Description
Service Line Division Head, General Surgery
Rochester Regional Health | Rochester, New York
Lead a System. Elevate the Standard.
General Surgery at Rochester Regional Health (RRH) has reached a defining moment.
Eighteen surgeons across nine Greater Rochester locations and six surgeons across three St. Lawrence sites are uniting as one division guided by shared standards of quality, safety, and access.
This role calls for a surgeon leader ready to connect this strength into a cohesive system of excellence spanning Western and Northern New York.
The Opportunity
RRH is a $3.2 B integrated health system serving 1.2 million residents through eight DNV-accredited hospitals and more than 600 sites of care.
The General Surgery division encompasses robotic and laparoscopic surgery, skin and soft-tissue care, thyroid disease, hernia repair, and emergency general surgery.
We’re modernizing our clinical footprint and patient experience while building the structure and governance for a high-reliability surgical system.
As the Service Line Division Head for General Surgery, you will:
- Translate system strategy into reliable surgical performance by aligning ERAS protocols, block governance, and ACS verification standards across all sites.
- Advance operational excellence by integrating scheduling, referral management, and peri-operative optimization through consistent processes and clear data dashboards.
- Partner in dyad with the System Executive Medical Director of Surgery and Chief Administrative Officer of Surgical Services by turning shared vision into execution with discipline and trust.
- Expand education and growth, strengthening and mentoring future leaders in surgery.
- Enhance the continuum of care across Rochester and St. Lawrence through coordination that reduces leakage and ensures timely access.
- Champion modernization, guiding facility, equipment, and technology upgrades that match acuity to site of service.
- Foster engagement and retention by connecting teams to purpose and leveraging Press Ganey and physician feedback to drive improvement.
Leadership Impact
You’ll inherit talented surgeons and APP teams proud of their local roots.
Your leadership will link them through shared purpose, consistency, and measurable outcomes.
Within the first 18 months, you will have:
- Unified the Rochester and St. Lawrence regions under one operating framework.
- Demonstrated 20 % improvement in first-case on-time starts and OR utilization.
- Achieved system-wide ERAS reliability and reduced LOS.
- Expanded emergency general surgery coverage across all hospitals.
- Increased physician engagement and retention through clear communication and shared wins.
- Implemented disease-specific pathways and pre-op risk screening to match acuity to site of service.
The Ideal Leader
You’re a respected general surgeon who leads with calm presence and delivers through others.
You balance the precision of the OR with the discipline of system execution.
You bring:
- Peer credibility built on quality and outcomes.
- Demonstrated leadership in process improvement and quality infrastructure.
- kill in aligning independent teams around shared standards and accountability.
- Operational steadiness and the ability to translate vision into measurable action.
- A collaborative spirit, humility, and focus on long-term impact.
About Rochester Regional Health
- Purpose: Uplift Humanity Through Care for Our Community
- Values: Rooted in Community | Serve as One | Care Like Family | Embrace Tomorrow Today
- Vision: To become a National Model of Health and Healing
RRH is among a select group of systems in New York with DNV accreditation across every hospital and active participation in ACS Quality Programs, reflecting our commitment to evidence-based excellence.
Our General Surgery teams perform over 20,000 procedures annually, including advanced minimally invasive, oncologic, and emergency operations.
We are expanding educational and research programs that strengthen the region’s surgical future.
Why Rochester
Rochester offers the professional scale to lead change and the personal balance to enjoy it.
The region is known for its innovation, nationally ranked schools, and Finger Lakes landscape, an ideal setting to advance surgery and still be home for dinner.
Commitment to Diversity
Rochester Regional Health celebrates diversity and seeks leaders who reflect the communities we serve.
We are building an inclusive environment where every team member and patient feels seen, valued, and supported.
Take the Next Step
This is a rare opportunity to define how surgery is delivered for an entire region, to unite talented teams, build a culture of excellence, and ensure the strategy succeeds in the OR, not just on paper.
For a confidential conversation or to share your CV, contact:
Jane Born | Born & Bicknell
jborn@bornbicknell.com
954.600.8029
