Deputy Executive Director Medical Center

The Deputy Executive Director Medical Center (DEDMC) holds full authority and responsibility for managing a VA health care facility, serving as counterpart to the Executive Director Medical Center (EDMC), overseeing medical, administrative, and support operations. The role emphasizes successful patient care alongside teaching and research missions, while ensuring effective planning, coordination, and continuous improvement of services across a large, geographically dispersed area.

The DEDMC has significant managerial responsibilities that directly impact healthcare programs and patient care within the organization. Key duties include collaborating with the EDMC to set program goals, evaluating and adjusting services, establishing local policies, and ensuring compliance with regulations. The DEDMC also oversees quality assurance programs, addresses patient complaints, develops financial plans, and manages resources effectively to enhance patient care while maintaining budget integrity. Overall, the DEDMC plays a critical role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality healthcare services. The DEDMC's managerial duties and responsibilities involve final decisions which have a direct and substantial effect on the health care organization and programs. These include, but are not limited to, decisions affecting the nature, scope and quality of, and emphases in the facility's/system's patient care programs and activities. The DEDMC in collaboration with the EDMC: determines program goals and objectives, and develops short-and long-range plans for achieving them, in conjunction with the overall plans of the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) consistent with the strategic planning process. The DEDMC organizes and controls program evaluation activities. The DEDMC develops with the participation of administrative and clinical managers and chiefs, plans for fiscal year plans that meet the objectives of current and proposed programs. The DEDMC reports to the EDMC, but operates on a broad delegation of authority with independence of action to manage the medical center. Performs under policies established by the EDMC and is responsible to them for effective and economical management of medical center activities. The DEDMC exercises independent judgment, initiative, resourcefulness and originality in facilitating achievement of the medical center's mission. A large portion of the work involves making decisions and determinations for which there are no written precedents. In the multitude of professional and administrative matters involved, consistent use of sound management judgment is required. Personal work contacts include patients; product line and/or program managers/chiefs of services and other employees of the medical facility; VA Regional Counsel; representatives of the press, radio, and television; civic organizations; congressional representatives; VA Central Office representatives; officials of other Government agencies; hospital association representatives, Deans, Department Chairmen, and other medical school officials; DOD Commanders; and individuals representing special organizations. The DEDMC is responsible for maintaining and improving facility, VISN and VA relationships through personal, active participation in the administrative, educational, community and social events of federal, state, local and other affiliated organizations involved in health care delivery, Veterans service organizations, and community affairs.