Vice President, Patient Care Services/Chief Nursing Officer

Founded in 1879, St. Louis Children's Hospital (SLCH) is one of the premier children's hospitals in the United States. It serves not just the children of St. Louis, but children from around the world. The hospital provides a full range of pediatric services to the St. Louis metropolitan area and a primary service region covering six states. As the pediatric teaching hospital for Washington University School of Medicine, the hospital offers nationally recognized programs for physician training and research.

SLCH has 349 staffed beds, which includes 56 pediatric intensive care beds, a 122+-bed newborn intensive care unit, and a 16-bed pediatric bone marrow transplant unit. Each year the hospital receives about 275,000 patient visits, and the school of medicine receives about 150,000 patient visits.

SLCH consistently ranks among America’s Best Children’s Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report in all surveyed categories. In 2022, SLCH ranked #15 in the nation, #1 in Missouri and in all 10 specialties. The hospital’s academic and physician partner, Washington University School of Medicine, is one of the top-ranked medical schools in the United States. Since 2005, SLCH has been designated as a Magnet hospital for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center® (ANCC).  In 2020, SLCH was redesignated for a fourth consecutive term, one of only 76 other hospitals worldwide to achieve this accomplishment. Patients and families across the region have access to services and treatments found only at SLCH including an inpatient pediatric behavioral health unit, MIBG therapy suite for cancer patients and Level IV pediatric epilepsy program. 

Position Overview

The Vice President, Patient Care Services / Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at SLCH will provide leadership for nursing and patient care broadly, in a nationally acclaimed children’s hospital with the added advantage of being part of BJC HealthCare. The CNO will work in a dyad relationship with the pediatrician-in-chief to advance clinical practice and deliver exceptional outcomes.

As a member of SLCH senior leadership team, the CNO supports and facilitates an interdisciplinary team approach to the overall delivery of care to patients, families, and the community. He/she has direct oversight of the overall nursing practice within the hospital, and direct management responsibility for the ACNO and nursing directors. The CNO will partner with the pediatrician-in-chief and surgeon-in-chief, as well as the medical staff of Washington University School of Medicine to advance clinical practice and improve clinical outcomes. The nursing professional practice model consists of shared leadership, collaboration, recognition, and professional development, with a focus on research, evidence-based practice, and innovation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s and master’s degrees, one of which must be in nursing.

For more information or to share a referral, please contact Abby Walsh at abby@grantcooper.com or 314-686-0643.