Improvement Advisor

Good Samaritan Society; Fargo (ND); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401(k) retirement plan

Work-life balance benefits

Generous time off

Job summary

Sanford Health in Fargo, ND seeks an Improvement Advisor to lead organization-wide performance improvements, emphasizing data analytics and clear communication with leaders and frontline staff. You will support strategic plans and oversee performance improvement components across departments.

The role requires problem-solving, conflict management, and teamwork, with flexibility for remote work one day per week and potential longer hours as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum of two years in operational process improvement, clinical, or healthcare management setting.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or CPQH (CPHQ) certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead organization-wide improvement efforts to enhance quality, patient experience and outcomes.
• Analyze data and clearly communicate trends to leaders and frontline staff.
• Support corporate and local strategic plans with oversight of performance improvement activities.
• Apply process improvement methodologies to drive operational efficiencies and reliability.

Skills

Data analytics

Communication skills

Problem solving

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

CPHQ

Job description

Careers With Purpose

Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland.

Facility: Sanford Broadway Clinic
Location: Fargo, ND
Address: 737 Broadway N, Fargo, ND 58102, USA
Shift: 8 Hours - Day Shifts
Job Schedule: Full time
Weekly Hours: 40.00
Salary Range: $29.00 - $46.50

Department Details

The Fargo Quality and Safety team is a talented, collaborative group of interdisciplinary professionals who are passionate about improving the care and wellbeing of our patients, employees, and communities. We value safety, inclusivity, continuous learning, and high reliability, while fostering a culture that supports work-life balance and professional growth.

Our team partners with operational and clinical leaders to advance organizational strategies through data-driven performance improvement. By collaborating across departments and continuously evaluating systems and processes, we help drive meaningful improvements in quality, safety, patient experience, and operational outcomes.

Team members enjoy a flexible work environment, including the opportunity to work remotely one day per week. As informal leaders throughout the organization, Quality team members work with a wide variety of stakeholders across the Fargo region and the broader Enterprise. This role offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in healthcare while gaining broad exposure to different facets of the organization, supporting both personal and professional development.

Job Summary

The Improvement Advisor collaborates with leadership to lead systematic, organization-wide improvement efforts that enhance quality, patient experience, and operational outcomes. The successful candidate will possess strong data analytics skills and the ability to clearly communicate data, trends, and performance outcomes to both operational and frontline leaders. The Improvement Advisor will support corporate and local strategic plans that achieve high impact and significant improvements in organizational performance by providing oversight to performance improvement components and activities. The advisor must have demonstrated ability in problem solving, critical thinking, conflict management, and team building skills in order to ensure a productive work environment and achievement of goals.

The responsibilities of the advisor include data and project management, analytical reasoning, interpreting and evaluation of complex information, identifying patterns and essential issues, while measuring and evaluating the attainment of results. The advisor is also responsible for utilizing and teaching process improvement methodologies to support informed decision making for operational efficiencies and effectiveness that align with system strategies. Knowledge of and conformance to regulatory requirements, contractual obligations, and the organizations policies is essential, along with the ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.

Serves as communication link and resource person regarding performance improvement and patient safety for departments and management throughout the organization. Understands and communicates quality and safety priorities as they relate to high reliability and value based care. Analyzes data to identify areas of opportunity for improvement efforts. Ability to write and verbally communicate in a legible and understandable manner, have strong computer skills, possess the ability to make independent and timely decisions when circumstances warrant, and possess the ability to demonstrate interpersonal skills, such as interacting effectively with other health care professionals, physicians, upper-level management, regulatory agency staff, and the general public.

Other desired traits of the Advisor include familiarity with the basic tools of robust process improvement, work process redesign, or re-engineering, knowledge of medicine and medical terminology, and ability to work with minimal supervision. Occasional evening and weekend hours, and potential for greater than 40-hour workweek when circumstances warrant.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required. In lieu of education, leadership may consider an Associate’s degree and 5 years of applicable experience. If degree is in nursing, graduate from a nationally accredited nursing program preferred, including, but not limited to, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), and National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA).

Minimum of two years experience in operational process improvement, clinical, or healthcare management setting preferred.

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) or equivalent preferred.

If a licensed registered nurse (RN), currently hold an unencumbered RN license with the State Board of Nursing where the practice of nursing is occurring and/or possess multistate licensure if in a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state. Obtains and subsequently maintains required department specific competencies and certifications. Quality improvement/assurance personnel with nursing backgrounds can maintain their license without seeking additional hours based on role’s responsibilities. Other departments may or may not require certifications as directed by department leadership.

Benefits

Sanford offers an attractive benefits package for qualifying full-time and part-time employees. Depending on eligibility, a variety of benefits include health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan, work/life balance benefits, and a generous time off package to maintain a healthy home-work balance. For more information about Total Rewards, visit https://sanfordcareers.com/benefits .

Sanford is an EEO/AA Employer M/F/Disability/Vet. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request an accommodation for help with your online application, please call 1-877-673-0854 or send an email to [e-mail] .

Sanford has a Drug Free Workplace Policy. An accepted offer will require a drug screen and pre-employment background screening as a condition of employment.

Req Number: R-0273222
Job Function: Quality and Risk Management
Featured: No