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POSITION SUMMARY:

The Vice President, Clinical & Quality Improvement provides strategic leadership for quality improvement, clinical transformation, practice improvement, and value-based care initiatives across the North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA) and its member Community Health Centers (CHCs).

The VP is responsible for developing and advancing strategies that improve clinical quality, patient outcomes, patient experience, access, operational performance, and value across North Carolina's community health center network. The position works closely with NCCHCA leadership, CHC CEOs and clinical leaders, Carolina Medical Home Network (CMHN) leadership, and internal teams to identify opportunities for improvement and translate those opportunities into practical, measurable strategies.

The VP provides leadership for NCCHCA's statewide quality improvement agenda while supporting CMHN's Medicaid and Medicare value-based care initiatives. This position serves as a strategic advisor, convener, coach, and subject matter expert in quality improvement, healthcare transformation, and performance improvement.

The VP will build and support a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, accountability, collaboration, and patient-centered care. The position will also ensure that quality improvement strategies are aligned with applicable HRSA requirements, state and federal regulations, payer requirements, and recognized quality improvement standards.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Strategic Leadership:

Develop and lead NCCHCA's overall strategy for quality improvement, clinical transformation, and performance improvement.
Establish priorities, goals, and performance measures for NCCHCA quality initiatives.
Align quality improvement strategies with NCCHCA's strategic plan, member needs, HRSA requirements, state priorities, and payer expectations.
Identify emerging opportunities and challenges affecting quality, access, patient experience, clinical operations, and value-based care.
Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and NCCHCA leadership team on quality and clinical transformation issues.
Provide leadership and direction to staff responsible for quality improvement and related initiatives.

Quality Improvement & Clinical Transformation:

Lead the development and implementation of quality improvement strategies designed to improve patient outcomes, reduce variation in care, improve access, and enhance patient and staff experience.
Support health centers in implementing evidence-based practices and effective models of team-based care and practice transformation.
Promote the use of recognized improvement methodologies, including the IHI Model for Improvement, PDSA cycles, Lean principles, and data-driven decision-making.
Identify opportunities for improvement through analysis of clinical, operational, and performance data.
Develop standardized tools, resources, workflows, and best practices that can be adapted across NCCHCA member health centers.
Support the development and implementation of strategies that advance Patient-Centered Medical Home principles and other models of high-performing primary care.
Ensure that successful improvement initiatives are evaluated and positioned for broader implementation across the network.

Value-Based Care & CMHN:

Provide strategic leadership for quality improvement activities supporting CMHN's Medicaid and Medicare value-based care arrangements.
Work with CMHN leadership and participating health centers to improve performance on quality, utilization, patient experience, and other value-based care measures.
Monitor and interpret UDS, HEDIS, payer-specific, and other relevant quality measures.
Collaborate with data, analytics, population health, care management, network, and finance teams to identify opportunities to improve performance.
Translate payer requirements and performance expectations into actionable strategies for participating health centers.
Connect quality improvement activities to cost, utilization, shared savings, revenue, and overall value.
Support health centers in preparing for and responding to changing value-based care requirements.

Member Support & Capacity Building:

Serve as a strategic resource to NCCHCA member health centers on quality improvement, clinical transformation, and performance improvement.
Work directly with CHC CEOs, clinical leaders, quality leaders, and operational leaders to identify needs and develop solutions.
Provide coaching, technical assistance, education, and resources to support quality improvement efforts.
Facilitate NCCHCA quality workgroups, learning collaboratives, and other peer-learning opportunities.
Promote sharing of successful practices and lessons learned across the health center network.
Build the capacity of health center teams to sustain quality improvement efforts.
Program & Initiative Management
Develop and oversee statewide quality improvement initiatives, pilots, collaboratives, and learning networks.
Establish project goals, measures, timelines, and evaluation strategies.
Oversee implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting for major quality initiatives.
Work with staff and health center partners to identify barriers and develop strategies to address them.
Translate successful pilot projects into scalable models for NCCHCA members.

Data & Performance Management:

Use clinical, operational, and financial data to identify opportunities for improvement and inform strategic decisions.
Work collaboratively with data and analytics leadership to develop meaningful reports, dashboards, and performance tools.
Ensure quality initiatives have clearly defined measures, benchmarks, and evaluation processes.
Translate complex performance data into actionable information for health center and organizational leadership.
Promote data-driven decision-making throughout NCCHCA and its member network.

Regulatory & Quality Compliance:

Maintain knowledge of HRSA Health Center Program requirements related to quality improvement and quality assurance.
Ensure NCCHCA quality strategies and resources are consistent with applicable federal and state requirements and payer standards.
Monitor changes in quality and performance requirements and communicate their implications to NCCHCA leadership and members.
Support the development of policies, procedures, workflows, and resources related to quality improvement and practice transformation.

Collaboration & External Representation:

Collaborate with NCCHCA and CMHN leadership and internal teams to ensure alignment across quality, network, analytics, population health, policy, and operational initiatives.
Build strong relationships with health center executives, clinical leaders, quality professionals, and other stakeholders.
Represent NCCHCA in state and national forums, committees, workgroups, and professional organizations focused on quality improvement, primary care transformation, and value-based care.
Develop relationships with external partners, health plans, consultants, national organizations, and other stakeholders to advance NCCHCA's quality priorities.
Identify and bring forward innovative practices, resources, and opportunities that benefit NCCHCA members.

Team Leadership:

Supervise, mentor, and develop assigned staff.
Establish clear priorities, expectations, and performance measures.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
Provide leadership and direction to multidisciplinary teams working on quality improvement initiatives.

Other Duties:

Participate in NCCHCA leadership meetings, board meetings, committees, retreats, and other organizational activities as appropriate.
Assist the CEO and executive leadership team with strategic initiatives.
Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

Master's degree in healthcare administration, public health, business administration, healthcare management, quality improvement, nursing, or another relevant field, or an equivalent combination of education and significant professional experience.

An MD or DO degree is not required.

Experience:

Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in healthcare quality improvement, healthcare operations, clinical transformation, population health, value-based care, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience leading quality improvement or performance improvement initiatives in a healthcare environment.
Experience working with community health centers, primary care organizations, health systems, clinically integrated networks, accountable care organizations, or value-based care programs strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience working with executive-level leaders and multidisciplinary teams.
Experience with Medicaid and/or Medicare programs strongly preferred.

Certification:

Certification or formal training in quality improvement, process improvement, Lean, Six Sigma, IHI Improvement Advisor, or a related methodology is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Strong knowledge of healthcare quality improvement and performance improvement methodologies.
Understanding of ambulatory care and primary care operations.
Knowledge of FQHC operations and HRSA quality requirements preferred.
Understanding of Medicaid and Medicare value-based care programs.
Familiarity with UDS, HEDIS, payer quality measures, and healthcare performance metrics.
Strong data interpretation and analytical skills.
Excellent project management, facilitation, coaching, and presentation skills.
Ability to build relationships and influence across organizations and disciplines.
Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and initiatives simultaneously.
Commitment to patient-centered care, health equity, quality improvement, and improved outcomes.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Ability to maintain confi dentiality and exercise sound professional judgment.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Yes. This position provides direct supervision to assigned staff and may provide leadership to multidisciplinary teams working on quality improvement and transformation initiatives.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is:

Regularly required to stand, sit; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms to operate a computer and telephone keyboard, and to reach, stoop, or kneel
Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work
Light to moderate lifting is required, such as occasionally lifting office products and supplies, up to 20 pounds

Ability to handle the stress of traveling
Regular, predictable attendance is required, including quarter-driven hours as business demands dictate.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets, and fax machines.
Level of noise typical for the work environment of this job is Moderate - less than 85 decibels (business office with computers and printers and traffic within the receptionist area)
Ability to work in a confined area.
Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period of time.

North Carolina Community Health Center Association

Vice President, Clinical & Quality Improvement

About the Job