Government Programs Clinical Quality & HEDIS Specialist

Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position will have split responsibility between HEDIS abstraction and quality work and member/provider engagement to improve overall quality performance. The individual will be responsible for conducting telephonic care coordination for members by identifying opportunities for intervention, including preventative care screenings, disease state management, appropriate medication use, and other key health care needs. This position will access appropriate health-related services and work closely with members, pharmacies, and physicians to help ensure that members have comprehensive and coordinated care to improve clinical government program quality and performance. The specialist will also be responsible for extensive knowledge of HEDIS measures to facilitate abstraction of medical records to allow for gap closure and additional data gathering.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Health Science, Public Health, Psychology, Social Work, Health Administration, or other healthcare related field. In lieu of degree, five (5) years' related experience will be considered. Likewise, an associate degree in one of the above fields can be used in conjunction with an additional two (2) years' related experience to meet the Education requirement.
Valid Driver’s License
Must successfully pass the Inter-Rater Reliability (IRR) test within 90 days of hire and/or assignment into the position.
Minimum three (3) years' work experience in one of the following: Direct patient care, social work, quality improvement or health coaching, preferably in a managed care environment OR Clinical, healthcare service quality improvement, or health data analytics, preferably involving Stars/HEDIS® and/or medical record review audit.
Minimum one (1) year of experience in Medicare Advantage required.
Experience working directly with patients required.
Knowledge of and ability to work within a complex health care system including advocating for member needs while balancing organization needs.
Understand needs of culturally diverse populations including ability to evaluate for literacy and literacy needs.
Must achieve passing score of 95% to align with auditor requirements for passing of IRR test. If, following training and re-test, the employee fails to pass after a second attempt, the employee will be subject to disciplinary action per the terms of the Performance Standards Manual requirements.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills interacting with individuals internally and externally.
Strong independent, critical thinking skills to understand individual and operational problems and identifying appropriate solution(s).
Strong interpersonal, presentation, problem-solving and organizational skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Ability to travel, as necessary, within the designated service area required.
Ability to protect confidential healthcare information and comply with applicable laws, policies, rules and regulations required.
Ability to work independently in Microsoft Office applications with little to no training required.
Ability to demonstrate/express empathy and compassion verbally/telephonically.
Ability to assess needs and design, develop, and implement goal-oriented care plans.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
Ability to identify basic problems and procedural irregularities, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Nice To Haves

An active licensure or certification in one of the following is preferred: Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Licensed Baccalaureate Social Worker (LBSW), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPht).
Certified Professional Coder (CPC) preferred, but not required.
Experience as a health navigator, patient navigator, patient advocate, care advocate, or health coach strongly preferred.
Experience working closely with and/or advocating for individuals who are culturally diverse and/or in positions of lower socioeconomic status preferred.
Strong understanding of HEDIS measures and technical specifications preferred.
Demonstrate skills and experience in the field of medical records abstractions, claims coding, education, and training preferred.
Bilingual a plus.

Responsibilities

Assists in creating member and practitioner educational materials related to quality management activities and program information.
Assists in the implementation of new or ongoing quality improvement initiatives.
Builds strong relationships and serves as an effective liaison and advocate between members, network providers, city and/or county health departments and community service organizations.
Conducts an in-depth review (retrieval, abstraction, and overread) of clinical medical record documentation for support of HEDIS® audit activities as well as quality gap provider initiative programs ensuring accuracy & compliancy with CMS guidelines for quality initiatives.
Develops work and progress plans for members based upon interactions and insights gained.
Helps members schedule needed appointments for care and helps members navigate the complex healthcare delivery system.
Identifies and triages to appropriate health care resources, care coordination, assistance with medical care questions, and resolution of barriers that may prevent effective use of health care resources.
Measures, analysis, and reports on HEDIS® quality initiative results; collaborating to create necessary tools to capture & report relevant information in identifying member/provider quality gap trends.
Other activities and projects as directed by the Clinical Quality & HEIDS Leadership team.
Performs telephonic outreach and health coaching to members and families for medication adherence or preventive care (e.g., BCS/COL) reminders/reinforcement and other Stars measures to improve overall member experience and ensure barriers to care are removed.
Responsible for assessing and evaluating the member’s need for services and guiding members toward maintaining optimal wellness and care through use of motivational interviewing techniques and advocacy.
Supports provider outreach initiatives (e.g., sending out gap reports, chasing medical records).
Works directly with other Stars Member Outreach Specialists, Stars Improvement Nurses, and health plan staff to monitor the gap closures and improvement activities.