Performance Improvement Specialist

Children's Wisconsin; United States; Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Children's Wisconsin is seeking a Process Improvement Specialist to lead quality and process improvement initiatives that enhance patient care, operational performance, and organizational effectiveness. The role supports the Herma Heart Institute and collaborates across the Forward Pediatric Alliance to advance quality improvement efforts.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree and 2+ years leading quality projects, with preferred healthcare experience and Lean/Six Sigma training.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 2+ years leading quality/process improvement projects.
• Healthcare experience preferred; leadership in quality improvement.
• Training in large-scale change, coaching, and internal consulting preferred.
• Leadership experience with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead system-wide quality and process improvement initiatives to enhance patient care and operations.
• Mentor Performance Improvement Specialists.
• Develop tactical plans and goals to support innovation.
• Conduct needs analyses, identify data sources, and monitor process effectiveness.
• Provide facilitation and root cause analysis to improve outcomes.
• Apply quality improvement tools and systems thinking to projects.
• Establish metrics and analyze current state to improve workflows.
• Lead micro and meso system level projects.

Skills

Quality improvement

Process improvement

Leadership

Data analysis

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

CPHQ

PMP

Job description

At Children's Wisconsin, we believe kids deserve the best. Children's Wisconsin is a nationally recognized health system dedicated solely to the health and well‑being of children. We provide primary care, specialty care, urgent care, emergency care, community health services, foster and adoption services, child and family counseling, child advocacy services and family resource centers. Our reputation draws patients and families from around the country. We offer a wide variety of rewarding career opportunities and are seeking individuals dedicated to helping us achieve our vision of the healthiest kids in the country.

Children's Wisconsin is seeking a Process Improvement Specialist to lead quality and process improvement initiatives that enhance patient care, operational performance, and organizational effectiveness. This role will support the ongoing quality and continuous improvement needs of the Herma Heart Institute, helping to drive sustainable outcomes and operational excellence. The position will also collaborate with teams across the Forward Pediatric Alliance to advance quality improvement efforts and achieve strategic goals.

Location: Hybrid

Job Summary

Provides global customer/business support across the system in the following areas: operational analysis, performance improvement, work process design/redesign, clinical care optimization, patient safety and other organizational improvement activities. Maintains a portfolio of system level improvement projects as well as other related local operational improvement activities.

Essential Functions

• Dedicated to providing system wide common systems, seeks to reduce variation in organizational processes.
• Directly involved in improving methodology, tools and curriculum used in process improvement projects throughout the system.
• Analyzes existing flow of people, activities, materials, etc and will perform studies as needed to determine capacities, workloads, and staffing needs.
• Participates in development of tactical plans and goals to support innovation
• Mentors Performance Improvement Specialists.
• Functions as an organizational change consultant and provides strategies to successfully impact overall effectiveness of improvement initiatives.
• Leads micro and meso system level projects and teams.
• Participates on meso/macro system level projects and teams.
• Conducts needs analysis, determines areas for improvement, and identifies key sources of data to support change proposals and monitor the effectiveness of processes in place.
• Provides facilitation, data and/or root cause analysis to improve clinical outcomes, patient safety or process efficiencies
• Uses quality improvement tools and understands systems thinking, statistical process control, and project management
• Insures establishment of metrics, provides analysis of current state and recommends enhancements for workflows.

Legacy Essential Functions

• Prepares reports synthesizing analytical results using appropriate visualization tools (i.e. histograms, run charts, statistical control charts as appropriate).
• Maintains knowledge of organizational change methodology and ability to provide direction on change.
• Partners and collaborates on projects with other members of the Quality staff and performs other duties as assigned.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field

Required Experience

• 2+ years experience in leading or primary resource for Quality/Process Improvement projects Required
• Previous healthcare and/or clinical/cardiac experience Preferred
• Demonstrated experience and leadership in quality improvement principles and/or projects Required
• Training in large scale change, coaching, and internal consulting Preferred
• Leadership experience and interpersonal skills managing and collaborating with cross functional work teams Required

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge and demonstration of improvement methodologies such as Model for Improvement, PDSA, FMEA.
• Ability to improve work processes through the use of statistical/analytical metrics.
• Strong communication, presentation, facilitation, and meeting management skills.
• Independent judgment, analytic ability to problem solve, formulate reports, perform statistical analysis, and interpret data.
• Demonstrated ability to be a change agent.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver projects on time and with approved outcome
• Demonstrated knowledge in use of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint i.e. pivot tables, macros etc.
• Lean, Six Sigma, or Advanced IHI Model for Improvement within one year of hire/promotion

Licenses and Certifications

• PMP-Project Management Professional - Project Management Institute preferred
• CPHQ-Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality - Healthcare Quality Certification Commission preferred

Children's Wisconsin is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for all employees. We treat everyone with dignity, respect, and fairness. We do not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status or condition protected by the law.

Certifications/Licenses: CPHQ-Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality - Healthcare Quality Certification Commission, PMP-Project Management Professional - Project Management Institute

Dedicated solely to the health and well‑being of children

We are the region's only independent healthcare system dedicated solely to the health and well‑being of children. In Milwaukee and throughout the state, we provide kids and their families a wide range of care and support - everything from routine care for ear aches or sore throats to life saving advances and treatment options.

Our academic partner, The Medical College of Wisconsin, brings many of the nation's most well-respected doctors to our team. Together we work to ensure that every child and family we serve receives nothing but the best.

Learn more about our affiliation with the Medical College of Wisconsin and the power of academic medicine.