Please submit your application along with a copy of your resume and a cover letter.
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Summary
The North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA) is a membership organization for federally qualified, non-profit patient-governed health care organizations that provide care to patients regardless of insurance status or geographic isolation. NCCHCA’s mission is to promote and support patient-governed health care organizations and the populations they serve.
The Director of Clinical and Operational Improvement provide strategic leadership and hands-on support to advance quality, performance, and operational excellence across North Carolina’s Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). This position leads statewide quality initiatives for all NCCHCA member health centers and provides targeted improvement support to Community Health Centers participating in Carolina Medical Home Network’s (CMHN) Medicaid and Medicare value-based care networks. The Director serves as a coach, convener, and subject matter expert in quality improvement (QI), clinical operations, and value-based transformation—partnering with health centers to improve outcomes, strengthen workflows, and enhance access to care. Statewide and national travel of up to 50% is required for this role.
North Carolina’s community health centers are the cornerstone of equitable, accessible care for underserved populations. As NCCHCA deepens its commitment to both clinical quality and operational excellence, this Director position serves as a force multiplier—helping translate statewide priorities into practical, measurable improvements in care delivery, access, and patient outcomes.
Qualification Requirements
• Advanced degree in a relevant field (MPH, MHA, MSN, PharmD or related discipline) or equivalent experience in quality improvement and clinical operations.
Minimum Qualifications
• Certification or formal training in quality improvement (e.g., IHI Improvement Advisor, Lean Six Sigma, or equivalent).
• 7+ years of experience leading QI or operational improvement initiatives in ambulatory care, community health settings, and/or inpatient care settings.
• Proven skill as a facilitator and coach, able to engage multidisciplinary teams and executive leadership.
• Demonstrated success implementing and scaling QI projects tied to value-based care performance or operational efficiency
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Understanding of FQHC operations, UDS measures, and non-medical drivers of health integration.
- Experience working with Medicaid or Medicare value-based care programs.
- Familiarity with North Carolina’s healthcare delivery and payment landscape.
- Strong data interpretation skills and comfort using dashboards and performance analytics tools.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with a collaborative, service-oriented mindset.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Yes
Essential Functions
Leadership & Strategy
- Under guidance from the VP of Clinical and Quality Improvement, lead NCCHCA’s portfolio of clinical and operational improvement initiatives, ensuring alignment with HRSA, state, and payer priorities.
- Divide time between (1) association-wide support for all NCCHCA member health centers, and (2) focused QI and operational support for CMHN network participants in Medicaid and Medicare programs.
- Collaborate with NCCHCA and CMHN leadership to design and implement scalable, evidence-based improvement models.
- Serve as a visible champion for quality and patient-centered care across the FQHC network.
Program & Initiative Management
- Design and lead improvement initiatives, pilots, and collaboratives, such as childhood immunization improvement and clinic scheduling optimization.
- Develop and refine tools, dashboards, and templates for implementation and tracking of clinical and operational outcomes.
- Direct all phases of project implementation, including site selection, baseline assessments, coaching, evaluation, and reporting.
- Translate pilot learnings into scalable models for use across the statewide network.
Facilitation & Capacity Building
- Facilitate NCCHCA’s Quality Workgroups and the Quality Improvement Board Subcommittee, ensuring productive discussion, peer learning, and alignment to association goals.
- Deliver training, workshops, and learning sessions to build QI and operational improvement capacity within health centers.
- Provide one-on-one and team-based QI coaching to clinic leaders, supporting adoption of best practices and evidence-based workflows.
- Promote use of the IHI Model for Improvement, PDSA cycles, Lean principles, and data-driven decision making.
Performance & Value-Based Care Support
- Coordinate improvement work tied to CMHN’s value-based care contracts, including performance tracking and readiness support.
- Analyze and communicate performance trends in UDS, HEDIS, and payer-based quality metrics.
- Partner with data and finance teams to link QI activities to cost savings, revenue enhancement, and return on investment (ROI).
Collaboration & Representation
- Collaborate closely with internal NCCHCA teams, CMHN staff, and external partners to ensure synergy across clinical, operational, and policy initiatives.
- Represent NCCHCA in state and national forums, committees, and workgroups focused on quality, operations, and health equity.
- Engage directly with CHC executive leadership, clinical directors, and QI staff to identify emerging needs and shape association priorities.
Example Projects and Focus Areas
- Childhood Immunization Improvement: Increase immunization rates among children 0–2 years old through workflow redesign, reminder/recall systems, and data-driven coaching.
- Clinic Scheduling Optimization: Reduce no-shows, improve appointment fill rates, and enhance patient access through operational best practices and staff training.
- Value-Based Care Performance: Strengthen readiness for Medicaid and Medicare shared savings programs, aligning QI work to performance metrics and payer expectations.
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 uphold 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.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of the position. All employees may have other duties assigned at any time.
