MARCENE A. DICKES

*** *. ******* **., #****

Chicago, IL 60611

605-***-****

abn8b4@r.postjobfree.com

EDUCATION

Master of Health Services Administration The University of St. Francis

Joliet, IL (1996)

Perinatal Advanced Practice Nursing University of Wisconsin

Program Madison, WI (1978)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing Mount Marty College

Yankton, SD (1975)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

La Rabida Children’s Hospital

2012 – 2013

Chicago, IL

Assistant Vice President of Ambulatory Operations

The Assistant Vice President of Ambulatory Operations (AVP) is the senior executive responsible

for planning, organizing, and directing all ambulatory services at La Rabida Children’s Hospital.

Advises Executive Council on matters related to La Rabida clinic operations and outpatient

program strategies. The AVP represents ambulatory services while interacting with the physician

community, regulatory agencies, and other professional and community groups. Oversight areas

include all of the primary and specialty care outpatient clinics, (>45,000 outpatient visits/year),

the Emergency Room (Acute Care Clinic) (>2000 outpatient visits/year), the Access Center, and

all registration, admitting, and appointment functions.

Key Accomplishments:

• Developed strong and positive relationships with primary and specialty physician

providers from Lurie Children’s Hospital as well as physicians from the University of

Chicago who staff clinics for La Rabida Children’s Hospital.

• Identified, analyzed, prioritized, and developed a deliverables plan, focusing on specific

opportunities to improve scheduling, registration, and clinic efficiencies, workflow, and

throughput.

• Analyzed ambulatory billing procedures and restructured work processes to maximize

collections and align appropriateness of roles and responsibilities through implementation of

an Ambulatory Billing Team.

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

• Implemented cross training of staff for scheduling, registration, and admitting functions

to improve efficiencies, throughput, and customer service.

• Implemented Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) within all ambulatory clinical

areas. Obtained a compliance rate within the first month of >90% of all physician orders

were submitted electronically.

• Initiated implementation of an interdisciplinary and multidepartment Ambulatory

Operations Council

• Served as the ambulatory administrative leadership representative for the La Rabida team

making clinical recommendations and participating in decisions regarding construction of the

new $15M Ambulatory Outpatient Center scheduled to open in August of 2013.

• Served as a leadership member of the Medical Home Committee. Developed processes

and procedures to meet the requirements identified by Illinois Medicaid to track ER visits of

Medical Home patients, as well as provide follow-up appointments with the Primary Care

Physician within seven days of the ER visit.

• Co-authored a business proposal to establish and implement a Nurse Practitioner Clinic to

improve access for Same-Day Sick Child visits as well as to provide additional access for

Medical Home Follow-up Visits.

• Managed budgets within financial parameters defined for multiple cost centers.

• Worked closely with Business Development team in the promotion of programs and

services and assisted in negotiations with public and private insurance providers to help

ensure the clinic’s long-term financial stability.

• Worked successfully with the Diabetes Team to improve scheduling and access, eliminate

clinic inefficiencies, improve delayed workflows and throughput, and effectively improved

customer service and response to parental concerns. Established new roles that directly

improved physician and team satisfaction with effective changes in processes, enhanced

communication strategies, and excellent follow-through.

• Participated actively in community relations and in fund-raising events for La Rabida.

• Developed innovative scheduling plans and maintained full clinical services in all clinics

and ER area during six-month period of time when staffing levels were at approximately

40% of budgeted FTE’s.

• Initiated the development of staff-led committees to implement self-governance through

staff participation and leadership.

• Worked closely with Security, resulting in documented fewer parent-instigated

“escalations”

2009 -- 2012 The University of Kansas Physicians

Kansas City, KS

2011 – 2012

Director of Business Development and Pediatric Marketing,

Department of Pediatrics

The Pediatric market share in the Kansas City metro area lies predominantly with the large,

competitive freestanding children’s hospital. The University of Kansas Hospital is the only other

hospital in the Kansas City area providing inpatient pediatric services. bold effort was necessary

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

and critical to recoup steadily declining ambulatory visits due to severe physical access

challenges resulting from a two-year clinic construction program. It was determined that

marketing of the Pediatric program, providers, and services was critical to rebuild a declining

inpatient census and acuity in both General Pediatrics as well as Pediatric ICU, which directly

impacted and threatened the ability to maintain clinical educational opportunities for the

Pediatric Residents and the Medical Students of the University of Kansas Medical School. The

role of this new administrative position created within the Department of Pediatrics, was to build

relationships with referring Pediatric providers, as well as create and expand awareness of the

pediatric related programs and services available at KU. This combined effort was the first

Pediatric collaborative strategic planning and marketing effort in the history of both the

Department of Pediatrics and the University of Kansas Hospital.

Key Accomplishments:

• Identified, developed, and implemented specific and unique strategies and communication

methodologies for 1) Regional customers (regional referring physicians, regional referral

hospitals, and political entities); 2) Metro Kansas City customers (community primary care

providers and other hospitals, schools, day cares, businesses, payers, agencies, and services

with interests in serving children); and 3) Internal customers (Medical Center employees).

• Designed, internally created, and produced a complete portfolio of professional marketing

materials. Initiated the first Pediatric advertisement campaign for KU Pediatrics.

• In 5 months, personally met with >300 physicians. Raised additional public awareness

through multiple city and statewide events, which collectively drew crowds/participants in

excess of 6,000 people. Presented to 19 K-12 schools and began development of

relationships with three of the largest school systems in the city, leading to the beginning of

partnership endeavors.

• Through a series of only five display presentations, met with >250 employees of the

University of Kansas Hospital and was able to obtain 32 new patient appointments.

• Within five months, recouped patient visit numbers closely to the pre-construction levels.

2009 – 2011: Senior Administrator,

Department of Pediatrics

The Senior Administrator is responsible to lead and effectively provide administrative oversight

and support to the multiple academic department missions of providing clinical care, education,

and research. As the partner to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics, and as the most senior

non-physician member of the department, functioned in the role of COO and CFO for the

Pediatric Foundation (Department of Pediatrics). Developed, maintained, and provided

budgetary oversight for annual operations and capital budgets in excess of $26 million in

revenues. Responsible for the hiring, on boarding, evaluation, and employment decisions for all

clinical staff, and was responsible for oversight of the day-to-day operations of ambulatory

clinics in six locations. Additional responsibilities included physician recruitment and on

boarding of new faculty, management of facilities and capital equipment, and functioning as the

Department’s liaison and the Chairman’s representative in his absence.

Key Accomplishments:

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

• Assessed, developed and implemented a more comprehensive and balanced leadership

infrastructure to address the multiple missions of providing clinical care, education, and

research.

• Transitioned to a professional nursing care model to care for an increasingly complex

pediatric population and to prepare for implementation of the Electronic Medical Record.

Expanded the ambulatory nursing staff and implemented measures to develop staff.

• Successfully recruited and on-boarded 22 new Pediatric sub-specialty physicians in <18

months.

• Initiated and engaged in various presentations and activities that identified the Department of

Pediatrics as an innovation center. Presented concepts and strategies that identified the

unique and important role Pediatrics has in increasing long-term growth and patient retention

for the hospital through establishing or growing collaborative transitional care programs in

Endocrinology, Cardiology, Hematology/Oncology, and Cystic Fibrosis.

• Initiated the program, developed, opened, and had administrative responsibility for a new

Pediatric Urgent Care Center.

• Opened two new regional outreach clinic sites, expanded an existing site for sub-specialty

care, and opened new clinics in three locations.

• Utilizing LEAN concept methodology, assessed utilization of each clinical location’s

available exam space and reassigned faculty and rooms for each provider to meet his/her

hired cFTE. Implemented several ambulatory initiatives that improved efficiency and

enhanced customer satisfaction. Improved monthly efficiency metrics and improved scores

in patient satisfaction.

• Prior to the mandate, developed the first lactation room designed for staff, faculty, residents,

and students.

• Spearheaded renovations upgraded telemedicine and videoconferencing equipment to

improve faculty and residency recruitment efforts, enhance expanded education and extend

care to additional sites. Remodeled current administrative offices and current clinic space.

• Raised the morale of staff and faculty as evidenced by increased involvement in

multidisciplinary committees, increased attendance and engagement at meetings, and

comments openly shared.

• Promoted diversity within the Department through hiring practice changes and a focus on

significantly increasing the number of staff who were bilingual or multilingual.

• Actively participated as a member of the Affiliation Oversight Steering Committee for the

first ever, joint KU Hospital/KU Physicians Strategic Planning process.

2006 – 2009 Children’s Mercy Hospital and Clinics

Administrative Director, Department of Kansas City, MO

Pediatrics

The Administrative Director, serves as a partner to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics,

which was ranked as one of the top ten largest academic Departments of Pediatrics in North

America, with >180 physicians and PhD Scientists. Responsible for > 600 total FTEs

representing >700 individuals, including physicians, researchers, >110 Advanced Nurse

Practitioners, and clinical and administrative support staff. Collaborated with and provided

consultation, advice, and assistance to the Chair of the Department of Pediatrics regarding

leadership and direction in planning, directing, and coordinating patient care as well as non-

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

patient care activities of the Department. Responsible for development, management, and

accountability for annual departmental capital and operating budgets of $208 million. As the

senior non-physician staff member within the Department, provided administrative leadership,

direction, coordination, and oversight in department business and academic operations of 29 of

40 pediatric medical sub-specialties. These included Pediatric Emergency Rooms and Urgent

Care Centers at two hospital locations (>137,000 annual ER visits), Hospitalist services at two

hospital locations, multiple Ambulatory clinics at four separate site locations throughout Kansas

City (>75,000 annual visits), and twelve additional regional outreach sites throughout Kansas

and Missouri.

Key Accomplishments:

• Successfully assisted with recruitment and on boarding of an additional 120 physicians and

research scientists in three years.

• Led efforts in improving direct physician-to-physician communication through the expansion

of a single access number (1-800-GO Mercy). Surveys conducted pre and post

implementation showed a decrease in response time from primary care referring physicians’

perceived 10 business days to get in touch with a pediatric subspecialist, to a house-wide

average of less than 15 minutes from the initial call. Complaints from referring physicians

decreased and referrals increased post implementation.

• Aggressively worked to assess Professional services charge capture processes to improve

departmental revenue, resulting in >30% increase in financial improvements in the first year.

• Authored and presented the original White Paper outlining the proposal to implement a

perinatal delivery service at the Children’s Hospital. This led to the building of a new OB

unit at the Children’s Hospital.

• Submitted business plans that were approved and successfully implemented for the following

key projects: opening a Sleep Center for Children, expansion of the Eating Disorders

Program, expansion of the Asthma, Allergy, and Immunology Program, development of a

Perinatal Service, development of a multi-specialty rehabilitation clinic for children with

spasticity, and the development of Phase I and Phase II Clinical Trials in

Hematology/Oncology.

• Actively participated as a change agent in leadership development programming for the

Pediatric Department’s medical leadership, including Vice Chairs, and Division Chiefs.

• Actively participated in the first Strategic Plan for the Department.

• Developed an Office of Faculty Development as outlined in the Strategic Plan.

1992 – 2006 Avera McKennan Hospital and University

Health Center

Sioux Falls, SD

2004 – 2006: Regional Administrative Representative, Clinical Liaison, Clinical Research

Coordinator (three distinct roles)

This was a new role developed by the Regional President to provide onsite assistance to an

acquired community hospital with its transition into a regional hospital of the Avera Health

System. Primary responsibilities were to assist with Physician Recruitment services and to

develop an improved working relationship between the hospital and the community’s sole

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

physician practice group of 20 primary care and specialist physicians. Additional responsibilities

included serving as a Physician Liaison between the state’s largest private Adult Orthopedic

group and Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health System, and serve as a Clinical

Research Coordinator in the Avera Research Institute for adult Cardiology studies.

Key Accomplishments:

• Facilitated full integration of a 49-bed acute care community hospital, 90-bed Long Term

Care facility, and a hospital-based Home Care Service assisting its transition into a

comprehensive Regional Medical Center and integrating it into the large regional, faith based

Avera Health System. Within <12 months, implemented four new or improved clinical

programs and services.

• Assisted with recruitment and on-boarded new medical staff resulting in an improved bottom

line due to new surgical services available because of recruitment.

• Facilitated improved physician relations between the regional hospital and the private group

practice in that community.

• Identified and developed clinical and service opportunities for expansion and transition into

regional services within the Avera Health System.

• Coordinated efforts and actively assisted with successful completion of the overall

application process to identify data and provide comprehensive information, which resulted

in obtaining national recognition as a Top 100 Hospital in the area of Orthopedic Surgery.

• Participated in physician relationship development and provided follow-up with patients on

several clinical research studies.

1999 – 2004:

Director of Women’s and Children’s Services

(Title changed to Assistant Vice President)

Provide day-to-day operational and administrative responsibility for the Women’s and Children’s

Service Line which included an Antepartum Inpatient Unit, a Labor and Delivery Unit, OB

Surgery and OB PACU, the Newborn Term Nursery, a Level III Neonatal ICU, General

Pediatrics Unit, Pediatric ICU, Pediatric Sedation Service, WEE CARE (a sick child, hospital-

based, day care) and a Gynecology Unit. Administratively responsible for strategic planning,

physician recruitment, clinical services and programs, staff development, daily operational

activities, budgets, human resources issues, staff education, regional outreach clinics, and

development of a regional network. Accountable for preparation and management of the

department’s annual capital and operations budgets in excess of $11 million and greater than 150

nursing FTEs. Administratively responsible for twenty employed physicians, six contracted

physicians, and two midwives.

Key Accomplishments:

• Recruited 16 Pediatric sub-specialty physicians and 4 Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physicians in

four years. Stabilized the Neonatology coverage in the Neonatal ICU allowing the Level III

census to grow.

• In < five years, led the successful “turn around” of the Women’s and Children’s Division as

evidenced by record breaking delivery numbers in the history of the hospital as well as

record breaking census in each of the inpatient units within the Division.

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

• The Level III Neonatal ICU Average Daily Census (ADC) increased 450%, from a census

average of four, to a budgeted 18, including a hospital high of 32 babies. Neonatal ICU

patient days for Level III acuity increased from <5% of the total Neonatal ICU patient days

to 75% of the total NICU patient days. These acuity and volume changes required the need

for a $5 million expansion of the Level III Neonatal ICU from 16 to 27 beds.

• This “turn around” resulted in a 3% shift in market share in a highly competitive and

competitor dominated environment, and significantly increased revenue generation from the

dramatic increase in the number of patient days of the babies with higher levels of acuity.

• Developed the foundation for Avera Children’s to become designated as a “Children’s

Hospital within a Hospital”. Achieved regional and community physician recognition and

confidence in the quality of patient care and skills of the nurses evidenced through increasing

referrals and transports.

• Developed comprehensive pediatric sub-specialty and Pediatric ICU services, including

implementation of a Pediatric Intensivist service as well as the first Pediatric Hospitalist

service in the state, and the implementation of a nationally recognized Pediatric Sedation

Program.

• As a result of program growth and physician confidence, planned, designed, and opened a $5

million newly constructed 11-bed expansion of the existing 16-beds of the Level III Neonatal

ICU.

• Opened a 15-bed High Risk Antepartum Unit and an 8-bed Gyn Surgical Unit.

• Implemented midlevel and Advanced Pediatric Nursing roles in Neonatal ICU, Pediatrics,

and Pediatric Ambulatory practices.

• Significantly expanded and/or implemented Perinatal, Neonatal, and Pediatric Outreach

clinics and education in a three state area, resulting in new regional referral revenue.

• Participated in achieving Magnet designation and participated in LEAN Concept adoption.

• Developed and implemented a Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Team (S.C.A.N. Team).

• Initiated, developed, and co-led a regional Nursing Leaders’ Council comprised of CNOs of

each of the health system’s regional sites to represent nursing at the health system level in the

collaboration, development, implementation, and evaluation of innovative programs and

services across the entire health system.

• Received the Quality Award from the Avera Health System, “Collaboration within a

Facility” awarded for bringing 20 physicians together representing 13 different countries and

forming relationships that grew into the first Department of Pediatrics in the hospital’s

history.

1993 – 1999: Director of Business Development

This was a new position created by the CEO to expand awareness of the Health System and to

grow market share. Responsibilities included design and implementation of an infrastructure and

budgets to support this new department, creation of processes to develop and support new

physician and hospital relationships that would generate additional referral patient volume,

increase revenue generation, and support Regional and Health System growth.

Key Accomplishments:

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

• Personally met with every Family Medicine physician, Obstetrician, and Pediatrician, or

practice representative in the state of South Dakota, NW Iowa, and SW Minnesota at that

time, to introduce programs, services, and providers available through Avera McKennan.

• Created an in-house Physician Recruitment Service within the Department, resulting in

significant cost savings of funds, eliminating the need to engage and retain national

recruitment firms.

• Responsible for the creation, design, development, introduction, and promotion of the Avera

McKennan Partners Program which was adopted by the flagship hospital, later by the Avera

Health System, and which is still in operation today. This program is designed to provide

acute care, long-term care, physician practice, and educational integration at various levels of

choice of affiliation.

• Actively participated in growing the Health System at the regional level from having no

partner hospitals to having contractual relationships with twenty-five regional hospitals

throughout a three state area in < 5 years.

• Played a major leadership role in the growth and expansion of the regional health system

from having no employed regional physicians to acquisitions and mergers resulting in

employment of 10 primary care physician practices, consisting of 75 providers, in the first 5

years of having a Business Development Department. The program has now grown to > 400+

providers.

• Actively participated in the recruitment process of multiple adult Family Medicine and

Internal Medicine physicians as well as adult sub-specialties and on-boarded them through

the first several weeks of their orientation.

• Created, designed, developed, introduced, and managed Hometown Connection. This

program was a hospital-wide, comprehensive, physician-to-physician automated

communication system, which consistently provided comprehensive daily patient

information and feedback to local, regional, national, and internationally based referring

physicians. This trademarked program was developed and existed prior to the Electronic

Medical Record and was responsible for vastly improved regional physician relations, was

later adopted by the Health System, and is still in operation today. The combination of the

personal visits, the Partner’s Program, and Hometown Connection resulted in a $26 million

dollar increase in referral services revenue in just two short years. Served as the Director of

Hometown Connection for 8 years in tandem with other Director responsibilities.

• Requested by the CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health System to serve

as the Interim CEO at Flandreau Municipal Hospital, a 22-bed Critical Access facility

following the unexpected death of the Administrator.

1992 – 1993: Consultant and Project Director for Women’s and Children’s Services

The role was a new role created to provide internal consultation and recommendations regarding

the design and new construction amenities that would include become the Women’s &

Children’s’ Service line. Additional responsibilities included assessment of necessary changes

required to transition the program from a predominantly low-risk obstetrical population to a

highly competitive, high quality Perinatal Service.

Key Accomplishments:

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

• Following successful completion of the facility design and construction had begun, was

invited by the COO to become the Projects Director for Women’s & Children’s Services.

• Implemented both Maternal and Neonatal Transport Teams for fixed wing, rotor wing and

ground transports of high-risk patients.

• Assessed the need and proposed recruitment of Perinatologists and Neonatologists.

• Initiated physician liaison efforts that focused on improving awareness of services, providers,

and programs available. Provided timely response, appropriate communication, and

impeccable customer service to referring physicians. Initiated personal physician-to-

physician introductions of many specialists to primary care physicians throughout the region,

and worked with receiving physicians to uphold a commitment to return the patient to her

primary care physician.

1976 – 1992 Sanford Health

Sioux Falls, SD

1978 – 1992: Director of Perinatal Services

1978 -- Advanced Practice Perinatal Nurse Practitioner

1976 – 1977: Staff Nurse/Charge Nurse

1976 University of Nebraska Medical Center

Staff Nurse/Charge Nurse Omaha, NE

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATIONS

Registered Nurse Active Licensures:

IL-RN # 041.406522

SD-RN # R015932. Compact State Licensure with primary state of residency in South Dakota.

The Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) enables multistate licensure allowing nurses to have one

multistate license in a primary sate of residency (the home state) and to practice in another

compact state (remote state) while subject to each state’s practice laws and discipline. The 23

States for which a Nursing license is available through the NLC include: ID, UT, CO, AZ, NM,

TX, ND, SD, NE, WI, IA, MO, AR, MS, TN, KY, SC, NC, VA, MD, DE, RI, and NH

PRESENTATIONS

National Healthcare Sales and Marketing Annual Conference, invited to present the Hometown

Connection Program, Orlando, FL

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

AWARDS, HONORS, and DISTINCTION

• Received a the Avera Health System Quality Award: “Collaboration within a Facility,”

awarded for bringing 20 physicians together representing 13 different countries and

forming relationships that grew into the first Department of Pediatrics in the hospital’s

history.

• Nominated as Sanford Health’s Model Employee for the annual citywide YWCA

Women’s Leadership Awards (nominated for two consecutive years).

• Graduated with Academic Honors, The University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL.

• Graduated Cum Laude, Mount Marty College, Yankton, and SD.

• Selected by the Mount Marty College Department of Nursing Faculty to receive the

“Student Nurse of the Year” Award, given to a member of the Senior Nursing graduating

class.

SUPPORT AND SERVICE IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Board Member service:

• Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Dakota Board of Directors

• South Dakota Infant Loss Board of Directors

• South Dakota March of Dimes Board of Directors

Volunteer service:

• American Heart Association

• Alzheimer’s Association

• Children’s Miracle Network

• March of Dimes Mothers’ March Against Birth Defects

• March of Dimes Walk for Babies

• Ronald McDonald House Charities

• United Way

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Marcene A. Dickes, MHA, BSN, RN

Rev. 02/01/2013

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