Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Staff Specialist

Michigan Medicine; Ann Arbor (MI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Michigan Medicine is seeking a Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS) Staff Specialist to support the Adult Bariatric Surgery Program (ABSP) by ensuring high-quality care, reliable operations, accreditation compliance, and coordinated communication across the bariatric team.

The role provides complex administrative support, develops policies, oversees patient pathways, drives quality improvement, and prepares for site visits in partnership with the MBS Director.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience in a related field.
• Three or more years of experience successfully managing programs, initiatives, or projects in a complex organizational setting.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple accreditations, operational, education, and communication workstreams.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with faculty, staff, trainees, patients, and external partners.
• Ability to synthesize complex clinical, operational, and regulatory information into clear protocols, education materials, documentation, and communications.

Responsibilities

• Provide ABSP leadership, strategic planning, and development of the program, projects, and activities to support MBS across Michigan Medicine's network.
• Align strategic priorities among Michigan Medicine, MBSAQIP, MBSC, the Surgery Director, ACU administrators, nurse managers, and other partners.
• Recruit, onboard, train, and evaluate non-physician personnel; support day-to-day team functioning.
• Coordinate ABSP projects, meetings, and policy updates; manage policy development and revisions.
• Lead accreditation readiness activities and compliance with MBSAQIP requirements.

Skills

Program management

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Organization

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

MBSAQIP

MBSC

MiChart

Cornerstone

Job description

Job Summary

The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS) Staff Specialist has responsibility and accountability to the MBS Director in the management of Michigan Medicine's Adult Bariatric Surgery Program (ABSP) by ensuring high-quality care, reliable operations, accreditation compliance, and coordinated communication across the multidisciplinary bariatric team. The position is responsible for providing highly responsible, complex administrative support through the development and implementation of administrative policies and procedures, daily ABSP coordination, patient pathway oversight, quality improvement, outcomes monitoring, education, protocol governance, and site visit preparedness.

Job Summary

The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (MBS) Staff Specialist has responsibility and accountability to the MBS Director in the management of Michigan Medicine's Adult Bariatric Surgery Program (ABSP) by ensuring high-quality care, reliable operations, accreditation compliance, and coordinated communication across the multidisciplinary bariatric team. The position is responsible for providing highly responsible, complex administrative support through the development and implementation of administrative policies and procedures, daily ABSP coordination, patient pathway oversight, quality improvement, outcomes monitoring, education, protocol governance, and site visit preparedness.

Responsibilities*

Leadership and Multidisciplinary Coordination

• In coordination with the MBS Director, provide ABSP with leadership, strategic planning, and development of the program, projects, and activities to achieve cohesive support of MBS across Michigan Medicine's network of surgeons, dietitians, patient services associates, clinical reviewers/data abstractors, ambulatory and inpatient teams, and other non-physician team members.


• Align strategic priorities among Michigan Medicine, MBSAQIP, MBSC, the Surgery Director, ACU administrators, nurse managers, clinic managers, surgeons, neuropsychology, preoperative clinic, MiChart/Cornerstone contacts, and other operational partners.


• Provide instrumental support of recruiting, onboarding, training, and evaluating non-physician personnel; support reliable day-to-day team functioning.


• Coordinate leadership, complex case, OR scheduler, MBSAQIP, SAR/adverse-event, MBSC, and other ABSP projects, activities, and meetings.


• Coordinate the planning, development, and implementation of new or changed administrative policies and procedures.

Accreditation, Compliance, and Site Visit Readiness

• Manage accreditation workflows and continuous compliance with MBSAQIP requirements, including policies, procedures, standards, and required documentation.


• Review policies and procedures at designated intervals, coordinate revisions, and route new or updated materials through the MBS Committee approval process.


• Complete or coordinate Annual Compliance Reports and the triennial MBSAQIP Pre-Review Questionnaire, including collection and submission of supporting documentation.


• Facilitate annual comprehensive MBSAQIP meetings, including invitees, materials, presentations, minutes, and official documentation.


• Lead annual site-visit readiness, including standards verification, documentation assembly, QI summaries, prep meetings, and surveyor communication.

Patient Pathway, Multidisciplinary Review, and Complex Case Coordination

• Coordinate multidisciplinary patient review, including readiness and referral review support, insurance and requirement clarification, complex case identification, and escalation to appropriate clinical or operational team members.


• Coordinate complex case review logistics, including shared documentation, meeting notes, official records, and care team communication.


• Support standardized perioperative care pathways and patient education on indications, procedure options, outcomes, risks, benefits, alternatives, diet, exercise, supplementation, lifestyle changes, discharge expectations, follow-up, medications, and warning signs of complications.


• Review and update patient education documents, discharge education, website content, informational meeting materials, and MiChart templates; obtain MBS Committee review at least annually.


• Coordinate payer, insurance, access, and pathway issues with surgeons, clinical team members, patient services associates, and other stakeholders.

Protocols, Education, and Staff Training

• Develop, document, implement, and revise protocols; communicate changes to the bariatric team and affected stakeholders and reassess implementation.


• Support protocols and education that help teams recognize bariatric complications, respond to critical findings, and minimize delays in diagnosis and treatment of serious adverse events.


• Ensure completion and documentation of initial and annual training for staff interacting with MBS patients.


• Create and maintain learning-platform materials; provide in-person education when requested or indicated.


• Support onboarding and education for Weight Navigation Program providers, obesity medicine physicians, medical student rotations, MEND fellows, shadowing learners, and related trainees.


• Serve as liaison for neuropsychology coordination, including regular touchpoints and protocol review or revision.

Quality Improvement, Outcomes, and Data Management

• Ensure outcomes data collection compliance and support QI efforts for all metabolic and bariatric surgery performed at Michigan Medicine.


• With the MBS Director, MBS Committee, and physician team, champion at least one annual QI project using reliable data collection and evaluation methods.


• Define the annual QI focus, review baseline data, perform root cause analysis, identify stakeholders, implement PDCA cycles, reassess performance, and implement countermeasures.


• Review MBSAQIP risk-adjusted and non-risk-adjusted outcomes, MBSC outcomes and scorecards, coordinator feedback, and BCBS-related submissions to identify priorities and implement recommendations.


• Consistently communicate with the clinical reviewer/data abstractor to discuss findings, assure timely data submission, and elevate needed protocol or pathway changes.


• Compile documentation showing how the facility measured, evaluated, and improved performance.

Operational Communication, Access, and Outreach

• Coordinate communication among inpatient and outpatient stakeholders, including APPs when applicable, dietitians, residents, PSAs, physicians, preoperative clinic, neuropsychology, MEND, inpatient units, endoscopy/MPU, ICUs, emergency departments, MiChart, Cornerstone, and related teams.


• Support call center and front desk workflows by answering questions, assisting with referral review, and communicating insurance or template updates.


• Serve as the primary contact and content expert for Patient Relations and Risk Management concerns and coordinate appropriate team and patient communication.


• Participate in GEMBA walks, schedule walks as needed, follow up on outstanding issues, and communicate updates to stakeholders.


• Assist with institution-wide communication of bariatric policies, safe adoption of emerging technologies and procedures, outcomes reporting, marketing, outreach, and events.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience in a related field


• Three or more years of experience successfully managing programs, initiatives, or projects in a complex organizational setting.


• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple accreditations, operational, education, and communication workstreams.


• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with faculty, staff, trainees, patients, and external partners.


• Ability to synthesize complex clinical, operational, and regulatory information into clear protocols, education materials, documentation, and communications.

Desired Qualifications*

• Registered Nurse or Registered Dietician


• Experience with MBSAQIP, MBSC, bariatric surgery, surgical quality programs, accreditation readiness, patient pathway redesign, or multidisciplinary clinical program coordination.


• 3-5 years of experience in complex coordination, health care operations, quality improvement, accreditation, or senior-level project management.


• Experience with MiChart templates, Cornerstone or similar learning-management systems, data registries, quality dashboards, meeting facilitation, PDCA, root cause analysis, clinical pathways, patient education, or adverse event review.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Background Screening

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings. Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.