Heartland Whole Health Institute is a non-profit that addresses physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being by working with health systems, employers, and communities to redesign health care delivery.
Job Description:
Job Title: Director, Graduate Medical Education Technical Assistance Center
Reports to: Associate Vice President, Workforce Transformation
FLSA Classification: Exempt
Location: Bentonville, Arkansas (On-site)
Date Reviewed: 7/26/2026
Who We Are
Heartland Whole Health Institute (HWHI) is dedicated to transforming health care – beginning in our home of Northwest Arkansas and scaling to disrupt the national health crisis. We advocate, educate, and guide the implementation of an innovative system, rooted in whole health and the realignment of financial incentives. Our team members are collaborative, analytical, mission-driven, and working together to change the status quo.
The Institute’s 85,000-square-foot facility is located on the Crystal Bridges Campus for Art and Wellness, which includes Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Alice L. Walton School of Medicine.
About The Position
The Director, Graduate Medical Education (GME) Technical Assistance Center provides strategic, operational, and technical leadership to advance a coordinated, statewide strategy to expand, strengthen, and sustain physician training capacity across Arkansas. This role leads the GME Technical Assistance Center (TAC), a free statewide resource designed to support hospitals, health systems, academic institutions, and communities in developing and expanding residency and fellowship programs aligned with workforce needs.
The Director serves as the operational and technical lead for GME strategy execution, translating statewide workforce priorities into actionable programs, partnerships, and scalable technical assistance models. The Director is accountable for the implementation, performance, and day-to-day leadership of GME initiatives while integrating policy, financing, data infrastructure, and stakeholder engagement to increase the number, distribution, and retention of physicians statewide. The Director also contributes to broader workforce transformation initiatives to ensure graduate medical education remains integrated into Arkansas' long-term statewide workforce strategy.
Success in this role requires balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution while translating statewide workforce priorities into actionable programs, partnerships, and technical assistance models. Success also requires building collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholders, navigating complex healthcare and policy environments, and integrating policy, financing, data, and stakeholder engagement to advance sustainable graduate medical education initiatives that strengthen Arkansas' physician workforce.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Graduate Medical Education Leadership
- Inform the design and lead the execution of a coordinated, statewide Graduate Medical Education (GME) expansion strategy aligned with Arkansas workforce priorities.
- Translate policy, funding, and workforce goals into executable program strategies and implementation plans.
- Identify gaps in GME capacity, specialty distribution, and geographic access.
- Support alignment with state funding initiatives, grant programs, and emerging policy opportunities.
- Serve as a key advisor and subject matter expert to internal leadership and external partners.
- Position the Institute as a trusted, neutral convener and advisor for GME growth statewide.
- Lead and refine operations of the GME Technical Assistance Center, including service offerings, intake processes, and delivery models.
- Provide end-to-end technical assistance across the GME lifecycle, including feasibility assessment and readiness evaluation, program design and accreditation preparation, financial modeling and sustainability planning, and expansion and rural track development.
- Coordinate access to subject matter experts and national partners.
- Design scalable tools, templates, and guidance resources for new and expanding programs.
Program Development and Performance
- Support partners in launching new GME programs and expanding existing programs.
- Provide guidance on Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accreditation, governance, faculty models, and curriculum design.
- Facilitate mock site visits, readiness reviews, and program planning processes.
- Support development of rural training tracks and community-based programs.
- Assist partners in aligning program design with workforce needs and long-term sustainability.
- Support the development of a comprehensive, statewide GME data infrastructure.
- Provide feedback on the development of dashboards and reporting systems to track residency and fellowship positions and capacity, geographic distribution of programs and trainees, and specialty trends and workforce gaps.
- Analyze GME financing streams (Medicare, Medicaid, institutional, grant funding).
- Translate complex data into actionable insights for policymakers and system leaders.
- Standardize data definitions and reporting across stakeholders.
Partnerships and External Engagement
- Convene health systems, academic institutions, state agencies, and community partners.
- Facilitate peer learning collaboratives and statewide convenings.
- Build relationships with rural hospitals and communities exploring GME development.
- Promote alignment across medical schools, sponsoring institutions, and workforce stakeholders.
- Represent the Institute in national GME and workforce forums to advance organizational priorities and strategic partnerships.
- Support identification and communication of GME expansion funding opportunities for partner pursuit and provide technical expertise for sustainable grant applications.
- Contribute technical expertise to policy development and implementation strategies.
- Prepare reports, briefs, and materials aligned with state, federal, and philanthropic requirements.
Workforce Transformation and Innovation
- Contribute to the design, implementation, and advancement of integrated workforce transformation initiatives that support organizational priorities and evolving healthcare workforce needs.
- Support strategies that strengthen pathways from education to practice, contribute to clinical training innovation, and advance interdisciplinary workforce development.
- Participate in cross-sector efforts that align education, training, policy, and health system needs into a coordinated workforce ecosystem, while supporting expanded access to care in rural and underserved communities.
- Contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of innovative workforce delivery models that support scalable, sustainable solutions at the state and national levels.
Team Leadership
- Establish clear expectations, priorities, and accountability measures to support effective team performance and achievement of departmental goals.
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, collaboration, and growth.
- Promote continuous improvement, professional development, and collaboration within the assigned team to drive results and support organization priorities.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, and training of new team members to ensure alignment with organization standards and practices.
- Monitor and manage team performance, addressing attendance, conduct, or productivity issues promptly and professionally.
- Encourage employee engagement and morale through recognition and open communication practices.
- Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support evolving organizational needs.
Qualifications and Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, public health, health policy, health services administration, education, business administration, or a related field required. Master’s degree preferred. Doctoral degree (e.g., DNP, PhD, DrPH, MD, DO) highly preferred.
- 8–10+ years of progressively responsible experience in graduate medical education, physician workforce development, healthcare workforce strategy, health system transformation, or related functions within healthcare, higher education, nonprofit, government, or similarly complex organizations.
- 5–7+ years of progressive leadership experience leading and developing teams, including direct responsibility for staff supervision, performance management, coaching, and professional development.
- Broad knowledge of graduate medical education, physician workforce development, healthcare workforce strategy, and graduate medical education financing. Demonstrated expertise in graduate medical education program development, expansion, or technical assistance, including accreditation, regulatory, and operational requirements.
- Direct experience with ACGME accreditation processes and residency program launch preferred.
- Demonstrated success designing, leading, evaluating, and implementing strategic initiatives, graduate medical education programs, workforce development initiatives, technical assistance programs, statewide workforce initiatives, or other complex organizational initiatives.
- Proven ability to translate strategy into implementation through the development of workplans, timelines, budgets, and measurable outcomes.
- Experience leading or contributing to a technical assistance center, statewide workforce initiative, or other large-scale program preferred.
- Experience with HRSA-funded programs or similar national workforce or graduate medical education initiatives preferred.
- Proven ability to cultivate and sustain strategic partnerships with hospitals, health systems, academic institutions, government agencies, community organizations, and other strategic external partners to advance collaborative initiatives and organizational priorities. Experience leading or managing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives requiring coordination across diverse partners and sectors.
- Experience working in or with rural and underserved communities and a demonstrated commitment to improving access to care.
- Strong financial and operational acumen, including experience with budget development, resource planning, graduate medical education financing, Medicare, Medicaid, and grant-based funding models, with the ability to translate complex funding structures into actionable strategies.
- Demonstrated ability to influence organizational strategy, build consensus, and lead initiatives across departments and stakeholder groups. Demonstrated leadership presence, sound judgment, and the ability to influence outcomes without direct authority.
- Strong communication (verbal, written, presentation) and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage, influence, and work effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders, including the ability to communicate complex financing, accreditation, regulatory, and data concepts to executive, clinical, and policy audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to use data, analytics, and performance measurement to inform decision-making, monitor impact, communicate results, and connect workforce, education, policy, and care delivery into integrated solutions.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities, coordinate multiple initiatives simultaneously, and maintain strategic and operational oversight in a fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to evaluate complex issues, identify opportunities, and implement practical solutions.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel and PowerPoint skills for reporting, data analysis, and presentations.
- Familiarity with project management tools, collaboration platforms, and related technologies used to support departmental and organizational operations.
- High level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential and organizational information.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment.
- Demonstrated ability to remain focused and steady in fast-paced environments with competing demands, including periods of transition, uncertainty, or operational strain.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment, remaining adaptable and resilient.
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Physical demands: In the work environment described, this position requires utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time, good hand-eye coordination, bending and stretching, and the physical stamina to lift and transport a minimum of 10 pounds. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.
Work environment: Work is performed on-site (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) in a professional, climate-controlled office environment with standard office equipment, including computers, printers, and telephones. This role requires working in an open setting near colleagues. The noise level is typically low to moderate. The role also requires interaction with both the public and internal team members in a professional and courteous manner. Some travel will be required, including occasional overnight travel, and a flexible schedule may be necessary to accommodate business needs, including occasional evening and weekend work hours.
Heartland Whole Health Institute is an equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a workplace that is free of discrimination and harassment of any kind. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and a background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States.
