Central AHEC Seeks Executive Director‏

Executive Director, Central AreaHealth EducationCenter

Location: Hartford, Connecticut Posted: 12/18/13

Longstanding health promotion and health education organization seeks an Executive Director

Central Area Health Education Center (CAHEC), located in Hartford, CT offers an opportunity for an energetic, collaborative nonprofit leader to build and solidify our small but longstanding organization’s role in the elimination of health disparities. Central AHEC is part of a network of AHECS throughout Connecticut that together, play an important part in ensuring that underserved and disadvantaged residents have access to quality, culturally competent health care by promoting health career education among youth, college students and health career professionals. Many of these programs have been nationally recognized as critical components in developing a diverse and robust primary care workforce.

The Organization

CAHEC has served HartfordCounty and the surrounding communities by supporting the advancement of excellence in patient care and healthcare delivery through diverse programmatic initiatives, partnerships and education of the healthcare workforce. Today, the organization has re-focused its mission to reduce health inequities through education, training, and advancing prevention and health promotion strategies, and through supporting a strong, culturally competent healthcare workforce that addresses health disparities.

Central AHEC is governed by a 9-member board of directors and employs 4 professionals. CAHEC receives major program and operational support from federal funding distributed by the Connecticut AHEC program office located at the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC). As an active member of the AHEC network, Central AHEC participates in several statewide initiatives, including Veterans Mental Health Training, community based Medical Interpreting, promotion of Community Health Workers, the Youth and Collegiate Health Service Corps, and the AmeriCorps Volunteer program.

The Opportunity

During this past transitional year, Central AHEC engaged in a review process that resulted in the reconfirmation of our core strategies for helping our underserved citizens gain access to quality health care. The new executive director will lead the organization to challenge the structural and societal factors responsible for most health inequities, and will clearly position CAHEC as a significant proponent of this work. The important areas of focus for the next executive director are:

• To develop and maintain partnerships among those who share programs, funding strategies and resources. The agency will target social determinates of health by tackling entrenched and systemic public health issues. This requires a web of expertise and resources. The executive director must establish CAHEC’s strength and rededicate its role in delivering education, enhancing public health, and designing culturally sensitive services across an array of local initiatives and in collaboration with other agencies;
• To enhance and build CAHEC’s programming with an eye towards strategic focus, impact, collaboration, and resource development opportunities;
• To build sustainability through a diversified funding strategy. Longstanding government funding sources are increasingly tenuous and at the same time, funders are looking to collaboratively share initiatives. Opportunities in local and statewide collaborations, earned income and targeted grants must be considered;
• To ensure robust evaluation and documentation of CAHEC educational programming. Provide oversight that ensures appropriate and timely documentation and evaluation of program outcomes and participants.
• To continue to support the CAHEC Board’s growth and strength.

Strong candidates will possess the following attributes, skills and experience:

• Strategic Thinker: The ability to speak articulately about the vision and relevance of CAHEC and its work is essential.
• Collaborator: Team oriented and possesses the ability to partner; potential for building strong community ties;
• Facilitative Leader: Motivates, inspires and brings volunteers, staff and the board to consensus on important goals. Listens to and empowers staff to perform well;
• Fundraising and Resource Manager: Strong acumen and demonstrated success in grant writing and in diversifying funding approaches;
• Nonprofit Acumen: The ability to successfully execute and troubleshoot day-to-day nonprofit work including success with effective financial and staff management;
• Board Partnership: Experience in working effectively with boards and/or advisory boards to carry out the mission of the organization;
• Cultural Competency: Appreciates difference and can adapt to and work with different groups of people - staff, board, community leaders, peers, residents, etc.;
• Advocate: Understands and capitalizes on strategic opportunities to advocate for funding and services for vulnerable populations and towards strategic growth;
• Experience with/in the healthcare, youth service, education and/or professional development, public health, and/or workforce development fields is a plus;
• Spanish Language is a plus.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education: A Master’s degree in health care, public administrations, public health or education is required;
• A minimum of seven years of increasing leadership responsibility is required.
• A minimum of five years of experience in non-profit administration and accounting is required.
• Grant Writing experience and community collaboration background is highly desirable.
• Must have excellent verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills.
• Familiarity with local health and human services agencies and provider network highly desirable.

Application

This is a full-time position offering competitive salary and benefits commensurate with skill and experience.

Candidates should submit a resume and cover letter responding specifically to the stated position requirements, and include starting salary requirements.

The application deadline is January 10, 2014. Applications may be accepted beyond that date until the position is filled.

Please send applications by email to: [email protected].

Call Ann Levie at 860-920-5149 ext 102 or 860-816-3107 with questions about the position.

Central AHEC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.