On behalf of Children’s Mercy Kansas City, CareerPhysician, LLC, the national leader in executive search and leadership development, invites nominations and applications for the position of Chief of Cardiology and Heart Center Co-Director. This is an exceptional opportunity for a nationally recognized pediatric cardiologist to lead one of the nation’s premier Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac programs and guide its next era of clinical, academic, and strategic advancement.

Children’s Mercy is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 50 programs in cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report. As the primary pediatric teaching hospital for the University of Missouri–Kansas City, the institution is deeply committed to clinical excellence, innovation, and graduate medical education.

The Ward Family Heart Center provides comprehensive cardiovascular care across a five-state region serving more than five million people. The Center operates with a distinctive organizational structure as a separate entity within the hospital, allowing focused governance, strategic agility, and dedicated resource alignment. The program performs more than 500 cardiac surgeries, 600 cardiac catheterizations (including over 200 invasive electrophysiology procedures), 18,000 outpatient visits, and 20,000 echocardiograms annually.

The Heart Center includes 45 cardiologists, 4 cardiac surgeons, and 35 Advanced Practice Providers supported by highly specialized nursing and allied health teams. Current leaders and faculty are nationally respected for their clinical excellence, strong leadership capabilities, and collaborative culture. A three-year ACGME-accredited Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship with three categorical fellows per year reflects the academic strength and national competitiveness of the program.

The Opportunity

The Chief / Co-Director will provide comprehensive leadership for Pediatric Cardiology and the Heart Center, including strategy, clinical operations, faculty development, research growth, and financial stewardship. The role reports to senior hospital leadership and operates within a dyad model alongside Surgical Co-Director, Dr. Jim O’Brien, an outstanding and highly collaborative partner. The program is strongly supported by a visionary hospital executive leadership team committed to continued cardiovascular investment and growth.

 Key Opportunity Highlights:

• Leadership of a nationally ranked, high-volume Heart Center with a unique, independent organizational structure
• Partnership with an exceptional co-director in a true dyad leadership model
• Oversight of a highly experienced, well respected faculty group
• Strategic expansion of outreach services
• Acceleration of research growth under new Director of Research Dr. Jon Wagner, with emphasis on developing physician-scientists in Pediatric Cardiology
• Potential endowed support through the Melva and Randall L. O’Donnell Family Chair in Pediatric Cardiology for a qualified candidate

About Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas City

Children’s Mercy Kansas City is an independent, non-profit, 390-bed pediatric health system, providing over half a million patient encounters each year for children from across the country. Children’s Mercy is ranked by U.S. News & World Report in nine specialties. We have received Magnet® recognition five times for excellence in nursing services. In affiliation with the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the university of Kansas School of Medicine, our faculty of more than 800 pediatric specialists and researchers is actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research and educating the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists. 

The Children’s Mercy Research Institute (CMRI) integrates research and clinical care with nationally recognized expertise in genomic medicine, precision therapeutics, population health and health care innovation. In 2021 the CMRI moved into a nine story, 375,000 square foot space emphasizing a translational approach to research in which clinicians and researchers work together to accelerate the pace of discovery that enhances care. We invite you to visit Children’s Mercy Hospital virtually at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtlXT3xK-bI

Our Bi-State Community

Kansas City is a thriving cultural and economic city with more than 2 million residents. Our city’s long list of attractions includes world class museums, a vibrant arts scene, professional sports, superb shopping, great jazz clubs, and the best places to enjoy barbeque! The city offers low cost-of-living, excellent commute times, and a vibrant downtown, eight-block dining, entertainment and shopping district.  Kansas City offers excellent opportunities for both public and private school venues and is home to several colleges and universities. It’s a community with a heart – friendly, easy-going and forward-thinking – a great place to live and pursue a career. For more information about activities in Kansas City go to www.visitkc.com

For more information about Children’s Mercy Kansas City and about Kansas City itself, visit childrensmercy.org/careers/take-your-place/

Applications

To schedule a confidential conversation to discuss the role in greater detail, or if you would like to recommend an individual(s) who exemplifies the qualities outlined herein, please contact Jon Hayes, Executive VP Child Health, CareerPhysician, c/o  Luke Millican at luke@careerphysician.com. All interactions will remain confidential, and no inquiries will be made without the consent of the applicant.

EEO Employer/Disabled/Vet

The successful candidate will be a highly credible clinician with a record of academic accomplishment and programmatic leadership. Equally important, the Chief will be an engaged and transparent leader—an effective listener who fosters alignment, mentors future leaders, and empowers faculty and staff to achieve their professional goals.

This role offers a rare combination of structural autonomy, institutional investment, academic momentum, and collaborative leadership—positioning the next Chief to meaningfully expand the Heart Center’s regional footprint and national prominence.

Qualifications

• MD, DO, MD/PhD, or equivalent degree
• Board Certification in Pediatric Cardiology
• Eligibility for unrestricted licensure in Kansas and Missouri
• Eligibility for academic appointment at the Associate Professor or Professor level
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive clinical, academic, and research experience
• Demonstrated success in leadership, faculty mentorship, program development, and strategic growth