A large, nationally recognized academic medical center in Detroit, Michigan is recruiting a Chief Nursing Officer to provide senior executive nursing leadership across two major adult hospitals — DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital and DMC Harper-Hutzel Hospital. This is a high-visibility, system-level CNO role at one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States, with direct accountability for nursing practice, patient safety, clinical quality, and workforce development across a complex, high-acuity, multi-specialty environment. The DMC trains more than 1,000 physicians annually across 72 ACGME-accredited programs and maintains academic affiliations with Wayne State University School of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Meharry Medical College — making this an exceptional platform for a CNO who values academic medicine, research, and the development of nursing as a profession.
Perks and Benefits
- Competitive base salary supplemented by a performance-based bonus, with the total compensation package tailored to the selected candidate
- Comprehensive benefits program including health, dental, and vision coverage
- Relocation assistance provided
- Approximately 25% travel within the Detroit market; Motor Vehicle Records check required
- Access to a large, well-resourced academic health system with robust infrastructure for professional development, succession planning, and nursing leadership advancement
- Opportunity to participate in regional CNO leadership calls and system-wide nursing strategy initiatives
Practice Highlights
- Direct CNO oversight of two distinct adult hospitals within the Detroit Medical Center: DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital and DMC Harper-Hutzel Hospital
- DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital is Michigan's first Level I Trauma Center — one of the busiest and most well-equipped emergency departments in southeast Michigan — and is home to the oldest and largest verified Level I Burn Center in Michigan, one of only 43 nationally
- Detroit Receiving also operates the state's leading hyperbaric oxygen treatment program, Metro Detroit's first certified primary stroke center, and the nationally recognized Rosa Parks Geriatric Center; clinical service lines include complex trauma, critical care, orthopedics, neurosciences, nephrology, pulmonology, diabetes, geriatrics, and urology
- DMC Harper-Hutzel Hospital carries a 143-year legacy as Michigan's first and only hospital for women; Centers of Excellence include neurosciences, bariatric surgery, vascular services, multidisciplinary cardiovascular services, hypertension, stroke prevention, and heart failure
- Harper-Hutzel is home to Cardio Team One and is nationally recognized for research in high-risk obstetrics, infertility, reproductive genetics, neonatology, maternal-fetal medicine, midwifery, urogynecology, and menopause
- The DMC system sponsors 80 graduate medical education programs, 72 ACGME-accredited, and trains more than 1,000 physicians per year across Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Cardiology, OB/GYN, Neurology, Internal Medicine, Pathology, Pediatrics, Radiology, and additional specialties
- Academic affiliations with Wayne State University School of Medicine, Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Meharry Medical College; CNO will support nursing student education and academic-practice collaboration
- CNO holds 24/7 accountability for nursing care quality, clinical staff competency, patient safety programming, and resource management across both facilities
- Role includes representation of nursing at the governing board level and at medical staff leadership meetings, with active participation in strategic planning and quality initiatives
- EMR adoption and implementation is a defined organizational priority; CNO is expected to champion and support facility-level EMR rollout within budget parameters
- Quality metrics tracked include core measures, nurse-sensitive patient outcomes, infection control, VBP risk protection, AHRQ Patient Safety Survey results, and Press Ganey patient satisfaction scores
- Nurse residency program development (including Versant model) is an identified workforce strategy; CNO will evaluate and implement as appropriate
Qualifications
- Minimum five years of progressive nursing management experience at the Associate Chief Nursing Officer or Nursing Director level, with oversight of multiple complex nursing departments in a facility setting
- Academic degree in nursing required; post-graduate degree in Nursing, Health Administration, Business, Public Health, or Management also required
- Active, current Registered Nurse license in the state of Michigan (or eligibility to obtain) required
- CENP (Certified Executive Nursing Practice) or NEA-BC (Nurse Executive Advanced — Board Certified) certification preferred
- Strong labor relations background and demonstrated success in recruitment, retention, and development of nursing staff across the career continuum
- Proven financial acumen: experience with budget development, labor expense management, capital planning, and cost-improvement initiatives in a nursing context
- Demonstrated ability to lead regulatory compliance efforts (TJC, state Nurse Practice Act, federal and state regulations) and serve as an organizational change agent in complex, high-acuity environments
- Experience in an academic medical center or teaching hospital environment strongly aligned with the scope of this role
About the Community
Detroit is a city in active revitalization — a major Midwestern metropolitan area with a rich cultural identity, world-class arts institutions (Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Symphony Orchestra), professional sports across all four major leagues, and a dining and entertainment scene that has drawn national attention. The greater Detroit region offers a wide range of residential options from urban neighborhoods to suburban communities with highly regarded school districts, all at a cost of living well below comparable coastal markets. Proximity to the Great Lakes, extensive state and regional parks, and easy access to Canada via the Ambassador Bridge and Detroit-Windsor Tunnel add to the lifestyle appeal for clinicians relocating with families.