Chief Quality & Population Health Officer

Chief Quality & Population Health Officer

Penobscot Community Health Care is excited to offer an opportunity to serve as a Chief Quality & Population Health (CQPHO). The selected candidate will report to the President & CEO and is directly responsible for the strategic direction, management and coordination of PCHC’s population health (PH) management function. The CQPHO serves as a member of the Executive Team and is responsible for ensuring that PCHC is well-positioned to continue its transition to risk contracting and value-based payment and will direct and supervise functions directly impacting performance in value-based payment arrangements (including quality and care management), with a focus on driving team-based care, robust care management and high-quality clinical care, while controlling costs and finding efficiencies to ensure sound financial stewardship of resources.

Displaying core organizational values and executive competencies in the performance of the role, the CQPHO provides leadership that puts people first and drives PCHC’s strategic objective to prepare its people and systems for payment designed to reward good outcomes rather than volume. The CQPHO works closely with PCHC’s value-based payment partner entity, Aledade, leveraging the resources of Aledade to ensure optimal coordination and performance in value based contracts in the best interests of patient care and mission. 

Position location and schedule expectations: This is a full-time, salaried, benefit-eligible position, generally Monday through Friday. This role requires the ability to travel to any one of our 17 service sites and locations in the greater Bangor area and beyond, requiring residence located within 2 hours’ driving distance of Bangor, Maine.

What you’ll do:

Develops and implements PCHC’s population health strategy and programming in alignment with PCHC’s learning health system goals, quality program, and the quadruple aim. Focuses on PCHC’s core mission to serve vulnerable populations, reduce health disparities based upon membership in historically marginalized groups, and integrates strategies to address social determinants of health within clinical care. Ensures implementation of evidence-based and best practices to advance population health. Drives and supports, in close collaboration with clinical and operational leaders, team-based care as the foundation to patient-centered primary care delivery, staff engagement, and care quality and safety. Responsible for implementation of new workflows, care innovations, pilots aimed at care system improvement, and other learning to advance population health goals, including better chronic disease management, patient engagement, and reductions in unnecessary resource utilization. Supervises the Director of Care Management and Director of Quality, aligning and coordinating their work in support of care teams to drive the quadruple aim and ensuring integration of the care management and quality functions within the integrated, team-based primary care model. Drives focus on wellness and prevention, in addition to chronic disease management and acute care. Provides clinical perspective for and participates at the ACO level in negotiation of APM payer contracts. Develops, in partnership with data team and Operations Practice Performance department, tools and scorecards to effectively monitor care outcomes and cost of care. Identifies expansion of or new service lines that contribute to population health goals and improve sustainability. Partners with the Chief Information Officer to ensure PCHC information systems are optimized for population health management and interoperable with key external systems. Partners with Chief Medical Officer to drive population goals, improve patient safety through integrated, team-based care and interprofessional practice, and improve sustainability. Ensures effective utilization of tools such as Maine’s health information exchange, HealthInfoNet, including optimization of predictive analytics tools to improve point of care delivery and care management.

Who we are:

• We care for the whole person, offering an integrated Medical Home Model
• We create environments in which respect, collaboration, and inclusion are valued.
• We show a “yes we can, together” attitude.
• We are on the cutting edge of innovation in healthcare.
• We solve for social determinants of health.
• We take our work seriously and steward the best interests of our patients and communities every day.
• Mission-driven.

Who you are:

• You demonstrate strong executive competencies to include creativity; professionalism; enthusiasm for the work; ability to direct and redirect teammates to solutions-oriented approaches; ability to navigate disparate stakeholder groups in a complex, matrixed environment to drive alignment and results; strong business and service line acumen; strong attention to financial stewardship of organizational resources; ability to make sound decisions where data and information may be incomplete; ability to balance and effectively work in an environment with multiple competing interests; ability to work quickly and be results-driven while also forming and maintaining productive working relationships; humble, intuitive, emotionally intelligent and intellectually curious leadership; outstanding written and verbal presentation skills; commitment to innovation; and demonstrates cultural sensitivity and competence in creating and supporting systems of care for a diverse patient population, and within the workforce. You actively support, drive and participate in organizational diversity, equity, belonging, and inclusion initiatives, including, without limitation, work to advance the careers of historically underrepresented groups. You engage in anti-discrimination and allyship work internally and externally. Excellent analytical skills, with particular emphasis on the use of data to solve problems and drive decision-making. Organized, reliable, efficient, and effective professional capable of thriving in a very fast-paced and deadline driven, complex environment. Capable of handling many complex tasks at once with little supervision or direction. Strong ability to coordinate stakeholders, drive alignment, and execute on strategies, delivering good results for the organization and patients. Strong ability to “raise the floor and shorten the gap” in the “valley of despair” associated with change management models. Proven ability to implement strategies, approaches, tactics at the macro- and micro- levels with attention to the science and art of change management. Engagement in community in a meaningful way to include service on boards, committees, professional associations, etc. in service of community and brand ambassadorship for PCHC. Strong computer and technology skills, including relevant electronic health record system(s). Strong knowledge of healthcare administrative and clinical practices. Ability to communicate effectively and build strong working relationships with patients, colleagues, vendors, third parties, and the general public in a manner consistent with core executive competencies described above. Strong organizational skills that reflect ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks seamlessly with excellent attention to detail. Demonstrated ability to think critically, tactically, and strategically, problem solve, and identify both opportunities and potential challenges/barriers. Skilled in project management, planning, organizing, and delegating tasks and holding colleagues accountable to the same.  Strong commitment to the highest standards of customer service.

You should apply if:

• 3-5 year of experience in a senior leadership role at medium or large-sized health care organization required. Strong preference for experience in an executive role within a primary care organization. Strong preference for experience working in a federally qualified health center or within the FQHC payment and care model. Preference for certifications and courses of study relevant to population health management. Strong preference for the following clinical licensure with active Maine license or eligible for Maine license as a Family Medicine Physician or Internal Medicine Physician, Advanced Practice Nurse Practitioner, or Physician Assistant. Will consider other clinical licensure such as DDS/DMD, LCSW/LCPC or RN if experience requirements are met. 

Will have a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record and/or an appropriate length of driving experience for insurance purposes is required. Any concerns raised by the results of a driving record check will be subject to an individualized review to determine whether the infraction is relevant to the individual’s ability to perform the responsibilities of the position in accordance with PCHC’s Automobile Safety and Background Check Policy.

Curious, or interested to learn more? Please reach out to our Manager of Talent Acquisition, Vanessa Worcester at vanessa.worcester@pchc.com.  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by law.