Quality Improvement Engineer, Office of the Chief Medical Officer
University of Iowa

The Office of the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) at UI Health Care has an opening for a full-time Quality Improvement Engineer. This position will lead, coordinate and operationalize activities related to patient flow, quality improvement, safety, and patient satisfaction metrics across UI Health Care. This position will provide support for the Office of the CMO, as well as oversee with programs, projects, and initiatives as designated.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES

Operational and Project Management:

• Be knowledgeable of process improvement methodologies, including Lean and Six Sigma
• Lead operational improvement teams as needed. Be accountable to ensure projects are managed through entire life cycle (or to endpoint as directed by the CMO) within approved scope, schedule and budget.
• Assists with multiple executive projects assigned by UI Health Care Senior Leadership and the Office of the CMO. These projects will vary in focus based on the strategic focus of the institution.
• Responsible for leading and operationalizing performance improvement projects impacting core clinical processes, patient quality and safety and patient throughout the organization (Projects may include Optimal Length of Stay, Optimal Discharge Time, Optimal Transfer of Patients from referring hospitals, etc.).
• Manages, oversees and coordinates the administration of selected programs within the Office of the CMO including daily operational oversight, understanding and overseeing financial commitments, and continuously evaluating the program goals and evaluating strategies for ongoing optimization through necessary change. Programs may include: Peer Review Program, Patient Advocacy Reporting System (PARS®) and Co-worker Observations Reporting System (CORS), Blind Spots reporting system, Medical Director Program, etc.
• Responsible for supporting the creation of sustainable quality/performance improvement educational activities for the physicians and staff (Programs may include New Provider Orientation, New Resident Orientation, the Executive Leadership Academy, Just Culture rollout and sustainment, etc.)
• Conduct basic and advanced analyses prioritize and drive change to improve processes, performance, and outcomes.
• Assist with development and analysis of simulation models to determine feasibility of new initiatives in the Office of the CMO.

Strategic Planning:

• Be innovative and suggest key actions and strategic implications, develop, and assist in execution of improved processes to allow for routine analytical reviews of financial and operational performance.
• Work collaboratively with physicians, nurses, and other clinical professionals to identify and improve clinical issues including, but not limited to, patient flow, observation status tracking, care coordination, hand off communication and inter departmental collaboration.
• Assists CMO in process improvements in specific areas (based on the needs of UI Health Care). This includes evaluation of present process through data collection and interpretation, determining improvement strategies, and assists in implementation of improvements throughout UI Health Care.

Communication & Outreach:

• Drives process improvement by maintaining institutional communications to sustain forward progress. Includes but is not limited to distribution of the "Quest" newsletter, CMO Blog, Patient Safety Alerts, and CMO broadcasts.
• Assist in the development and implementation of novel communication strategies to support the missions of UI Health Care
• Serves as Leader/Manager of assigned projects. Collaborate with the Administrative Director, Office of the CMO, Associate Chief Medical Officer and other institutional leaders to accomplish assigned projects. Lead the organization in achieving a culture focused on quality.
• Facilitates the coordination of CMO Office events, including but not limited to, Medical Director events, external speakers, and vendor on-site visits.
• Presents and promotes information on programs (e.g., PARS/CORS, etc.) in the Office of the CMO, to departments and staff.
• Serves as a liaison between the office of the CMO, and the faculty, staff, and trainees.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Work schedule: Some flexibility between the hours of 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

Location: This position is located at the UI Health Care university campus at 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA. This position is eligible to participate in partial remote work after the initial training and onboarding has been completed. Remote work must be performed at a location within the state of Iowa and will require a work arrangement form to be completed upon the start of your employment. Per policy, work arrangements will be reviewed annually and must comply with the remote work program and related policies and employee travel policy when working at a remote location.

Salary level 5A. Starting salary will be based on qualifications and related/relevant experience.To view the full pay range for salary level 5A: Professional and Scientific Pay Structures | University Human Resources - The University of Iowa (uiowa.edu).

Benefits Highlights: Fringe benefit package including paid vacation; sick leave; health, dental, life and disability insurance options; and generous employer contributions into retirement plans. Complete information regarding the full benefits package may be viewed at: https://hr.uiowa.edu/benefits.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience Required:

• A Master's degree in Health Administration, Business Administration or Public Health, or an equivalent combination of education in a related field and experience is required.
• Minimum 3 years in administrative and/or program management experience in an academic setting is required.
• This position requires the individual to be highly organized, have exceptional people skills, and be able to enact change within the institution in a positive way.
• Position also requires demonstrated ability to work independently, the ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively in a welcoming and respectful workplace environment.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Prior experience with the following data analysis tools: Epic Reporting Workbench, Hedi, MS Access, Excel, Analysis Services cubes, Power Pivot, EPSI, and SQL Server is highly desirable.
• 3 to 5 years of data analytics experience and demonstrated ability to use data to drive change is highly desirable.
• 1 to 3 years Project Management experience is highly desirable.
• Prior experience in an academic hospital setting and/or knowledge of UI Health Care operations is highly desirable.

Application Process:

• In order to be considered for an interview, applicants must upload a current resume and a cover letter that clearly address how they meet the listed required and desired qualifications of this position.
• Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days. This job may be removed from posting and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.
• Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check.
• Professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.
• This position is not eligible for University of Iowa sponsorship for employment authorization.
• For questions, contact Heidi Bodensteiner at heidi-bodensteiner@uiowa.edu.

Additional Information

• Classification Title: Qual & Op Improv Engineer
• Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific
• Schedule: Full-time
• Work Modality Options: Hybrid within Iowa

Compensation

• Pay Level: 5A

Contact Information

• Organization: Healthcare
• Contact Name: Heidi Bodensteiner
• Contact Email: heidi-bodensteiner@uiowa.edu

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