Overview
Executive Director Jobs in San Diego, CA at San Diego Health Connect
Title: Executive Director
Company: San Diego Health Connect
Location: San Diego, CA
About San Diego Health Connect
San Diego Health Connect (SDHC) is a nonprofit Health Information Exchange (HIE) and designated California Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) serving San Diego and Imperial Counties. As a subsidiary of 211 San Diego, SDHC serves as a trusted bridge between healthcare, public health, emergency medical services, behavioral health, and community-based organizations, enabling secure, real-time exchange of health information to improve care coordination and advance whole-person care. Processing more than 50 million clinical messages each month and maintaining a patient index of 4.8 million individuals, SDHC connects hospitals, health systems, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), physician groups, EMS agencies, public health departments, managed care organizations, pharmacies, and community partners throughout the region. Through leadership in interoperability, health information exchange, and healthcare innovation, SDHC supports improved health outcomes while advancing California’s vision for integrated health and social care.
About the Role
Reporting directly to the President & CEO of 211 San Diego, the Executive Director (ED) provides strategic, operational, financial, and technical leadership for San Diego Health Connect. As the organization’s senior executive, the ED is responsible for advancing SDHC’s mission while ensuring operational excellence, regulatory compliance, financial sustainability, and continued growth as one of California’s premier Health Information Exchanges.
Responsibilities
- Develop and execute SDHC’s strategic plan, business model, and long-term financial sustainability roadmap.
- Translate organizational vision into measurable operational objectives, ensuring successful execution across all areas of the organization.
- Identify opportunities to leverage SDHC’s relationship with 211 San Diego to expand partnerships, strengthen interoperability, and increase organizational impact throughout the healthcare and social care ecosystem.
- Drive organizational growth through strategic partnerships, innovation, service expansion, and continuous improvement.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, service excellence, and mission-driven leadership.
- Serve as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors, providing strategic guidance, organizational performance updates, and recommendations that support informed governance and long-term sustainability.
- Represent SDHC in local, regional, state, and national healthcare interoperability initiatives and policy discussions.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with healthcare executives, elected officials, state agencies, industry associations, and community leaders.
- Monitor, interpret, and synthesize healthcare legislation, public policy, and regulatory developments affecting health information exchange, interoperability, healthcare technology, and data sharing.
- Guide organizational strategy related to California’s Data Exchange Framework (DxF), TEFCA, Qualified Health Information Organization (QHIO) requirements, CMS regulations, HIPAA, HITECH, and emerging interoperability standards.
- Provide executive oversight of all organizational operations, ensuring high-quality, efficient, and compliant delivery of HIE services.
- Oversee budgeting, procurement, contract management, operational planning, and organizational performance measurement.
- Provide strategic leadership over SDHC’s technical infrastructure.
- Ensure operational excellence while maintaining the flexibility to pivot quickly in response to evolving healthcare priorities, regulatory changes, funding opportunities, and technological advancements.
- Build, strengthen, and sustain trusted executive-level partnerships with various stakeholders.
- Ensure organizational compliance with all applicable federal, state, and industry regulations.
- Develop and oversee the organization’s annual operating budget and long-term financial plans.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of approximately 10–15 professionals across operations, technology, data services, and administration.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, Health Informatics, Information Systems, Public Administration, Information Management, or a related field preferred.
- Minimum of seven years of progressive executive leadership experience in a healthcare system, Health Information Exchange (HIE), health information technology organization, public health agency, healthcare technology company, or similarly complex healthcare environment.
- Demonstrated success leading organizational strategy, operational excellence, financial management, and enterprise growth.
- Experience working with hospitals, health systems, physician organizations, clinics, managed care organizations, government agencies, and community partners.
- Experience operating in politically complex environments requiring diplomacy, executive presence, consensus-building, and strategic relationship management.
Required Skills
- Strong knowledge of healthcare delivery systems and healthcare operations.
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and Health Information Exchanges (HIE).
- Healthcare interoperability standards HL7, FHIR, and clinical messaging.
- Master Patient Index (MPI) and Master Data Management (MDM).
- Healthcare analytics and data governance.
- Population health and care coordination.
- Social Determinants of Health (SDoH).
- Healthcare privacy, cybersecurity, and data security.
- Enterprise risk management.
- Healthcare regulatory frameworks and compliance requirements.
- Visionary and strategic thinker with exceptional execution skills.
- Strong political acumen and executive presence.
- Outstanding networking, relationship-building, and partnership development abilities.
- Deep understanding of healthcare industry terminology, policy, and regulatory environments.
- Proven ability to synthesize complex policy, regulatory, and technical information into actionable organizational strategy.
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and consensus-building skills.
- Strong financial and business acumen.
- Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, evolving healthcare environment.
- Ability to balance strategic leadership with operational execution while leading through change and organizational growth.
