Associate Director, Quality Operations - Essen Medical Associates

At Essen Health Care, we care for that! 

As the largest privately held multispecialty medical group in the Bronx, we provide high-quality, compassionate, and accessible medical care to some of the most vulnerable and under-served residents of New York State. Guided by a Population Health model of care, Essen has five integrated clinical divisions offering urgent care, primary care, and specialty services, as well as nursing home staffing and care management. Founded in 1999, our over 20-year commitment has fueled an unwavering dedication toward innovating a better healthcare delivery system. Essen has expanded from a single primary care office to an umbrella organization offering specialties from women’s health to endocrinology, from psychiatry to a vast array of other specialties. All clinical services are offered via telehealth or in-person at over 35 medical offices and at home through the Essen House Calls program. 

Essen Health Care is the place Where Care Comes Together! We are looking for the most talented and effective individuals to join our rapidly growing company. With over 1,100 employees and 400+ Practitioners, we care for over 250,000 patients annually in New York City and beyond. From medical providers to administration & operational staff, there is a career here for you. Join our team today!

The Associate Director, Quality Operations, under the direction of the Director of Quality Operations, will coordinate activities related to performance management, quality improvement, and compliance needs for Health Home (HH) staff working with people who have mental health, substance use, psychosocial and chronic conditions.

• In collaboration with Director of Quality and other Health Home (HH) Senior Leaders, establish and monitor quality improvement plan, oversight, and professional development opportunities for HH Care Coordinators, Supervisors and other staff
• Oversee quality activities, improving overall program functions, training needs of departments, co-developing strategic plans, creating policies and workflows, and communicating quality improvement goals and plans

• Develop, plan and establish quality improvement processes and tools for the HH Program to enhance knowledge and skills of HH workforce, enhance quality care, and improve program outcomes
• Explore areas for improvement based on both collected data and engagement with HH Senior Leaders and other staff to identify and implement potential solutions
• Generate and update reports using electronic health records, and external and internal databases to gather, synthesize, and convey information effectively and in a meaningful manner
• Provide management of and/or review member charts using audit tools, as well as internal tracking tools, to verify eligibility for each enrolled client in the program, to ensure assessments are filled out comprehensively and completely, care plans map to assessments and include SMART goals, and progress notes relate to care plans and chart member’s ongoing movement through the HH program
• Identify and provide insight into trends found in charts and documentation to provide staff with the necessary tools, trainings, and guidance to ensure quality care coordination
• Participate in implementation and planning to track the timely completion of targeted deliverables, with particular attention on Outreach and Enrollment, Documentation, and Core Service delivery needs
• Coordinate with staff across the HH Program departments (i.e., Care Coordination, Administration, Enrollment, HARP), Lead Health Homes, and contracted partners to anticipate and plan for future quality improvement and compliance needs
• Coordinate with HH leaders and other staff to ensure all programmatic written Assessments, Plans of Care, and Progress Note documentation is up to standard
• Assist with the formulation, implementation and monitoring of corrective actions to ensure program improvement including but not limited to: policy/procedure development and review, working with established benchmarks from lead Health Homes, training, etc., tracking the implementation of corrective actions providing follow-up and ensuring resolution
• Conduct reviews of Incident Reports and ensure timely submission to the Lead Health Home and the Department of Health (DOH); this includes incident/accident/grievance tracking and case reviews related to incidents
• Facilitate the submission of Outcome Measurement Reports: Track key outcomes and performance measurements throughout the year, aggregating data, analyzing quarterly and annual trends and working collaboratively with HH program staff regarding follow-up activities and improvements
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of HH program regulations and any changes that occur in order to modify policies and procedures on an ongoing basis and ensure compliance with rules and regulations
• Attend team and agency staff meetings and participate in strategic planning
• Participate in special projects as requested by Essen or Health Homes (HH) leadership

• A master’s degree in Public Administration, Healthcare Administration, Social Work or related field preferred

• Minimum 2 years of experience in quality operations/program evaluation

• Experience with audit preparation and managing corrective action plans
• Familiarity with Electronic Health Records and/or Medicaid Billing, i.e., ePACES, MAPP, PSYCKES
• Demonstrated experience in use of common software, including Microsoft Office (i.e., Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc.)

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills across all levels and backgrounds
• Familiarity and/or experience with working with people with mental health, substance use, chronic health conditions and/or psychosocial barriers

• Strong administrative writing and reporting skills

• Bilingual in Spanish preferred

Salary: $75,000-$80,000

Essen Health care is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we seek candidates who desire to work in and serve an ethnically diverse population.