For the Hiring Executive or Search Committee

For the Hiring Executive or Search Committee | Why Choose Witt/Kieffer | 35 Years of Excellence
Our Approach to Search | Representative Client List | CEO Resources | Areas of Expertise

Areas of Expertise

Acute Care/Hospitals/Health Systems

Witt/Kieffer has been helping to shape healthcare delivery for more than three decades by identifying executives to lead the nation's hospitals, health systems, integrated delivery systems and other provider organizations. We have performed search assignments on behalf of healthcare clients nationally and internationally — and we specialize in CEO positions in health care. We are proud to have conducted numerous senior-level executive searches on behalf of the top healthcare systems in the United States. We are equally proud of our work with community and rural hospitals -- see representative client list (PDF document).

Academic Health Sciences Centers

Academic health sciences centers, academic medical centers, medical schools and teaching hospitals need strong leaders – presidents, deans and clinical department chairs – with vision, action, planning, integration and leadership skills. Witt/Kieffer understands what it takes to help these specialized organizations succeed under today's budgetary pressures. Our dedicated academic medical center consultants are either physicians with practical clinical and administrative knowledge or senior-level administrators who have led hospitals and health systems as a CEO. We work diligently to ensure academic medical centers have the leaders who can bring about positive short-term results, interface with senior leaders and faculty, and create a single point of authority for the medical school and the clinical enterprise -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Children's Hospitals

Witt/Kieffer understands the special requirements of the nation's children's hospitals. Children's hospitals differ from general acute care hospitals given the layers and varieties of stakeholders involved. We know how to identify executives who are effective, believable communicators who can work with the various publics and appropriately represent children from all socioeconomic classes. We have conducted many searches for children's hospitals nationwide -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Corporate/Insurance/Managed Care

Witt/Kieffer conducts executive searches for the nation's leading property and casualty insurers, health insurers, managed care plans and corporations. From Medicare and non-Medicare managed plans to HMOs, PPOs, IPAs, PHOs, POs, PPMs and MSOs, you can count on Witt/Kieffer to deliver leaders -- see corporate/insurance/managed care (PDF document).

Senior Care/Long-term Care/Home Health Care

This fast-growing patient segment in the healthcare industry requires the right leadership to oversee an interdisciplinary team of medical professionals and a variety of independent- to assisted-living and nursing care programs to meet the challenges of today's patients who require more intensive medical care. Witt/Kieffer has a proven track record of identifying executives who can handle these demanding roles. Nearly 200 senior care/long-term care leaders have chosen Witt/Kieffer to conduct their senior-level recruiting assignments -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Practice Management/Group Practice

Dovetailing the firm's work with physician executives is an expanding search effort on behalf of group practices, physician practice management companies and other healthcare organizations that require physician management expertise. These searches range from CEO/president to administrative and clinical-level positions in areas ranging from operations and human resources to claims, finance and contracting. Witt/Kieffer has conducted nearly 300 such assignments -- see our representative client list(PDF document).

Faith-based

Witt/Kieffer has a proud tradition of serving the special needs of faith-based healthcare organizations including faith-based hospitals, healthcare systems and senior care/long-term care organizations. These providers care for body, mind and spirit – and retain Witt/Kieffer when they seek strategic, targeted senior leadership. We have conducted assignments for numerous Catholic organizations – and we are proud to have served Jewish, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist and Adventist hospitals and health systems, among other faith-based organizations (see our representative client list (PDF document).

Associations/Not-for-profit

Many healthcare provider and professional organizations rely on the services and expertise of healthcare-related associations and not-for-profit organizations. Witt/Kieffer works closely with associations and not-for-profits, as they do much to enhance quality of life nationwide. Frequently, we also are retained by these organizations to assist them in search assignments for their CEOs, trustees and other senior management team executives -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Physician Executives

At Witt/Kieffer, our physician executive searches feature such leaders as chief medical officers and vice presidents of medical affairs. We seek physician leaders who understand how to create synergy with physician incentives and hospital/health system incentives. We find physician executives who promote and monitor best practices, owing to their strong clinical backgrounds and superior business skills. These leaders also advise the CEO, board and senior management team (see our representative client list (PDF document).

Diversity

Today's healthcare institutions recognize the need for diverse and multicultural leaders throughout all levels of management, academic and clinical teams. To ensure the widest range of minority, female and multicultural executives, Witt/Kieffer consultants rely on personal and professional networks, proprietary libraries and data bases, and extensive field work to identify, screen and select the most promising senior-level candidates. Overall, Witt/Kieffer places a diversity candidate in one of ten search assignments. Thirty-four percent of all placements are women/minorities -- see diversity and our representative client list (PDF document).

Information Technology

Every healthcare organization needs to manage its clinical and financial data and to integrate its information systems with its overall business strategy. Finding the knowledgeable CIO who can effectively make the transition to healthcare, however, can be difficult. Witt/Kieffer consultants understand the IT needs of healthcare and know where to find technology leaders who can guide growth in the right direction -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Trustees

Governance recruiting enables healthcare organizations to find and evaluate key leaders for board service. Often, organizations recruit these leaders from beyond the immediate service area. By matching board members' experience and knowledge with organizational needs, hospitals, systems and foundations can develop a team of trustees with the strategic vision and experience necessary for success in today's ever-changing world of health care -- see our leaders' profiles and representative client list (PDF document).

Advancement/Fund-raising

As never before, executives in institutional advancement, fund-raising and philanthropy are needed to meet the diverse financial needs of hospitals and health systems, academic medical centers, related health science centers, medical schools, not-for-profit organizations, foundations and education. Witt/Kieffer's team can assist clients in recruiting advancement/fund-raising professionals with experience to meet your specific goals and objectives -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Laboratory

Leaders at freestanding labs or those within hospitals and health systems are responsible for daily operations, expansion and coordination of laboratory services. Witt/Kieffer locates qualified and experienced professionals who have the clinical and management expertise to interface with medical directors, operations chiefs, laboratory managers and technicians in a variety of areas. Our laboratory executive candidates understand the importance of quality assurance, point of care, outreach services and information systems -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Senior Executive Positions

Witt/Kieffer specializes in senior-level positions, such as CEO, COO, CFO, CMO, CNO and IT executives. We also assist governing boards and CEOs in building their senior management teams and in assessing organizational needs for ongoing leadership development and succession planning. Searches for chief executives and vice presidents account for 75 percent of all the assignments Witt/Kieffer conducts on behalf of clients.

Chief Executive Officer

The current leadership gap in health care is expected to grow in coming years, as current CEOs enter retirement. Witt/Kieffer not only has anticipated this trend but has developed professional networks with leading CEOs nationwide. We have the resources to find the right chief executives to help the nation's hospitals and health systems advance successfully – and we smooth the leadership transition through our consultative process and professional counsel -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Chief Operating Officer

Witt/Kieffer observes that the chief operating role is making a comeback at hospitals and health systems nationwide. Serving as strategic advisor to the CEO, the COO is key to ensuring the healthcare enterprise operates efficiently – and Witt/Kieffer has years of experience in assisting CEOs and selection committees in locating COOs with a thorough understanding of management, policy making, administration and strategic goals-setting and implementation -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Chief Financial Officer

Today's chief financial officers in health care must delivery on a variety of performance metrics as they move health care into the future. Their commanding leadership skills, operational knowledge and strategic skills make CFOs important liaisons to the board, physicians, other senior leaders and the community. Witt/Kieffer places CFOs who adapt to and often lead change within health care -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Chief Nursing Officer

Today's chief nursing officers are responsible for a vast array of tasks – everything from operations, evaluations and strategy to care delivery, mentoring, benchmarking and management. But there is a single most important responsibility that CNOs agree is highly important for their on-the-job success: enhancing patient care quality. Witt/Kieffer locates CNOs who are passionate about nursing and who demonstrate success in achieving quality patient care -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Chief Information Officer

Whether their responsibilities include IT governance and policy, management of IT assets, service level management or project execution, Witt/Kieffer assists healthcare clients in choosing the right CIO for their organizations. We understand the general responsibilities for CIOs as well as the qualifications and characteristics that healthcare organizations frequently demand in their CIOs -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Chief Medical Officer/Medical Director

Increasing numbers of physicians are making the transition from bedside care to management, yet demand continues to outstrip supply as health care looks for clinically trained executives with business acumen. Witt/Kieffer's physician executive placements – including physician CEOs and chief medical officers – continue to grow. The firm conducts searches for medical deans, vice presidents of health affairs of universities and key leaders of academic medical groups. Chief medical officer searches account for half of all our physician assignments -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Vice President, Human Resources

Now as never before healthcare human resources executives must be strategic in their management of healthcare employees by aligning their projects with the organization's mission, vision and goals – and implementing policies to combat threats as vast as crisis management and bioterrorism. In addition, HR executives face such significant challenges as recruiting and retaining nurses and other “hard-to-fill” positions. Witt/Kieffer's consultants – some of whom have previously served as HR executives in health care – understand what it takes to excel in HR -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

Strategic Planners/Business Development

Healthcare strategists and executives in business development, marketing and communications are among today's leaders who position themselves for advancement as they move their own organization's into the future. Our clients rely on Witt/Kieffer consultants to evaluate leading candidates who have achieved measurable results in implementing strategic decisions within local and regional markets. We work with our clients to determine which leaders have required levels of experience and who have attained success in strategic planning and development -- see our representative client list (PDF document).

All Other Administrative Positions

Witt/Kieffer identifies No. 2 leaders and vice presidents who are ready for roles in healthcare legal, management, regulatory and related concerns. Whether you need a vice president, Witt/Kieffer customizes its work specifically for you. We also identify, screen, and evaluate all candidates to ensure they meet your high standards of excellence. We pride ourselves in reaching out to locate the best candidates for your organization -- see our representative client list (PDF document).