Quality Improvement Associate

Damian Family Care Centers, Inc.; Northern, New York (KY, NY); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Damian Family Care Centers, Inc. seeks a QI Associate to support quality improvement initiatives, regulatory compliance, and data analysis across the organization. You will coordinate transition care management outreach, gaps in care, and contract tracking with multidisciplinary teams.

The role emphasizes HRSA requirements, performance monitoring, and health equity, with administrative support and collaboration in audits and process improvement efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Nursing, or related field preferred.
• Associate degree with relevant healthcare quality experience may be considered (2+ years).
• Experience in FQHC or ambulatory care settings preferred.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with data interpretation.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; ability to manage multiple deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Post-Discharge Outreach: contact patients within 24–48 hours of discharge.
• Schedule post-discharge follow-up appointments within the TCM billing windows (7 or 14 days).
• Confirm discharge summaries and medication changes; escalate urgent issues to nursing/triage teams.
• Identify patients due for routine screenings via population health dashboards.
• Outbound calling and portal messaging to update preventive care metrics.
• Coordinate managed care rosters for new patient visits.
• Collect, validate, and summarize healthcare data.
• Manage contract and referral agreement inventory; track renewals.
• Prepare for audits and regulatory surveys; support accreditation processes.
• Support workflow improvements to improve safety, timeliness, equity.
• Provide administrative support: schedule meetings, minutes, documents.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Nursing, or related field

Associate degree with relevant healthcare quality experience

Tools

Excel

EHR systems

Reporting systems

Job description

Description

Overview:

The Quality Improvement (QI) Associate supports Damian Family Care Centers' mission by assisting with quality improvement initiatives, regulatory compliance, data analysis, transition care management, referral coordination, and administrative functions. This position plays a key role in monitoring organizational performance, supporting HRSA and other regulatory requirements, coordinating community partnerships, and facilitating quality improvement activities across the organization.

The QI Associate collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to improve clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience, and compliance while supporting Damian's commitment to continuous quality improvement and health equity.

Essential Job Duties

Transition Care Management (TCM) Outreach

• Post-Discharge Outreach: Monitor discharge logs and proactively contact patients within 24 to 48 hours of their release from an inpatient facility (hospital, rehab, or skilled nursing).
• Appointment Booking: Schedule mandatory post-discharge follow-up appointments with the primary care provider within the required TCM billing windows (7 or 14 days).
• Care Liaison: Confirm patients have their discharge summaries, understand their medication changes, and escalation any immediate clinical red flags to the nursing or triage team

Gaps in Care & Preventative Outreach

• Quality Metrics Outreach: Utilize population health dashboards to identify patients due for routine screenings, immunizations, or chronic disease check-ups (e.g., A1c checks, mammograms, colonoscopies, wellness visits).
• Proactive Scheduling: Conduct outbound calling and portal messaging campaigns to bring patients up to date on their preventative care metrics.
• Utilize Managed Care patient roster to outreach attributed lives who are not yet Damian patients, and schedule them for new patient visits.

Data Tracking & Reporting

• Collects, validates, and summarizes healthcare data, as assigned by supervisor, i.e. patient satisfaction data, referral coordination data.

Manage Contracts and Agreements Inventory

• Manage all contract and referral agreement inventory and track renewal and expiration dates

Compliance & Accreditation

• Develop, update and maintain inventory of all forms utilized in the organization
• Helps prepare for any assigned audits and regulatory surveys

Process Improvement

• Supports multidisciplinary teams to implement workflow interventions and improve quality domains like safety, timeliness, and equity

Administrative Support

• Schedules meetings, prepares agenda and minutes, and manages any special project documentation.
• Attends assigned meetings in person, as needed by supervisor

Non-Essential Job Duties

• Demonstrate professionalism, courtesy, cultural sensitivity, and excellent customer service at all times.
• Support organizational initiatives that improve patient outcomes and patient satisfaction.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support patient care and organizational operations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Nursing, Business Administration, Health Information Management, or a related field preferred.
• Associate degree with relevant healthcare quality experience may be considered with a minimum of two (2) years of related healthcare administrative experience.
• Experience in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), community health center, hospital, or ambulatory care setting preferred.
• Experience with quality reporting, healthcare data analysis, or regulatory compliance strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of healthcare quality improvement principles and performance improvement methodologies.
• Understanding of HRSA Health Center Program requirements and quality reporting preferred.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills with the ability to interpret data and prepare reports.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize multiple assignments while meeting deadlines.
• Strong customer service and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Experience working with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and reporting systems preferred.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.

Physical & Work Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential function

• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through electronic communication.
• Work is performed in a healthcare and office environment with occasional community-based visits.
• Frequent interaction with patients experiencing complex medical, behavioral health, and socioeconomic challenges.