Practice Director - Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgery and Vascular Surgery

Overview

The Practice Director II is responsible for ensuring member service, quality of care, work life satisfaction, and efficient resource utilization in Care Delivery Operations. This role supports the planning, organization, direction, and operations of assigned areas (e.g. general administrative, patient care professional services and/or a combination of these and other services) and contributes toward the overall development of programs and services to provide for the needs of members, physicians, and clinicians.  The Practice Director also assists the Senior Practice Directors in providing strategic leadership to departments to ensure equitable distributions of resources and delivery of high quality, cost-effective healthcare and efficient management of staff in accordance with goals, objectives, policies, and applicable regulatory agency rules and regulations.

The Practice Director II manages major change initiatives and represents operations within the region with primary accountability for management of projects that cross departmental lines or have regional impact or significance. Additionally, this position will support strategic vision, leadership and oversight to key initiatives and/or teams, assist in definition of required outcomes and milestones, drive performance targets and monitor performance relative to targets, optimize resource utilization, participate in the development of proposals and recommendations, and ensure delivery of needed results. 

Major Responsibilities / Essential Functions:

• Responsible for the day-to-day regional specialty operations by facilitating the development, implementation and monitoring of service, quality and utilization standards; continually evaluating and improving the delivery of service by initiating and promoting best practice models, and monitoring individual and team performance levels to identify areas where improvements are needed or where high performance should be acknowledged.
• Collaboratively ensures the department is a proactive leader in the industry through internal and external monitoring and benchmarking and constant updating of business strategies to reflect current and anticipated market conditions.
• Works in partnership with other Kaiser Permanente Northwest (KPNW) and hospital departments to develop department benchmarks and track against benchmarks. Understands and executes on area strategy and operational needs, including gaining expertise on external market and factors in the area. Manages physician and Affiliated Clinician (AC) professional services in partnership with the Chiefs and Leads. This includes:
• Oversight of clinician resources within portfolio.
• Monitor follow-up with individual clinicians and/or teams to coach them on how to improve performance.
• Train/mentor new Northwest Permanente, Health Plan and labor leaders related to leadership and operational goals, objectives, tools, and systems.
• Serves as key liaison and collaborates with Health Plan and program-wide constituencies. 
• Provide strategic analysis and business planning support to evaluate opportunities to reduce costs, improve member service, and improve quality of work life.
• Analyze and create systems to match appointment supply with demand and to create close collaboration with Regional Appointment Center to support operational needs. Foster innovation in creating non-visit options for meeting member needs.
• Develops and implements appropriate reporting tools and training/communication activities within and outside the department through leadership and ensuring success of business strategies.
• Prepares special and recurring reports and analyses, internalization studies, business case development.
• Benchmark with other KP regions and competitors to identify potential best practices to emulate in our region.
• Lead rapid organizational change due to Health Connect, benefit changes, changing organization structure, growing membership, increasing emphasis on member service, and other issues impacting operations and our physicians and ACs.
• Interface between Primary Care and Specialty and ancillary departments, identifying specific work to be done and resources needed to realize opportunities for improvements in efficiency, care experience, and work life.
• Plans and executes department-based budgeting and identifies priorities to best manage both internal and external costs. Monitors department finances that contribute to the overall value metrics.
• Partners with departments on both internal and external financial indicators and develops processes to ensure total capture.
• Optimize use of available information and expertise to support effective decision-making by KPNW's senior leaders.
• Contributes to effective and accurate communications, operations, and planning by conducting studies and reporting findings, participating and presenting in special committees and/or projects.
• Manages, leads and supports staff in meeting individual and department goals, providing coaching, development and training.

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a Business Administration, Health Care Administration or related field OR a bachelor's degree AND six (6) years of experience in a directly related field.
• Five (5) years’ experience managing business, healthcare administration, financial analysis, or another related field.
• Three (3) years’ experience in a supervisory role or managing/leading high complex service line(s) or financial management, budget development, program development, quality improvement and project management.
• Ability to analyze, integrate and use quantitative data informed decisions about quality improvement and collaborating with clinical staff, back office staff, and team to achieve expected outcomes.
• Ability to attend to details, prioritize and complete multiple tasks independently in a fast-paced environment and following agreed upon timeline.
• Demonstrated understanding of clinical and operational processes; staff licensure/certification, clinical competency requirements and scope of practice concepts.
• Excellence in customer service, service recovery and complaint resolution skills.
• Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment.

Preferred Work Experience and Qualifications:

• Certification: Oregon and/or Washington RN license.
• Business management experience in health care setting.
• Ambulatory health care experience.

For more information about this position, contact Marisa Walter, marisa.e.walter@kp.org.About Northwest Permanente:We are the Permanente in Kaiser Permanente. Northwest Permanente is a self-governed, multi-specialty group of 1,500 physicians, clinicians, and administrative professionals caring for 630,000 members in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Together with Kaiser Foundation Health Plans and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, we form Kaiser Permanente of the Northwest, an integrated health care program.  Kaiser Permanente is one of the nation's preeminent health care systems, a benchmark for comprehensive, integrated, value-based, and high-quality care.Our Northwest Permanente administrative professionals enjoy a wide range of company sponsored benefits:

• 15% employer contribution to retirement programs, including pension
• 90% employer-paid health plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Child Care Benefits
• Flexible Work Schedules
• Paid Parental Leave
• Self-Care Days Paid Time Off

Equal Opportunity EmployerNorthwest Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status.