Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive

Cooperstown, New York, Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive - Bassett Healthcare Network The Organization Bassett Healthcare Network is an integrated healthcare system committed to improving the health and quality of life of the communities it serves throughout Central New York. Through a distinctive regional model, Bassett connects patients across a broad continuum of care, encompassing advanced tertiary and acute care, primary and specialty services, community-based care, home health, rehabilitation, long-term care, and population health. At the center of the network is Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, a nationally recognized tertiary care hospital providing comprehensive inpatient and outpatient services. Bassett Medical Center is a Magnet®-designated facility, and its Nurse Residency Program has been awarded its second accreditation as a Practice Transition Program® (PTAP) by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC). The Medical Center serves as a regional destination for advanced care, including cardiac and open-heart surgery, robotic surgery, oncology, vascular care, trauma, neurosurgery, and advanced orthopedic and spine services. It is also home to the Bassett Heart Care Institute and Bassett Cancer Institute. Bassett Medical Group includes more than 600 physicians and advanced practice clinicians who provide primary and specialty care across the region. In addition to supporting Bassett Medical Center, the medical group provides care through more than two dozen community-based primary care centers spanning eight counties. Bassett further extends access through school-based health centers across four counties, providing medical, behavioral health, and preventive dental services to children and families who may otherwise face barriers to care. The broader network includes four community hospitals: Cobleskill Regional Hospital, O’Connor Hospital, Little Falls Hospital, and A.O. Fox Hospital (the only unionized site), each providing acute inpatient and 24/7 emergency care. The A.O. Fox Hospital – Tri-Town Campus in Sidney provides emergency, laboratory, radiology, and specialty services. Through its hospitals, community health centers, and specialty campuses, Bassett brings a range of clinical expertise closer to patients throughout the region, including cardiology, oncology, orthopedics, vascular care, dermatology, and otolaryngology. Bassett is also differentiated by the breadth of its care continuum. The network extends beyond hospital and ambulatory care to include home health services through At Home Care; medical equipment, supplies, and related services through First Community Care; and rehabilitation, skilled nursing, long-term care, and assisted living services across multiple locations. This integrated platform enables Bassett to address healthcare needs across multiple stages of life and care settings. Education and research are central to Bassett’s mission. Bassett Medical Center serves as a teaching hospital and medical school campus affiliated with Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, complemented by the work of the Bassett Research Institute. Together, these capabilities advance Bassett’s missions of patient care, education, research, and the continued development of healthcare delivery models responsive to the needs of rural communities. Bassett maintains a particularly strong commitment to population and community health, reflecting the unique needs of the rural and geographically dispersed communities it serves. Through the Bassett Research Institute’s Center for Rural Community Health and the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health, the organization advances clinical research, population health studies, healthcare services assessment, occupational health, and other public health initiatives. The Opportunity Bassett Healthcare Network is seeking a Senior Vice President, Chief Nursing Executive (CNE) to provide enterprise leadership and strategic direction for nursing practice, patient care delivery, nursing operations and the nursing workforce across the network. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the CNE will advance safe, high-quality, patient-centered care while strengthening nursing leadership, building a sustainable workforce, improving operational and financial performance, and promoting consistent standards of professional nursing practice. Nursing is central to Bassett Healthcare Network’s mission and to the delivery of safe, high-quality, patient-centered care across a geographically dispersed system. The organization is seeking an enterprise nursing executive who will establish a clear vision for nursing, strengthen professional practice and leadership, build a sustainable workforce, and create greater consistency and accountability across the network while respecting the distinct needs of each hospital and community. The CNE will establish the vision and strategic direction for nursing and partner closely with the President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Leadership Team, physician leaders, Quality, Human Resources, Finance and operational leaders to advance Bassett’s strategic priorities. This highly visible, network-based executive will maintain a strong presence with nursing leaders, caregivers, physicians and other team members throughout the organization. The CNE ensures nursing strategy is fully aligned with organizational priorities, quality and safety goals, financial stewardship, and long-term system transformation. The role serves as the principal nursing advisor to the CEO and Board, advancing nursing excellence, workforce sustainability, and high-reliability care delivery. Key Responsibilities The CNE will be responsible for the following:

Enterprise Nursing Strategy and Professional Practice: Establish and advance an enterprise nursing vision and strategy aligned with Bassett’s mission, strategic priorities and long-term goals; provide executive direction for nursing practice and patient care delivery; and create consistent standards and models of professional practice across the network. Quality, Safety and Patient Experience: Lead nursing-sensitive quality, safety and patient experience outcomes; partner with physician, Quality and operational leaders to strengthen reliability and continuous improvement; and use performance data to drive measurable improvement. Nursing Workforce, Culture and Leadership: Develop a sustainable nursing workforce strategy focused on recruitment, retention, engagement, staffing capacity, skill mix, scheduling and workforce pipelines. Build an accountable, high-performing nursing leadership team and strengthen leadership continuity, career development and bench strength. Operational and Financial Performance: Provide executive accountability for nursing operations and financial performance, including labor productivity, staffing effectiveness, resource utilization, operating and capital budgets, and reduced reliance on agency and premium labor while preserving safe staffing and quality care. Enterprise Leadership and Transformation: Serve as an active member of the Executive Leadership Team and contribute to enterprise strategy and performance beyond nursing. Lead significant transformation in care delivery models, workforce models, technology, workflows and operating practices, translating strategy into clear priorities and disciplined execution. Physician and Executive Partnership: Partner effectively with the President and Chief Executive Officer, Executive Leadership Team, medical staff, physician leaders, employees, boards and external stakeholders; strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and ensure nursing is an influential voice in organizational decision-making. Visible, Network-Based Leadership: Maintain an accessible leadership presence across Bassett facilities; engage directly with leaders and frontline caregivers; understand operational realities; reinforce expectations; and ensure caregiver perspectives inform nursing strategy and enterprise decisions. Regulatory and Professional Accountability: Ensure nursing practice complies with applicable laws, regulations, accreditation standards and professional requirements, while advancing evidence-based practice, clinical innovation, nursing education and professional development.

Experience & Professional Qualifications The successful candidate will be a seasoned, enterprise-minded nursing executive with the credibility, judgment and presence to lead across a complex, integrated healthcare network. The individual will bring:

Minimum of 10 years of progressive nursing leadership experience, including at least five years in a senior or executive-level nursing role. Demonstrated familiarity with Magnet® Recognition Program or Pathway to Excellence® principles and professional practice frameworks is preferred. Demonstrated experience leading nursing operations in a complex healthcare organization; multi-hospital or integrated-system experience is strongly preferred. A record of leading significant organizational change and improving clinical, workforce, operational and financial outcomes. Demonstrated success developing sustainable nursing workforce strategies, optimizing staffing and reducing reliance on premium or agency labor. Strong operational and financial acumen, including labor productivity, budgeting, resource allocation and performance management. Ability to establish an enterprise vision while recognizing the distinct needs of hospitals, services and communities. A visible, accessible and collaborative leadership style with the ability to build trust with frontline caregivers, nursing leaders, physicians, executives and boards. Exceptional communication, influence and relationship-building skills, along with the courage to address difficult issues and create accountability. A commitment to talent development, succession planning, professional practice, evidence-based care and continuous improvement. Demonstrated success leading nursing services within a multi-hospital health system, integrated delivery network, or academically affiliated organization, with the ability to navigate the clinical, operational, and workforce demands of regional and rural healthcare environments. Experience designing, implementing, and scaling innovative models of care that enable nurses to practice at the top of their license, support interdisciplinary collaboration, improve access, and align with evolving patient, provider, and financial needs. Trusted partner to physicians, executive leaders, and governing bodies, with a collaborative leadership style and the ability to influence across disciplines and geographies without reliance on authority. An effective executive communicator who can clearly articulate nursing strategy, performance, risk, and opportunity to the CEO, Board, and broader organizational stakeholders, fostering alignment and shared accountability across the system. Proven track record of advancing nursing quality, patient safety, and patient experience outcomes, including consistent improvement in nursing-sensitive indicators and establishment of a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Education

Master’s degree in nursing or a related healthcare field required; doctoral preparation such as a DNP, PhD, DHA or related advanced degree preferred. Current New York State Registered Nurse license, or eligibility to obtain New York State licensure within an established timeframe, required. NEA-BC or comparable executive nursing certification preferred.

Compensation: $500,000 to $563,000 Please apply online at https://jobs.candidate.kornferry.com/go/ext/ANGZJ3/242 Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis. Artificial Intelligence tools may be used in connection with the recruitment process for this position.