Healthcare Statistical Analyst III

Service Line: Federal/State & Corporate Services/Surveys, Research & Analysis
Status: Exempt

POSITION SUMMARY
As part of the Measures Manager Team, the Healthcare Statistical Analyst III helps support the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the policy level on health care quality measurement projects, and is responsible for managing the extraction, compilation, analysis, and interpretation of complex health care and clinical quality measure data. This individual acquires, prepares, and analyzes data from a variety of sources. This individual also helps develop analytic plans, conclusions, and reports. Assigned projects assist the Measures Manager Team on a variety of activities that are part of new national quality initiatives to be implemented under the Affordable Care Act. These include supporting CMS in its work of prioritizing and planning quality measure activities, assessing measure impact, and developing policies that address emerging quality measurement issues.

OVERALL SHORT DESCRIPTION
Under limited supervision, the Healthcare Statistical Analyst III conducts accurate and verified descriptive and statistical analyses of trends and the impact of quality measurement results. Responsibilities also include validating results from other analysts, and preparing reports. The Measures Manager Team is responsible for implementing, maintaining, and enhancing a set of standardized processes for the development and maintenance of quality measures. As a part of this Team, the Healthcare Statistical Analyst III is responsible for maintaining up-to-date knowledge and understanding of all data types that support quality measures and maintaining proficiency in statistical and data analytic issues related to measure development, implementation, and evaluation. This position takes lead responsibility for analytic projects as assigned.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Maintains up-to-date knowledge on various statistical issues and statistical programming methodology related to quality measurement.
2. Evaluates quality measures with complex statistical calculations to provide sound solutions for assessing the impact of quality measures upon health care.
3. Applies advanced programming skills to analytic problems using software such as SAS, S-Plus, SPSS, or STATA.
4. Validates, cleans, manipulates, and imports complex data from multiple sources to create and manage integrated analytic datasets.
5. Documents data sources, data preparation, and analytical methods to support both quality assurance and replication of analyses.
6. Prepares technical reports and presents findings.
7. Identifies analytical and methodological problems and develops solutions.
8. Maintains up-to-date, comprehensive knowledge of the advances in quality measurement methodology and new developments in measurement policies and national quality measurement initiatives.
9. Participates in maintaining a constantly updated inventory of quality measures to meet CMS needs.
10. Upon request, performs critical review and synthesis of health care literature related to quality measurement.
11. Provides timely accurate consultation and technical assistance to CMS and measure contractors on a regular basis regarding the processes and decision criteria of the Measures Management System (MMS).
12. Ensures timeliness, completeness, accuracy, and quality of work products.
13. Works collegially with the Team, including assisting them in their work of providing technical support to measure contractors, other measure organizations, and CMS.
14. Conducts research on clinical, program policy, and other issues related to measures development and the operations of the MMS.
15. Assesses current measure development, implementation, and reevaluation processes of CMS and measure developers and evaluates these customers' barriers and best practices in implementing the MMS. Based upon the evaluation findings, works with the project team to recommend appropriate interventions to make the CMS MMS measurement processes aligned, efficient, and effective. Updates assigned sections of the MMS.
16. Participates in ongoing continuous improvement of the quality and efficiency of MMS products and services.
17. Provides excellent customer service with timely, accurate, and courteous response to all customers of the Measures Management Special Project.

ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountable for the timeliness, completeness, accuracy, and quality of all assigned functions and tasks.

WORK CONDITIONS

Office/Administrative Work. In this position, the employee is not exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS/COMPETENCIES

1. Ability to understand the elements of development, data collection, calculation, and reporting for health care quality measurement. Specifically, the ability to conduct complex analysis and evaluation of statistical issues related to quality measures.
2. Ability to communicate detailed ideas and instructions clearly and competently to staff and members of the health care quality measurement community by written or spoken word.
3. Ability to explain the fundamentals of quality measurement.
4. Ability to exercise problem-solving and decision-making skills while utilizing professional judgment and discretion.
5. Ability to coordinate numerous projects and tasks concurrently and efficiently.
6. Ability to cope with stressful situations by maintaining adequate performance when confronted with pressures of deadlines and time limits.
7. Ability to adapt to different situations involving a variety of duties characterized by frequent changes.
8. Ability to complete work assignments with minimal supervision.
9. Ability to tolerate opposing views and work cooperatively as a team member.
10. Ability to maintain collaborative relationships with team members through verbal and nonverbal communication skills.
11. Ability to develop and deliver oral presentations to large audiences and speak in public gatherings.
12. Ability to travel to meetings and presentations in and out of the state.
13. Ability to use a personal computer and appropriate software programs.
14. Ability to adhere to established company confidentiality policies.
15. Ability to provide excellent customer service

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Master's degree in epidemiology, statistics, public health, or related field.
2. Strong verbal and written communication skills, including formal presentation skills.
3. Advanced knowledge of statistical software such as SAS, S-Plus, SPSS, or STATA, and some knowledge of queries for the manipulation and analysis of data.
4. Advanced statistical analysis skills.
5. Advanced data management skills.
6. Knowledge of relational database concepts to aid in data preparation and analysis design.
7. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access).
8. Experience in health services research related to the evaluation of programs and systems, or comparable experience.
9. Experience in development, collection, calculation, and reporting of quality measures, or comparable experience.
10. Five years health care experience in at least one of the following settings:
    • Ambulatory (physician office, clinic, community health center)
    • Acute care (hospital, critical access hospital, long-term care hospital)
    • Home health agency
    • Skilled nursing facility
    • Inpatient rehabilitation facility
    • Ambulatory surgical center
    • Psychiatric hospital
    • Managed care organization

DISCLAIMER

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, management reserves the right to revise the position or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (e.g., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technological developments).

APPLY FOR THIS POSITION.

<TOP>