the organization's enterprise emergency management and incident command capability. This role oversees the planning, activation, and operation of a centralized command center to manage natural disasters, operational disruptions, technology outages, and other enterprise-level incidents impacting patient care and business continuity.
The Director serves as a key operational leader during crises and ensures the organization is prepared and trained with proven readiness to respond effectively across all facilities and corporate functions.
Key Responsibilities
Emergency Management & Incident Command
Design, implement, and maintain an enterprise emergency management program aligned with HICS/NIMS principles
Establish and operate a centralized Enterprise Command Center capable of supporting multi-facility incidents
Serve in a leadership role during activations, including Incident Commander or senior command staff advisor as appropriate
Command Center Operations
Develop command center activation criteria, governance, and standard operating procedures
Coordinate real-time situational awareness, decision-making, and executive communications during incidents
Integrate clinical operations, IT, facilities, supply chain, HR, communications, and external partners into incident response
Preparedness, Planning & Exercises
Oversee hazard vulnerability analyses (HVAs) and enterprise preparedness planning
Lead tabletop exercises, functional drills, and full-scale exercises across hospitals and corporate teams
Ensure after-action reviews and corrective action plans are completed and tracked
Business Continuity & Resilience Integration
Partner with Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Cybersecurity, and Risk Management leaders to align response and recovery strategies
Support continuity planning for extended disruptions (e.g., EHR downtime, regional disasters, workforce shortages)
Translate lessons learned into improved policies, playbooks, and training
Leadership & Governance
Establish clear roles, accountability, and escalation pathways for incident management
Provide executive briefings during incidents and post-incident reviews
Represent the organization with regulators, emergency management agencies, and healthcare coalitions as needed
Qualifications
Required
Bachelor's degree in Emergency Management, Public Health, Healthcare Administration, or related field
5+ years of progressive experience in emergency management, incident command, or healthcare operations
Demonstrated experience running or supporting an incident command center
Strong leadership, communication, and decision-making skills under pressure
Preferred
Healthcare system experience across multiple hospitals or regions
Familiarity with HICS, NIMS, FEMA ICS, and Joint Commission emergency management standards
Certifications such as CEM, CHEP, or equivalent
Reporting Relationship
Reports to Senior Vice President of Risk Management
Works closely with Clinical Operations, IT, Facilities, Communications, Security, and Business Continuity leadership
Community Health Systems, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) 330 HRSA Grantee with Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status. Established from the roots of Inland Empire Community Health Center in Bloomington, CHSI has grown with community health centers in the counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego. These centers have been developed in accordance with standards established for safety net providers by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), the Public Health Service (PHS), and the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC).
As such, services are offered to the neediest in each community - the un-insured and under-insured, the working poor, those with limited ability to pay, the homeless, and the indigent. Services are provided at discounted (sliding fee scale) rates for those who qualify based on gross annual income and family size.