Sr. Specialist, Quality Improvement

Description TITLE: Sr. Specialist, Quality Improvement *This position is partially-grant-funded. STATUS: Full Time Exempt  LEVEL: Sr. Specialist DIRECT SUPERVISOR: Director, Registry Operations Travel: Up to 10% of travel is required to fulfill job responsibilities which may include evenings/overnight and weekends for the annual meeting, and/or staff retreats. POSITION DESCRIPTION SUMMARY This position is responsible for planning, writing, development, execution, oversight, budgeting, and reporting for all aspects of the ACR’s quality measure development and maintenance projects. The Sr. Specialist is also the lead staff responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the ACR’s quality measures in the ACR’s RISE registry, a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR). This position is partially grant-funded.  Grant-related duties include serving as primary staff liaison responsible for convening and managing support of volunteer experts in identifying recommendations for appropriate assessments of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and developing quality measures based on those recommendations for the grant titled “Developing and Disseminating Programs to Build Sustainable Lupus Awareness, Knowledge, Skills, and Partnerships”. DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES - Manage and work closely with relevant stakeholders (ACR staff, volunteers, subject-matter experts, etc.) to build and define the ACR’s quality measurement development strategy, and lead projects to advance the strategic plan - Work collaboratively with Collaborative Initiatives (COIN) staff and volunteer work group members to advance the development of SLE-specific quality measures and supporting functionality within the RISE registry in accordance with the CDC grant titled “Developing and Disseminating Programs to Build Sustainable Lupus Awareness, Knowledge, Skills, and Partnerships” - Work collaboratively with COIN staff, other ACR staff, and volunteer experts to write grants to help fund the development of rheumatology-specific measures and metrics and expand functionality of the RISE registry to better support the needs of its users - Following submission of grant proposals and notification of award, work collaboratively with volunteer experts to ensure final deliverables meet grant requirements and timelines to further develop rheumatology-specific quality measures and quality improvement resources  - Communicate effectively with ACR members and external organizations and individuals about measurement initiatives, projects, and issues - Serve as the subject matter expert on all quality measures developed by the ACR and project manager for all measure development and maintenance projects. Duties include but are not limited to the following: - Build and implement standard procedures for development and testing of measures in line with the expectations set forth by the current national consensus-based entity and/or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - Develop and systematically oversee project timelines and completion of deliverables for measure development projects and activities – particularly as related to grant-funded work - Solicit and oversee volunteer participation in project activities, including communicating and managing volunteer and committee member involvement in project activities - Guide staff and volunteer members of project teams in a collaborative manner to ensure milestones and budget requirements are met - Develop and implement mitigation strategies to address identified risks and keep projects on track - Manage meetings and related activities, including developing meeting materials, minutes, and strategic action plans based on decisions - Communicate important project updates, including project status and any risks, to relevant stakeholders on a regular basis - Lead the writing and development of measure specifications and value sets for rheumatology-specific quality measures - Oversee the integration of ACR’s quality measures into the RISE registry. - Conduct reviews of updated quality measure documentation, including measure logic, data dictionaries and code sets. - Attend national measurement-related meetings, as necessary, and facilitate ACR representation by volunteers at these meetings. - Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor or senior leadership to advance organizational goals. Requirements - BA/ BS plus five (5) years’ experience with clinical quality of care or quality measurement projects or a related clinical field (e.g., nurse practitioner, physician assistant, public health, health administration etc.) experience, or MS/MA/MBA/JD plus three (3) years’ experience in a related field, or more than eight (8) years’ experience with no post-secondary degree. - Demonstrated experience with registries and/or medical quality of care initiatives/projects, and a basic understanding of medical coding systems required. - Experience or knowledge of national quality measures including measure specifications, data validation, performance monitoring and translating measure requirements into operational processes that drive improved clinical outcomes. - Strong project management and leadership skills with a focus on driving teams to meet deliverables and deadlines. - Highly detail-oriented with demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills. - Proactive ability to organize and manage several projects simultaneously and exercise judgment in prioritizing and handling responsibilities. - Ability to spur collaboration within and across teams in the organization. - Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to work with volunteers, staff, and vendors/organizations tactfully and effectively - Professional proficiency with Microsoft Office programs including Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Word is required. Web browsing proficiency is also required. - Familiarity with virtual meeting software applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or similar is required   We participate in E-Verify.   The ACR provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. The ACR complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities or conducts business. This is not a contract.  The description and duties as they relate to this position are subject to change as reasonable business necessity dictates.  In the event of such changes, a new job description may be created. Summary Benefits At A Glance (as of 07.01.2025)   With nearly 8,500 physicians, health professionals, researchers, medical students, and scientists worldwide, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) is the home of the rheumatology community. The ACR is a values-based organization, and as such focuses on the cultural values of transparency, accountability, collaboration, inclusion, and innovation across all interactions within and across departments, with members and volunteers, and external organizations with whom we work.  We believe culture, communication and collaboration leads to excellence and allows our employees to fully flourish.