Division Vice President/Chief Quality Officer

The Opportunity:

CHI Franciscan (CHI-F) is seeking a Division Vice President/Chief Quality Officer (CQO).  The CQO will provide division-level leadership in assessing, developing, implementing and evaluating strategies/initiatives/programs which address quality issues, expand/integrate existing operations to meet new priorities/challenges/requirements, address/alleviate gaps in current services programs/resources, maximize effective utilization of resources and enhance outcomes/service satisfaction of all identified customer groups.  

The Position:

The CQO will report to the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer and will serve as a key member of the Leadership Team.  He/she will lead a team of almost 50 total FTEs.  The CQO will provide effective strategic vision, leadership and direction from a quality perspective in the overall management of the organization, and collaborate with other leadership team members in the common goal of standardization, integration and enhancement of the continuum of services available within designated clinical area(s) and participate in the company-wide evaluation of processes and practices to determine the need for change to accommodate shifting business priorities, conditions and objectives. 

The Ideal Candidate:

The ideal candidate will have an MD/DO from an accredited school of medicine, be board certified in his/her specialty, and be licensed or eligible for licensure in Washington State.  Additional education in healthcare management or business (i.e., MHA, MBA), as well as CPHQ certification is preferred.

In addition, the CQO must have: 

• Five-plus years of senior administrative/management experience that would demonstrate attainment of the requisite job knowledge/abilities, preferably within a large medical center or complex healthcare system.

• Familiarity with quality initiatives, metrics, and processes within a healthcare system. Ideally, experience with patient satisfaction and patient safety solutions and in leveraging best practices as well as a strong analytical and data driven background.

The Organization:

CHI Franciscan, is a nonprofit health system based in Tacoma, Washington with a team of more than 12,000 employees and 900-plus Medical Staff who provide expert, compassionate care to the communities of the Puget Sound region.  CHI Franciscan includes ten acute-care hospitals; more than 200 primary and specialty care clinics; the Franciscan Medical Group—a large multi-specialty medical group of 900-plus providers (Physicians and Advanced Practice Clinicians); and, an integrated provider network and Accountable Care Organization (ACO), the Rainier Health Network.

Started in 1891 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, today CHI Franciscan is one of the largest health systems in Washington State with more than 1,200 acute care beds and a medical staff with physicians specializing in cardiovascular care, cancer services, orthopedics and sports medicine, neurosciences, women’s care, surgical weight loss and hospice and palliative care as well as many other specialties.  More babies are born at CHI Franciscan hospitals than any other system in the service area; and, at St. Joseph, Level III neonatal intensive care is provided in collaboration with neonatologists from Seattle Children’s Hospital.  Every year, more than 300,000 community members turn to the hospitals’ 24/7 emergency departments, including the Level II Trauma Center at St. Joseph.  Recipient of numerous awards and accreditations, CHI Franciscan’s mission is to create healthier communities, including caring for the poor and underserved.  In 2018, Franciscan provided $190 million in community benefit, including free, subsidized, and reduced health care and programs.  

CHI-F is a significant part of the larger $29 billion CommonSpirit Health system headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.  CHI-F had $2.54 billion in operating revenues for fiscal year 2019. It employs 12,368 employees and 2,547 medical staff members.

The Location:

CHI Franciscan is located in Tacoma, a city in Washington State, on the banks of Puget Sound, south of Seattle. Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington.  The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, 32 miles southwest of Seattle (of which it is a satellite city), 31 miles northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and 58 miles northwest of Mount Rainier National Park.  Tacoma is the second-largest city in the Puget Sound area and the third largest in the state.  Tacoma also serves as the center of business activity for the South Sound region, which has a population of around 1 million.

Tacoma is home to a vibrant, creative community of writers, artists and musicians, photographers, filmmakers, passionate entrepreneurs and business owners.  Tacoma is experiencing unprecedented growth with more than $1 billion being invested in downtown Tacoma alone.  A haven for hikers, runners and cyclists, Tacoma is alive with activity from students attending the University of Washington Tacoma, the University of Puget Sound, The Evergreen State College Tacoma campus, local trade and technical colleges, and nearby Pacific Lutheran University.  Just 20 minutes away from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and easily accessible from downtown Seattle and other neighboring cities, Tacoma is a city on the rise.