Innovator Agent

State of Oregon • Salem, OR

13d • $7,537 - $11,098 • Hybrid

About The Position

SB 1580 required the Oregon Health Authority to assign an Innovator Agent (IA) to each Coordinated Care Organization (CCO). IA’s have worked with CCO’s since 2012. Since beginning the second phase of innovation with CCO 2.0 in 2020, they are advancing local work with CCO’s with a focus on health equity, Tribal relationships, mental health and substance use delivery services through our behavioral health system, integrating health and social determinates of health work, and emerging statewide initiatives such as Oregon’s new 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver. By having IAs in local communities throughout Oregon, the OHA assures that local voice, via a broad variety of partners, is elevated and captured to affect statewide policy and legislation, incorporating local understanding, engagement and implementation across a variety of communities. Innovator Agents understand the health needs of the region, the strengths and gaps of the health resources in the CCO and articulate these needs and gaps to OHA to ensure statewide and local policy and legislation development, systems change and coordination. They look at best practices and strategies for health care transformation in Oregon and nationally and support uptake and innovation of these practices on the local level through policy and practice research and implementation, advancing equity-based local decision making and facilitation of cross-agency and cross- partner efforts. They prioritize elevating Oregon Health Plan member voice within CCO’s operations and, within the OHA, connecting OHA to better understand local community strengths, needs, and gaps and linking CCO – OHA – and community initiatives. IA’s act as quasi local experts in the communities where the CCO they work with are located. They use relationships to connect OHA, local community organizations, and the CCO’s they work with and ensure coordination across these groups. They help good news travel faster by sharing innovation and successful practices with other CCO’s, with the OHA, and with national audiences. They play a key role in leading OHA’s strategic priority of eliminating health inequalities by taking this statewide priority and working with CCO’s and local communities to translate statewide priorities to local adaptation and implementation. In particular they elevate and ensure that communities in Oregon who face health inequalities because of their race, ethnicity, language, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, intersections among these communities or identities, or other socially determined circumstances are engaged in CCO and community health work. Innovator Agent positions are field-base and regional, tied to specific CCO regions and require extensive travel through the regions assigned. This position is actively recruiting for candidates living/working and with experience in the Innovator Agent For Central Willamette Valley, and Central Oregon Coast communities.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's Degree in Business or Public Administration, Behavioral or Social Sciences, Finance, Political Science or any degree demonstrating the capacity for the knowledge and skills; and five years professional-level evaluative, analytical and planning work.
• Any combination of experience and education equivalent to eight years of experience that typically supports the knowledge and skills for the classification.

Nice To Haves

• Spanish-English Bilingual Communication – Demonstrated ability to communicate professionally in both Spanish and English, including speaking, reading, and writing, and experience using bilingual skills to serve or engage Spanish-speaking communities.
• Health Equity Experience – Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, or supporting programs, policies, services, or initiatives designed to advance health equity or reduce disparities among underserved or historically marginalized populations.
• Medicaid or Health Care System Knowledge – Demonstrated knowledge or professional experience with Medicaid, the Oregon Health Plan, coordinated care, health care delivery systems, behavioral health, public health, or related health care programs.
• Community & Stakeholder Engagement – Demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with community organizations, health care organizations, government agencies, CCOs, local governments, Tribal partners, or other external stakeholders.
• Policy Analysis & Development – Demonstrated experience researching, analyzing, interpreting, developing, or implementing public policy, legislation, regulations, programs, or organizational policies.
• Cross-System Collaboration – Demonstrated experience bringing together multiple organizations, programs, or stakeholder groups to address complex issues, resolve differences, develop shared solutions, or achieve a common goal.
• Strategic Problem Solving – Demonstrated ability to analyze complex or ambiguous issues, identify barriers or opportunities, evaluate potential solutions, and develop recommendations or action plans for leadership or decision-makers.
• Regional Engagement & Travel – Demonstrated ability to work independently across multiple communities and organizations, manage a regional workload, and travel weekly throughout the Central Willamette Valley and Central Oregon Coast to conduct meetings, outreach, and stakeholder engagement.
• Public Health Experience – Demonstrated professional experience working in public health, including experience with public health programs, services, initiatives, systems, policy, community health, population health, disease prevention, health promotion, or other public health-related work.

Responsibilities

• Understand the health needs of the region, the strengths and gaps of the health resources in the CCO and articulate these needs and gaps to OHA to ensure statewide and local policy and legislation development, systems change and coordination.
• Look at best practices and strategies for health care transformation in Oregon and nationally and support uptake and innovation of these practices on the local level through policy and practice research and implementation, advancing equity-based local decision making and facilitation of cross-agency and cross- partner efforts.
• Prioritize elevating Oregon Health Plan member voice within CCO’s operations and, within the OHA, connecting OHA to better understand local community strengths, needs, and gaps and linking CCO – OHA – and community initiatives.
• Act as quasi local experts in the communities where the CCO they work with are located.
• Use relationships to connect OHA, local community organizations, and the CCO’s they work with and ensure coordination across these groups.
• Share innovation and successful practices with other CCO’s, with the OHA, and with national audiences.
• Play a key role in leading OHA’s strategic priority of eliminating health inequalities by taking this statewide priority and working with CCO’s and local communities to translate statewide priorities to local adaptation and implementation.
• Elevate and ensure that communities in Oregon who face health inequalities because of their race, ethnicity, language, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, intersections among these communities or identities, or other socially determined circumstances are engaged in CCO and community health work.
• Conduct meetings, outreach, and stakeholder engagement.

Benefits

• Excellent, low-cost medical, vision, and dental coverage for you and your family.
• Optional benefits like life insurance, disability coverage, deferred compensation, and FSA options for health and childcare.
• Generous paid time off: 11 holidays, 3 personal days, monthly sick leave, and vacation accrual starting at 8 hours/month.
• Potential eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
• Retirement security through Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)/Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP).
• Training and development opportunities to grow your career with the State of Oregon.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level