Quality Data Analyst

TX-HHSC-DSHS-DFPS•Austin, TX

3d•$5,425 - $8,866•Hybrid

About The Position

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) Medicaid CHIP Services (MCS) department seeks a highly qualified candidate to fill the position of Quality Data Analyst (Data Analyst IV). MCS is driven by its mission to deliver quality, cost-effective services to Texans. This position makes a significant contribution to MCS’s mission by supporting effective quality oversight of Managed Care Organizations (MCOs), hospitals, and other providers. The Quality Data Analyst reports to the Senior Data Analyst in the office of Value-Based Initiatives (VBI) within the MCS Quality Data Analytics and Reporting (QDAR) department. This office advances agency efforts to transition Medicaid to a value-based system offering better care, smarter spending, and healthier people and communities. The position serves as an integral analytical partner to program staff, helping to translate programmatic and business questions and needs into analytical frameworks and actionable findings that advance Medicaid and CHIP program operations and quality improvement. Working in consultation with the Senior Quality Data Analyst, VBI Manager, and with other agency staff, the position develops research questions and data analysis plans, identifies appropriate data systems and tools for carrying out the analyses, creates targeted queries, tests and validates results, interprets results/findings, displays results in tabular and graphical formats, and presents work verbally and in written and published formats. The ideal candidate will have experience gathering, tracking and reporting performance data; analyzing data to identify patterns and forecast performance; assessing data quality and suitability for use in analytics; and identifying gaps, errors, and inconsistencies using data analysis best practices. The position also conducts secondary analyses on quality and utilization data from the state’s External Quality Review Organization (EQRO) and other sources, performs reviews of current literature on analytic methods and health care quality improvement, and coordinates analytic projects through HHSC’s data use authorization processes. In addition, this position involves considerable writing tasks, including legislative reports and presentations for executive leadership. The ideal candidate thrives in an environment emphasizing: teamwork across program, policy and data to achieve goals, excellence through high professional standards, maintaining positive internal and external stakeholder relationships, the ability to explain analytical findings to non-technical program audiences, personal accountability, curiosity about how Medicaid and CHIP programs work and not just the data behind them, and use of critical thinking and independent judgement for effective execution of job duties.

Requirements

Two years’ experience in data analysis, research, compilation, and reporting.
Knowledge of Medicaid and CHIP program operations, managed care structures, or health and human services policy.
Knowledge of scientific research methods, statistical techniques, mathematics, geographical concepts, and their application to data analytics
Knowledge of patient level health and demographic data (e.g., Census, Vital Records, Medicaid, and related data)
Knowledge of data privacy, security, and transmission laws, standards, policies, and practices, particularly for sensitive healthcare information
Knowledge of health care quality improvement, performance measurement, and evaluation techniques
Skill in translating program and business requirements into analytical questions, data models, and reporting solutions
Skill in using ACCESS, SQL, Business Objects or other database management or query software
Skill in using EXCEL or other spreadsheet software
Skill in Python, SAS or related computer programming language for exploratory data analysis, data manipulation, and data clean up
Skill in graphical, tabular, and geographical presentation of data
Skill in data visualization software such as Tableau or Power BI
Skill in delivering verbal and written communications, including report writing and communicating complex data concepts to a variety of audiences
Ability to work collaboratively across MCS to accomplish objectives
Ability to implement creative solutions to problems with keen attention to detail
Ability to balance team and individual responsibilities
Ability to manage, manipulate, and analyze complex data sets
Ability to plan, organize, and conduct data analytic projects
Ability to develop and interpret statistical data charts, maps, and tables
Ability to interpret and publish analytic findings
Ability to maintain detailed and organized documentation of data and other projects
Ability to work in a team and communicate analytical findings to technical and non-technical program and policy audiences in clear, actionable terms
Ability to show initiative and independent judgment

Nice To Haves

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in data science, business analytics, computer science, computer information systems, management information systems, accounting, finance, mathematics, statistics, economics, healthcare/public health, or a related field is generally preferred.
Experience with Medicaid, CHIP, managed care, or other health and human services program data is strongly preferred.
Experience working alongside program or policy staff to translate business needs into analytical products is also preferred.

Responsibilities

Identifies research questions and data sources, develops data analysis plans, and complies with requirements and processes for the authorized use of agency data resources. Communicates project methodologies, processes, and timelines and identifies potential risks and difficulties.
Creates data queries and data extraction methods, compiles and cleans data, validates analytic results, displays results in tabular and graphical formats, interprets results of analyses, proactively identifies emerging data trends, translates findings into programmatic recommendations.
Performs research and develops technical and non-technical reports, summaries, and presentation materials for a variety of audiences, including agency leadership. Analyzes state and federal legislation and rules, agency policies, and program procedures for downstream effects on data and data analyses. This work may include researching similar policies or legislation from other states to see what occurred elsewhere or researching how past changes have affected HHSC programs.
Performs reviews of current literature on analytic methods and health care quality improvement. Conducts analyses using data from other analytic projects and from a variety of sources, including claims and clinical data from regional health information exchanges.
Demonstrates commitment to the values of MCS and HHSC, including showing initiative to take on new projects, being team-oriented, and providing outstanding customer service. Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees
A defined benefit pension plan
Generous time off benefits
Numerous opportunities for career advancement
Excellent health benefits
Lifetime monthly retirement annuity
Generous time off benefits
Leadership commitment to invest in and foster your professional growth or knowledge of the Texas Medicaid program and your career advancement.
Having a profound impact on the lives of thousands of Medicaid clients that depend on Medicaid services throughout Texas.
Being on the ground level of healthcare quality implementation, including the opportunity to work closely with stakeholders such as federal partners, providers, advocates, managed care organizations, and other healthcare contractors.
Being part of a team at the forefront of interpreting, implementing, and developing quality initiatives that have a statewide impact.
The opportunity to learn and engage with multiple domains of the healthcare delivery system, including managed care, fee-for-service, federal/state Medicaid partnerships and other activities related to the administration of the Medicaid program.