Vice President, Quality & Safety – Northwest Market

Job Summary

The person in this position will provide the strategic leadership for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan to compete as the quality leader in health care. On behalf of the Health Plan, the individual in this role has the overall responsibility for ensuring the quality, safety, and regulatory/accreditation compliance of programs and services provided to KP members and patients in all areas of the KP market care delivery system.

This leader is responsible for effectively partnering with the market Permanente Medical Group to ensure care delivery strategies meet regulatory and accreditation compliance; align with national and market policies and programs related to quality and safety; and establish/oversee quality management systems and governance. This role functions on behalf of the KFHP/H Board of Directors to provide effective quality oversight of both facility and provider credentialing.

This leader is also responsible for proactively collaborating with key Health Plan and physician leaders across the national system to support the delivery of high quality, cost-effective, integrated healthcare to members and patients. The leader in this position will partner with other KFHP/H and PMG executives to ensure the leveraging of capabilities and sharing of best practices across the market.

Core work includes but is not limited to: the development and implementation of strategic quality and safety oversight objectives that are incorporated into national and regional business plans, development and implementation of quality oversight programs and corrective action plans to ensure continuous quality improvement, and the development and monitoring of appropriate measures for safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable, and person-centered care that assess the impact on the health of our members and the communities we serve.

This position consistently supports compliance and the Principles of Responsibility (Kaiser Permanentes Code of Conduct) by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the organization, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non-compliance, and adhering to the applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, accreditation and licensure requirements (if applicable), and Kaiser Permanentes policies and procedures.

• Directs a high functioning team of quality and safety professionals who oversee quality, safety, infection prevention, and regulatory/accreditation compliance of programs and services provided to KP members and patients in all areas of the KP market care delivery system.
• Partners with Permanente Quality to provide overall leadership of the KP market-s quality of care program for the delivery system including its ambulatory, inpatient, dental, continuing care services as well as contracted hospitals and network providers.
• Partners with the Hospital Administrator(s) to provide leadership and oversight of the Hospital Quality program, ensuring that activities are in alignment with, approved, and directed by the Board of Directors (QHIC).
• Drives, and when appropriate, partners with market PMG quality and / or operational leaders in the development of quality oversight programs and systems that position Kaiser Permanente as the quality leader in the marketplace through participation in relevant externally benchmarked measurement programs (e.g., HEDIS, CMS 5 Star, NCQA, Patient-Centered Medical Home, Leapfrog).
• Identifies obstacles, barriers, and issues impacting the KP market-s ability to meet its quality, workplace safety, patient safety, clinical risk management and regulatory goals and objectives.
• Represents the KP market in strategic matters locally and nationally, relating to issues of clinical quality, service quality, safety, and risk (e.g., market quality oversight committees, KPNQC, SERCIT, Board of Directors).
• Collaborates with national functions for example the Care Management Institute (CMI), the Medicare Inter-regional Program Management Organization (IRPMO), and other functional units within the KP enterprise to obtain appropriate, on-going data on quality outcomes and member and community health status improvements.
• Leads Quality Program Administration, (i.e., QHIC processes) including quality management oversight, health care delivery oversight, assessment, and intervention.
• Supports Population Health Community of Practice to develop strategic prevention plan, implement program guidelines, and develop program evaluation and monitor outcomes for members- health using HEDIS targets and outcomes.
• Partners with care delivery leaders by providing timely and accurate quality and regulatory advice, information, consultation and continually measures satisfaction of accountable services.
• Collaborates with Compliance and operations to minimize clinical risk and maximize quality outcomes.
• Ensures Accreditation, Regulatory Compliance and Licensing as appropriate.
• Directs activities to ensure that the KP market…