Director of Clinical Support Services

At DAP Health, we are committed to transforming lives and advancing health equity for all. As a leading nonprofit health care provider, we deliver compassionate, high-quality care to the diverse communities of the Coachella Valley and San Diego County. Our comprehensive services range from primary care to mental health, wellness programs, and beyond, with a focus on those who are most vulnerable. Joining our team means becoming part of a passionate, innovative organization dedicated to making a meaningful impact in the lives of those we serve. If you're looking for a dynamic and purpose-driven environment, we invite you to explore the opportunity to contribute to our mission.

Job Summary

The Director of Clinical Support Services (DCSS) provides strategic and operational leadership for nursing and clinical support services across DAP Health's multi-site ambulatory care system. This role is responsible for overseeing clinical support operations, promoting standardized

nursing practices, and ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality patient care across all clinic locations.

In partnership with clinician leadership, Operations, Quality, and Compliance teams, the DCSS develops and implements systems, workflows, and operational strategies that support organizational goals, regulatory requirements, and clinical excellence.

The DCSS fosters a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement while supporting nursing leadership, operational consistency, workforce development, and patient-centered care throughout the organization.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Ensure alignment of nursing workflows, staffing support models, and clinical support operations across multiple clinic locations and regions.
• Partner with Regional Operations leadership to support consistent implementation of organizational workflows, policies, operational initiatives, and patient care support processes.
• Support clinical operational consistency and standardization across clinic regions while balancing site-specific operational needs
• Promote workflows and operational structures that allow nursing staff to practice at the top of licensure while ensuring appropriate role alignment across interdisciplinary teams
• Develop and implements standardized clinical support workflows, operational processes, and nursing support structures that improve quality, efficiency, patient safety, and continuity of care
• Partner closely with Operations leadership to ensure alignment between clinical support services, patient access initiatives, staffing models, operational workflows, and organizational goals
• Collaborate with clinician leadership to operationalize clinical directives, evidence-based practices, and standardized care workflows across all sites
• Support organizational initiatives focused on patient experience, access to care, preventive services, chronic disease management support, and care gap closure
• Oversee the implementation and sustainability of nursing and clinical support operational standards across the organization
• Participate in organizational strategic planning and operational improvement initiatives

Nursing & Clinical Support Services Oversight

• Ensure nursing and clinical support staff operate within established scope of practice, regulatory standards, organizational policies, and clinical protocols

• Oversee systems that support patient safety, continuity of care, clinical readiness, and standardized nursing operations

• Support standardized nursing workflows related to standing orders, clinical task delegation, test tracking, vaccine management, infection prevention, and documentation practices

• Support regional nursing leadership in maintaining workflow adherence, operational consistency, staff accountability, and clinical support readiness across clinic locations

• Promote standardized escalation pathways and nursing support workflows that improve continuity of care and reduce operational variation between sites

• Collaborate with clinic and operational leadership to identify workflow inefficiencies and implement operational improvements that support patient care delivery and clinician efficiency

• Partner with Clinical Practice Optimization leadership to support competency validation, onboarding, workflow standardization, standing orders, and ongoing clinical support education initiatives

• Support development and implementation of standardized workflows related to:

• In-basket management

• Test tracking and follow-up

• Vaccine management

• Clinical documentation standards

• Preventive care workflows

• Care coordination support

• Clinical task management

• Collaborate with operational and clinical leaders to improve clinician efficiency and reduce operational barriers impacting patient care delivery

Quality, Compliance & Risk Management

• Support nursing and clinical support audit readiness initiatives in partnership with Quality, Compliance, and Operations teams
• Monitor workflow adherence and operational compliance through audits, data review, leadership collaboration, and operational follow-up processes
• Support identification of workflow gaps, operational risks, and patient safety concerns through root cause analysis and performance review activities
• Ensure nursing and clinical support services remain compliant with applicable federal, state, local, HRSA, FTCA, OSHA, HIPAA, CLIA, and other regulatory requirements
• Partner with Quality and Compliance teams to support organizational readiness for audits, surveys, accreditation activities, and regulatory reviews
• Monitor operational and clinical support workflows to identify compliance risks, patient safety concerns, workflow gaps, and operational inefficiencies
• Lead or participate in root cause analysis (RCA) processes related to clinical operations, workflow concerns, patient safety events, or regulatory findings
• Develop and implement corrective action plans and workflow improvement strategies based on identified trends and organizational needs
• Support organizational quality initiatives through workflow standardization, performance monitoring, and operational accountability

Data Analytics, Performance Improvement & KPI Oversight

• Utilize operational dashboards, performance metrics, and workflow data to identify trends, operational variation, compliance concerns, and improvement opportunities across clinic regions

• Partner with Operations leadership on action planning related to care gap closure, workflow adherence, staffing support workflows, test tracking timeliness, vaccine compliance, and operational throughput.

• Support development and monitoring of standardized operational KPIs related to nursing and clinical support services

• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) related to nursing and clinical support operations

• Analyzes data related to:

• Care gap closure

• Vaccine compliance

• Test tracking timeliness

• In-basket management performance

• Clinical task completion

• Staffing productivity

• Operational efficiency

• Patient access support workflows

• Regulatory compliance measures

• Provide operational analysis, recommendations, and action planning support to executive leadership and operational teams

• Demonstrate strong knowledge of process improvement methodologies, workflow analysis, operational problem-solving, and root cause analysis principles

• Partner with site leadership and operational teams to implement sustainable performance improvement initiatives and monitor outcomes

Workforce Leadership & Team Development

• Support nursing leadership structures that strengthen operational oversight, staffing coordination, workflow consistency, and cross-site collaboration
• Promote accountability, collaboration, and operational alignment between nursing and clinic operations teams
• Support change management initiatives through operational communication, workflow implementation support, and staff engagement activities
• Provide leadership, mentorship, and operational guidance to nursing and clinical support leadership teams
• Support workforce planning initiatives that promote operational consistency, staffing stability, patient access, and balanced clinical operations across all sites
• Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, professionalism, patient-centered care, and continuous improvement
• Partners with operational leadership to support employee engagement, leadership development, retention initiatives, and organizational culture goals
• Support change management initiatives and organizational transitions through effective communication, operational alignment, and staff engagement strategies

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Responsible for: Nursing Leadership, assigned Registered Nurses (RNs) & Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs), Vaccine Program Coordinator, Clinical Practice Optimization leadership, Health Informatics & Clinical Documentation Performance Administrator, as well as other clinical support service roles as assigned

• Review weekly timesheets for accuracy, review employee submissions and updates as needed; approve timesheets by required timeline

• Conduct one-on-one meetings (monthly at a minimum frequency, preferably bi-weekly), scheduled conversations, and annual performance reviews with direct reports by required timeline

• Attend mandatory Manager's Learning Collaborative trainings

• Partner with People Operations to:

• Develop a learning plan for employee development goals to provide tools needed to excel in their position

• Implement and follow a process to address performance issues as they arise

• Prepare a comprehensive onboarding process for each specific position for all new hires

• Address serious issues that may require interventions or investigations

• Develop and monitor departmental and program/project operating budgets, costs and schedules

• Supervise, lead, coach, and use best management practices to improve staff performance

• Support and model the identified vision, values, and behaviors of the organization

• Ensuring adherence to company policies, procedures, and safety regulations; handling disciplinary actions

Required Skills/Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to support operational standardization and workflow implementation across multiple clinic locations
• Demonstrates strong emotional intelligence (EQ) and leadership presence with the ability to build trust, navigate complex clinical & operational environments, facilitatecollaboration across interdisciplinary teams, and effectively support teams through organizational change and workflow transformation
• Ability to effectively lead through influence and collaborate within matrix operational structures
• Demonstrated ability to support teams through operational change, workflow redesign, and organizational transition initiatives
• Strong partnership and collaboration skills with Operations, clinician leadership, Quality, Compliance, and interdisciplinary teams
• Strong understanding of patient access workflows, continuity of care principles, and ambulatory operational throughput
• Knowledge of process improvement methodologies, workflow optimization, root cause analysis, and operational problem-solving principles
• Experience utilizing operational metrics, KPIs, and performance data to support workflow improvements and operational accountability
• Proficiency with electronic health record systems and healthcare technology platforms.
• Strong organizational, communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to manage multiple operational priorities in a fast-paced healthcare environment
• Demonstrates professionalism, accountability, and commitment to continuous professional development
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred

Education and Experience

Required:

• Bachelors degree in Nursing
• Completion of an accredited Registered Nurse training program
• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the State of California
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive nursing leadership, ambulatory operations, clinical support services, or quality improvement experience
• Minimum of 3 year's experience supporting operations across multiple clinic locations or ambulatory care sites
• Experience with regulatory compliance, workflow standardization, operational process improvement, and clinical support workflows
• Experience utilizing operational metrics, KPIs, dashboards, and performance data to support operational accountability, workflow improvements, and performance management
• Strong working knowledge of ambulatory care operations, nursing workflows, clinical support services, and scope of practice standards
• Experience with electronic health record (EHR) systems, clinical documentation workflows, and healthcare technology platforms
• Experience collaborating with Operations, Quality, Compliance, and clinician leadership teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters degree in Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, or related healthcare field
• Experience within a multi-site ambulatory care, community health center, or federally qualified health center (FQHC) environment
• Experience supporting organizational change management, workflow transformation, and operational standardization initiatives
• Experience with EPIC/OCHIN electronic health record systems
• Experience utilizing Power BI dashboards and operational reporting tools
• Experience with root cause analysis, process improvement methodologies, and operational workflow redesign
• Experience working within matrix leadership structures and cross-functional healthcare operations

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements

• This position is on-site at a DAP Health clinic location with additional status of hybrid
• This job operates in an office setting and requires frequent times of sitting, standing, repetitive motion and talking
• Ability to lift up to 24 pounds