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ROCHESTER GENERAL HOSPTIAL FOUNDATION
Rochester, New York

Senior Vice President for Development

ORGANIZATION:
 Rochester General Hospital (RGH) is a 528-bed acute care community hospital committed to improving the health of the people and communities in the Greater Rochester NY region. RGH is the anchor teaching hospital and referral center for ViaHealth, RGH has been a key provider of healthcare services since 1864.

ViaHealth is a regional health system consisting of Rochester General Hospital and 12 other not-for-profit healthcare corporations including one other hospital, ViaHealth of Wayne, two nursing homes, an elderly housing complex, two philanthropic foundations, and other entities providing behavioral health and elderly care. Located in the Greater Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, Rochester General Hospital’s primary service area includes Monroe and Wayne counties, where three quarters of the Rochester market population reside. The secondary service area encompasses Genesee, Livingston, Ontario and Orleans counties. ViaHealth of Wayne’s Newark-Wayne Community Hospital and DeMay Living Center serve residents of Wayne County.

RGH is a teaching affiliate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and provides nurses training through its own school of nursing. RGH has independent residency programs in Dentistry, Internal Medicine, Radiology and Obstetrics & Gynecology. RGH has a staff of 6,800 employees, 1,250 member medical and dental staff, and 500 volunteers providing 52,000 hours of service. RGH serves as the health care “safety net” for substantial numbers of uninsured and underinsured individuals from the inner city and surrounding areas, providing more than $23 million in uncompensated care each year.

RGH has the fourth largest cardiac surgery program (1,700 per year) in New York State. The Rochester Heart Institute at RGH has a unique partnership with the Cleveland Clinic, named the number one heart hospital in the nation by U.S. News and World. In addition, RGH offers an array of other specialty and sub-specialty services in surgery, oncology, stroke, pediatrics, women’s health and psychiatry. Rochester General has partnerships with the Cleveland Clinic Heart Surgery Program and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute and has been recognized for several achievements in clinical excellence, including:

  • Solucient Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospital, one of only 11 hospitals nationwide to have achieved this distinction seven or more times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006).
  • Solucient Top 100 Performance Improvement Hospitals for improvements in both clinical and financial outcomes (2004, 2005).
  • Premier for Quality Award for Heart Attack Care (2004, 2005) and Quality Award for Cardiac Surgery as measured through clinical outcomes (2005).
  • One of the Top 25 Hospitals in Heart Care and Hip Surgeries named by “Money Magazine” (2003).
  • Nurse Magnet Accreditation (2004), an honor awarded to only 128 hospitals in the U.S.
  • Gold Seal of Approval for the Stroke Center from JCAHO in 2003.
  • Hospital Association of New York State’s Pinnacle Quality Improvement Award (2003, 2005)
  • The only Teaching Hospital Cancer Program accredited by the American College of Surgeons in the region.
  • The first hospital in New York State to receive the Baby Friendly designation (2002) from World Health Organization and UNICEF.

RGH’s total net patient revenue for year ending 2006 was $498 million. ViaHealth of Wayne’s total net patient revenue for 2006 was $59 million. The organization has produced operating margins in the 1-2.5% range over the past three years.

About the Region
 Rochester is ranked as one of the top ten cities to raise a family by Child and Family Magazine. Forbes magazine ranked Rochester as one of the top 10 metro areas with the best education opportunities and Monday magazine ranks Rochester as one of the top 10 places to vacation. The population exceeds 1.1 million people.

Golf Digest ranks Rochester in the top 40 "Best Golf Towns in America" and the cultural amenities include The Memorial Art Gallery at University of Rochester; The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Garth Fagan Dance Company, the International Museum of Photography & Film and the George Eastman House, a 50-room, Colonial Revival mansion located on a 12.5-acre estate.

The region’s four public high schools rank among "The 100 Best High Schools in America” and Rochester is recognized as one of the top 10 most affordable housing markets in the country. At $115,000, the median home sales price is 27% more affordable than the national average. The largest private-sector employers in the area include Eastman Kodak, University of Rochester, Wegmans Food Markets, Xerox, ViaHealth, Unity Health System, Tops Markets, Lifetime Healthcare Companies, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Delphi. The area is home to more than 1,500 small and medium-sized manufacturing companies, most of which are involved in high technology sectors such as computer and electronic products, machinery and chemicals.

The Opportunity
Rochester General Hospital Foundation invites nominations and expressions of interest in the position of Senior Vice President for Development. This senior executive will serve as a key member of the administrative team for ViaHealth and Rochester General Hospital, overseeing all philanthropic activities for Rochester General Hospital Foundation and serving as a resource to ViaHealth Foundation of Wayne and other nonprofit entities in the system.. The Senior Vice President will possess exceptional vision, energy, experience and integrity leading the philanthropic programs of ViaHealth and its nonprofit affiliates. Building on the successful $46 million Partners for Progress capital campaign and a solid foundation of annual philanthropic support that yields $10 million/year from contributed and investment income, the successful candidate will be a team-oriented leader who can advocate effectively with diverse internal and external audiences to strengthen the system-wide culture of philanthropy, direct the successful completion campaign, and begin planning for future campaigns. Now in the final stages of the campaign, the Foundation is striving to raise $1.8 million in new private gifts and grants by June 2008 to satisfy the terms of a $750,000 challenge grant from The Kresge Foundation.

ViaHealth and RGH are committed to enhancing philanthropy to fund patient care excellence, replace facilities, and support new programs and services. It will require the leadership of a dynamic philanthropy executive who is adept and proficient leading a matrix philanthropy model in a sophisticated and complex health system. Reporting to the President and CEO of ViaHealth and Rochester General Hospital, the Senior Vice President for Development will serve as the health system’s strategic advisor in philanthropy, directing and facilitating the creation of strategic fundraising plans that are collaboratively developed, embraced, and adopted by the executives and health system Board leaders. He/she will be responsible for monitoring and assessing system-wide fundraising performance, overseeing the financial and human resources for the RGH Foundation, and directing effective Foundation operations to ensure a high performing philanthropic enterprise serving all constituents within ViaHealth.

Philanthropy is essential to the future of RGH/ViaHealth and its affiliates. RGH Foundation’s Board is comprised of 45 members providing exceptional fundraising leadership and philanthropic support as evidenced in the most recent campaign. Contribution income achieved its highest level of $14 million during the height of the capital campaign 2005, while average annual dollars raised is in the range of $5 million. The RGH Foundation’s combined revenue goal from contributions and investment income for FY 2008 is $9.6 million on an operating budget of $1.2 million. RGH Foundation’s annual fund raises $425,000 from events and direct mail. The Foundation staff is comprised of 8 development professionals and support positions. The invested assets of RGH Foundation have grown from $8 million prior to the campaign to the current level of $66.7 million yielding $4.8 million income to support operations of the Foundation.

The successful completion of the capital campaign is anticipated by June 2008. Other major fundraising initiatives currently underway include: a $375,000 pediatric initiative; a $2.5 million diabetes care initiative; a $2 million robotic non-invasive surgery initiative; and a $1 million physicians’ service center. Planning for a new capital campaign is anticipated within the two years as the Hospital is developing plans for construction of a new $80 million patient bed tower.

The Position
 The Senior Vice President for Development will serve as a member of the senior management team for RGH/ViaHealth and is expected to play a key role in strategic direction of the system. Reporting to and directing the work of the RGH Foundation Board of Trustees; the Senior Vice President will serve as a principal advisor and fundraising partner to RGH/ViaHealth’s CEO Mark Clement. The Senior VP will supervise the Foundation’s professional and support staff and assess and monitor the effectiveness of all philanthropy programs for the health system.

The Senior Vice President for Development will be expected to create a stronger, comprehensive philanthropy model for RGH/ViaHealth, creating the strategic plans, organizational models and “blueprints” for future success of the Foundation and ViaHealth partner institutions. Specifically, the Senior Vice President will be expected to:

  • Serve as the chief fundraising executive and advocate for philanthropy on the RGH/ViaHealth senior management team, responsible for all philanthropic operations and results;
  • Articulate the vision for RGH/ViaHealth and collaboratively interface with the senior team and Board leaders of ViaHealth institutions to shape philanthropy programs that support that vision, instituting a service-oriented, donor-centered culture for philanthropy system-wide;
  • Facilitate and direct an enhanced strategic plan and organizational model for philanthropy, identifying long and short-term goals and tactics with performance measures and accountability, and work with the CEO, executive team and the RGH Foundation Board to ensure consensus of the plans.
  • Ensure efficient operations and monitor performance of the RGH Foundation, serving as director and team leader of the Foundation staff.
  • Ensure that Foundation operations are effectively integrated and coordinated with other RGH/ViaHealth departments (i.e., Marketing/Communications and Finance) and are responsive to the fundraising needs of each ViaHealth affiliate.
  • Staff the RGH Foundation Board and define the roles and expectations for all ViaHealth, RGH, and RGH foundation trustees relative to fundraising.
  • Dedicate significant time and attention to external contacts with constituents on behalf of RGH/ViaHealth, including the identification of national prospects with potential to support RGH.
  • Be responsible for a significant portfolio of major gifts prospects, securing a significant portion of campaign and annual fundraising goals.
  • Take the lead in planning, guiding and implementing capital campaigns, developing compelling “service line” giving opportunities for prospective donors (cancer programs, cardiac care, pediatrics, women’s health, etc.) and advise and support senior managers, physicians and Board members relative to their involvement in prospect cultivation and solicitation.
  • Establish education/orientation/training programs for CEOs, Trustees, physicians and staff.
  • Direct and oversee the administrative, financial and support functions of the Foundation, ensuring best practices in Foundation operations and a solid high performing infrastructure that will support the growth of fundraising for the health system.
  • Serve as a coach, mentor, team-builder, for all Foundation staff, establishing roles, responsibilities and measures of performance.
  • Recommend and oversee the implementation of effective communications strategies, programs, and events designed to cultivate and thank major donors and heighten general awareness of and interest in RGH/ViaHealth.
  • Work closely with the Vice President for Marketing and Communications to ensure coordination and integration of all institutional messaging through Foundation publications, appeals, website, newsletters and collateral materials.
  • Ensure compliance with local, state and federal regulatory agencies as they relate to the Foundation and fundraising programs for ViaHealth.

Ideal Candidate Qualifications:

  • At least 10 years executive-level leadership of a high performing philanthropy program, preferably within a major urban teaching hospital or health system (or comparably complex nonprofit organization).
  • Exceptional organizational and executive level management skills; demonstrates impeccable judgment and maturity working collaboratively with executives, physicians, Trustees, volunteers and community leaders in a system or regional/national organization.
  • Significant and successful front-line major gift experience in a major not-for-profit institution; able to establish high-level relationships, cultivate and engage philanthropic leaders, and secure seven-figure gifts.
  • A strategic thinker with ability to craft the vision for a progressive philanthropy model for the ViaHealth system and its affiliate nonprofit organizations, and develop innovative plans, programs and practices in support of that vision.
  • Experienced in facilitating and directing a system-wide strategic philanthropy program assessment and planning process, employing the best practices of high performing philanthropy enterprises.
  • Collaborative, flexible, teamwork approach to management with a proven record of success in hiring, motivating, evaluating and mentoring staff of the highest caliber.
  • Politically savvy team leader, consensus builder, and diplomat who can establish system-wide credibility of the Foundation, influencing and motivating staff, administrative and medical leadership, Board members and volunteer leaders to take an active role in the work of the RGH Foundation.
  • Willing to be an active community leader and advocate for RGH/ViaHealth throughout the region.
  • Positive, enthusiastic, high energy, hard working, “can-do” attitude and a good sense of humor.

Compensation:
Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with prior experience and record of achievement.

Contact:
Nominations and expressions of interest will be held in confidence and may be sent to:

Betty Ann Copley Harris, FAHP, President
or
Liz Lombard, Vice President, Executive Search
COPLEY HARRIS COMPANY, INC.
106 High Street, Danvers, MA
Telephone: 978-750-1028
Fax: 978-750-6709
liz@copleyharris.com
bach@copleyharris.com
www.copleyharris.com