Community Health and Wellness Director at First Choice Community Healthcare INC

Description

TITLE Community Health and Wellness Director

FLSA Status: Exempt

Department: Health Central Operations

Reports to: Chief Medical Officer

Union Exempt: Yes

Date Created: 09/26/2025

A. POSITION SUMMARY

The Community Health and Wellness Director (“Director”) provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for First Choice’s Lifestyle Medicine and Community Health Worker (“CHW”) programs. Reporting directly to the Chief Medical Officer (“CMO”), this role is responsible for advancing community and lifestyle health initiatives, identifying program funding opportunities, managing cross-functional teams, and aligning community-based interventions with organizational goals. The Director serves as a key liaison between internal stakeholders, external partners, and the broader community to promote health equity and wellness.

B. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Lifestyle Medicine (“LM”) program and subsequent related initiatives.
• Oversee the development and execution of data collection and analysis protocols to measure health outcomes and program impact.
• Spearhead the dissemination of program components across First Choice, including patient education, EMR integration, coding workflows, and clinic operations.
• Represent the LM program in executive leadership meetings and stakeholder engagements.
• Cultivate strategic partnerships with academic institutions, community organizations, and allied health programs.
• Recruit, hire, and manage personnel and contracted services (e.g., CHIP, fitness trainers, sleep specialists, farmers markets) to support program delivery.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities, and lead grant writing and proposal development for new initiatives.
• Collaborate with IT to enhance virtual care delivery, remote patient monitoring, and data visualization tools.
• Manage program budgets and coordinate financial planning with the CMO and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”).
• Develop and distribute the LM program Community Newsletter to promote engagement and awareness.
• Provide consultative support for related primary care transformation projects.
• Recruit, hire, and direct the CHW team, ensuring role clarity, accountability, and alignment with care delivery objectives.
• Supervise daily operations, including scheduling, task delegation, and workload management.
• Conduct performance evaluations and facilitate professional development pathways.
• Lead onboarding and continuing education efforts to maintain workforce competency.
• Ensure compliance with documentation standards, productivity benchmarks, and organizational policies.
• Foster a just culture work environment that supports CHW retention and engagement.
• Resolve personnel issues and provide field-based support to CHWs.
• Track and communicate CHW activities and outcomes to stakeholders to support quality improvement initiatives and guide strategic planning.
• Advocate for CHW contributions and visibility within the organization.
• Participate in cross-program collaboration by supporting Patient Care Facilitators (“PCFs”) by coordinating educational initiatives, resource development, and continuing education.
• Partner with Nurse Flow Managers to optimize PCF care delivery, streamline workflows, and align practices with organizational standards.

Requirements

C. MINIMAL EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum two (2) years of experience in health care research, with a working knowledge of study design, data analysis, health care quality indicators.
• Minimum two (2) years of direct work experience in a health care delivery setting (preferably ambulatory); working knowledge of ambulatory clinical operations is preferred or must be quickly acquired/developed.
• Demonstrated interest or experience in lifestyle medicine and a commitment to ongoing learning in this field.

D. LICENSE AND CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master of Public Health (“MPH”) preferred.

E. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED

• Expertise in program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Knowledge of CHW licensing and billing requirements.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with data analysis software preferred.
• Strong presentation and communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with medical providers.
• Skilled in recruitment, performance management, and conflict resolution.
• Innovative mindset with the ability to design programs in resource-constrained environments.
• Budget management and financial reporting capabilities.
• Effective report writing and stakeholder communication.
• Skills in managing people, hiring and firing staff
• Ability to improvise and create an innovative program in a low resource setting
• Ability to interact productively with First Choice leadership
• Ability and desire to be a teacher and a learner. 
• Bilingual (Spanish) proficiency is a plus but not required.

F. PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS/WORKING CONDITIONS

A person in this position will have frequent opportunities to relax from any physical exertion or to change position in work activities.

1. Physical effort and dexterity: Good dexterity to operate personal computer and presentation equipment (screens, projectors). Occasional lifting and carrying related to office duties and presentations .
2. Machines, tools, equipment required to be operated: Capable of using office machines and personal computers for word processing, data entry, presentations and spread sheet applications.
3. Visual acuity, hearing and speaking: Must be able to read a computer monitor and outputs accurately. Must be able to communicate clearly for work and safety compliance.
4. Environmental/Working Conditions: Work is located mostly inside an office setting in a controlled environment. Normal clinical/office safety precautions and practices are required. Position may require travel throughout greater Albuquerque metropolitan area. Work regularly schedule Monday-Friday, although weekend and evenings may be required to meet deadlines and attend community presentations.

This description lists the major duties and requirements of the job and is not all-inclusive. Applicants may be expected to perform job-related duties other than those contained in this document and may be required to have specific job-related knowledge and skills.