Vice President, Information Services (Salaried, Full time)

Organization Overview, Mission, Vision, and Values

Our mission is to improve the health of people in the communities we serve through compassionate, high-quality care, prevention, and wellness education. Washington Regional Medical System is a community-owned, locally governed, non-profit health care system located in Northwest Arkansas in the heart of Fayetteville, which is consistently ranked among the Best Places to live in the country. Our 425-bed medical center has been named the #1 hospital in Arkansas for five consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. We employ 3,400+ team members and serve the region with over 40 clinic locations, the region's only Level II trauma center, and five Centers of Excellence - the Washington Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute; Washington Regional Walker Heart Institute; Washington Regional Women and Infants Center; Washington Regional Total Joint Center; and Washington Regional Pat Walker Center for Seniors.

Position Summary

The Vice President of Information Services reports in a matrix structure to the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Clinical Officer and serves as the operational leader responsible for execution, service delivery, and performance across enterprise information services. The Vice President provides leadership for core technology and application functions, including infrastructure, network, end-user support, enterprise systems, clinical and business applications, project execution, vendor performance, and information services governance.

This position works closely with the COO and CCO and other organizational leaders to translate organizational priorities into operational plans, implementation timelines, and measurable results. The Vice President directly leads directors and other assigned leaders across information services functions and is accountable for service levels, project delivery, system uptime, issue resolution, budget performance, team execution, and achievement of approved departmental goals and deliverables.

Essential Responsibilities

• Lead the operational performance of the healthcare system's information services function, with accountability for reliable technology services, application support, and execution of departmental priorities.
• Operate as the organization's senior information services leader under the direction of the COO and CCO.
• Develop annual and multi-year operational plans for information services and ensure timely execution of approved initiatives, priorities, and deliverables.
• Direct day-to-day enterprise technology operations, including infrastructure, network, telecommunications, cloud services, device management, disaster recovery, business continuity, and service desk performance.
• Direct operational oversight of enterprise applications, including clinical systems, electronic health record optimization, ancillary systems, revenue cycle systems, ERP and business applications, and other platforms that support patient care and administrative operations.
• Establish governance, standards, and decision-making processes for technology investments, application prioritization, architecture, access management, data protection, and system lifecycle planning.
• Ensure information services operations support patient safety, clinical quality, physician and staff effectiveness, and a reliable end-user experience across hospitals, clinics, and business operations.
• Partner with clinical, operational, and administrative leaders to identify opportunities for workflow improvement, standardization, automation, and digital enablement across the health system.
• Oversee project and portfolio execution for information services initiatives, ensuring defined scope, accountable ownership, milestone tracking, issue escalation, change control, and on-time delivery.
• Collaborate closely with the leadership responsible for cybersecurity and information protection to ensure alignment and support for organizational security objectives.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, accreditation standards, and organizational policies related to privacy, security, technology operations, and health information systems.
• Oversee vendor strategy, contract performance, service level expectations, and external partnerships related to software, infrastructure, managed services, and technology consulting.
• Establish, monitor, and report key operational metrics for system uptime, service desk performance, ticket resolution, project milestones, cybersecurity readiness, application performance, and user satisfaction.
• Direct operating and capital budget planning for information services, including investment prioritization, expense management, staffing plans, contract oversight, and cost-effective resource utilization.
• Direct and hold accountable directors and other assigned leaders for operational performance, departmental goals, staff productivity, service outcomes, and completion of assigned deliverables.
• Lead recruitment, succession planning, coaching, and performance management processes for information services leaders and staff.
• Promote a service-oriented culture that emphasizes responsiveness, collaboration, continuous improvement, and alignment with the needs of patients, providers, and operational teams.
• Provide regular operational updates to the COO, CCO and other leadership groups regarding progress against goals, performance trends, major risks, open issues, and corrective actions.
• Represent information services in organizational planning and leadership discussions and provide guidance to the COO, CCO, and other leaders on technology matters.
• Ensure disciplined operational management for system upgrades, new implementations, integrations, downtime planning, testing, training, go-live support, and post-implementation stabilization.
• Advance technology adoption and optimization through effective communication, stakeholder engagement, education, and structured change management.
• Maintain awareness of emerging healthcare technologies, industry trends, and best practices and assess their relevance to the organization's strategic and operational needs.
• Participate in organizational committees, executive forums, and external professional activities as assigned.
• Ensure information services policies, procedures, and operating practices are current, effective, and aligned with organizational standards.
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned in support of the healthcare system's mission and operations.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in information systems, computer science, healthcare information technology, business administration, or a related field required. Master's degree in information systems, business administration, healthcare administration, or a related field preferred.
• Experience:
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in information services, information technology, or healthcare technology environments, including significant management responsibility.
• Minimum of five (5) years of leadership experience in a healthcare system, hospital, or similarly complex regulated environment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading both technology infrastructure and enterprise applications, including clinical and business systems, in a multi-site organization.
• Demonstrated expertise in operational leadership, service delivery, cybersecurity and risk management, application governance, vendor management, budgeting, and organizational change management.

Professional Skills

• Strong leadership presence with the ability to build trust, influence decisions, and communicate effectively with senior leaders, physicians, directors, managers, staff, vendors, and external partners.
• Strong operational, financial, and organizational skills with the ability to convert priorities into executable plans, clear accountabilities, and measurable outcomes.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and execution skills, including the ability to manage competing priorities, remove barriers, monitor progress, and deliver complex initiatives successfully.

Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.