Senior Practice Advocate (FT) – Northwest Physicians Network – Everett, WA

Senior Practice Advocate

Northwest Physicians Network is now offering qualified candidates an opportunity to join our team as a Senior Practice Advocate. Our company values innovative problem solvers promote personal and professional growth and provides a supportive working environment that affords all of its employees a healthy work/life balance.

This position is responsible for engaging and supporting the relationship with Northwest Physicians Network (NPN) providers and practice staff who are valuable Network partners. Drives Network performance in population health and managed care (including quality, care management, and utilization “total cost of care” management) with the ultimate goal of improving patient care and provider experience. Serves as a change agent to drive performance on key metrics and leading indicators, proactively utilizing data/analytics as well as firsthand knowledge procured from strong relationships with Network practices.

The Senior Practice Advocate is viewed as a leader and subject matter expert within the Engagement team on network operations and driving performance and works with larger, more complex Network partners. Senior Practice Advocate strives to bring consistency and experience to Practice Advocates and takes leadership in developing pilots and workflows for new Engagement services. Will act as an internal resource as a mentor assisting with the onboarding and development of new employee teammates including other practice advocates.

Northwest Physicians Network creates the opportunity for independent private practitioners to thrive in Washington State. By providing clinical integration support and data driven quality improvement, we have created a high value delivery network, making it possible for our providers to remain focused squarely on their patients.

Status: Regular,Full-time, FLSA Exempt

Competitive Benefits

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Primary Scope

• Serves as a single-point-of-contact and relationship owner to the IPA Network practices; is an accountable owner who is responsive to Network provider and practice needs
• Builds continuous and collaborative relationships with NPN providers and their practice staff
• Advocate uses data to identify trends and opportunities for the business and clients; develops business strategies in line with company strategic initiatives and presents information for operational and business planning
• The Sr. Practice Advocate is paired with a Network Medical Director clinical dyad partner. Dyad is responsible for partnering with Network practices to implement individualized performance strategy initiatives and goals for region of responsibility. Monitors progress, intervenes, and escalates issues or concerns as appropriate
• Co-leads regular joint operating committee (“JOC”) meetings with large medical groups. Provides executive level summaries, education, and action plans to identify performance opportunities on population health KPIs
• Works collaboratively with the Network Development team to onboard new practices and integrate them into daily operations
• Facilitates practice engagement in the following areas:
• Action plans for risk adjustment and clinical quality performance improvement
• Shifting providers from a fee-for-service focus to value-based models of care
• Education of utilization and care management initiatives
• Submission of patient documentation
• Compliance education
• Troubleshooting of claims and prior authorization issues
• Adheres to a scheduled cadence for touchpoints and ensures that agreed upon agenda is followed and action items are documented and tracked including:
• Minimum of once a quarter touch points with Network practices to include discussions on performance reporting with practice staff and/or providers
• Facilitation, including the compilation of presentation materials and scheduling, for quarterly Joint Operating Committees (JOCs)
• Works closely with all functional areas within NPN to deliver clear communications, education, and exemplary service to the NPN Network practices
• Works across all functional areas to appropriately research, triage, and escalate complex queries from clinics in need of increased attention to reach a point of resolution
• Represents NPN at community and other provider meetings
• Regularly collects and reports feedback and recommendations from practices regarding potential opportunities
• Maintains awareness of providers interested in further engagement with NPN for new business opportunities, including market insights that would impact the Network and NPN
• Maintains, utilizes, protects, and discloses NPN patient’s protected health information (PHI) only in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) standards
• Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong business acumen, analytical, critical thinking, and persuasion skills
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to maintain collaborative working relationships at all levels of the organization required
• Ability to prioritize and organize work to meet multiple deadlines and quickly re-prioritize when necessary
• Ability to work independently, use good judgment and decision-making process
• Ability to resolve problems to completion and evaluate options to implement solutions. Proactive approach to identify issues and determining root cause/s so issues can be resolved timely and completely
• Ability to document, track, triage, and follow and/or close issues in a timely manner. Expected response time is within one (1) business day for provider issues to include updating providers and their office staff regularly until resolution
• Ability to work effectively under deadlines, frequent interruptions, and changing priorities
• Travel 50% of the time to geographic region of responsibility
• Ability to adopt quickly to change in an ever-changing environment
• General knowledge of Medicare and Medicaid risk-based contracts
• Risk adjustment experience strongly recommended
• Strong work ethic and desire to succeed
• Ability to sit down with medical groups of all sizes and develop joint action/work plans
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; experience giving group presentations/training
• Ability to judge appropriate information to be conveyed to different levels of management
• Promote a positive “can do” attitude which inspires other team members
• Excellent computer skills, including MS Office Suite and data analysis with the ability to learn and apply new software
• Ability to work accurately with detail
• Ability to obtain and retain knowledge of cross-functional resources within the organization

Minimum Requirements:

• 
  Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field or equivalent work experience preferred (Master’s degree preferred)
• 
  Experience: Minimum of 3 years working directly within a Health Care and/or Managed Health Care (HMO) field, including provider relations or related experience in a physician’s practice or clinic environment, and quality improvement
• 
  Certification/License:Current driver’s license

Careers with Optum. Here’s the idea. We built an entire organization around one giant objective; make health care work better for everyone. Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group family of businesses, brings together some of the greatest minds and most advanced ideas on where health care has to go in order to reach its fullest potential. For you, that means working on high performance teams against sophisticated challenges that matter. Here you’ll find incredible ideas in one incredible company and a singular opportunity to do your life’s best work.(SM)

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: Optum and its affiliated medical practices are Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Optum and its affiliated medical practices is a drug-free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.