OVERVIEW
The Director Community Physician Engagement supports the Nexus Montgomery Regional Partnership (NMRP), a $7.6M collaborative effort among the six hospitals operating in Montgomery County and a network of community-based organizations, with the goal of reducing avoidable hospital use by connecting people to community services that optimize health and independence. The Primary Care Coalition (PCC) serves as the management and implementation infrastructure for the NMRP under the direction of the NMRP Board of Managers (representing each of the six member hospitals), the NMRP Finance Committee, and the NMRP Partnership Program Interventions Committee (P-PIC). NMRP outcomes include: reduced hospital admissions, readmissions and emergency department (ED) visits and reductions in hospital costs and total cost of care. The initial programs of the NMRP are:
 

• Wellness and Independence for Seniors at Home (WISH): a pre-emptive health coaching service for Medicare Seniors living independently in community. Primary goal is to reduce potential hospital utilization.
• Hospital Care Transitions (HCT): 30-90 day care coordination programs implemented uniquely by each of the six NMRP member hospitals and supported by a PCC facilitated Learning Collaborative where hospitals share outcomes and best practices. Primary goal is to reduce hospital readmissions.
• Severely Mentally Ill (SMI); community capacity expansion and system improvement. Primary goal is to reduce hospital utilization and increase use of community based services.
• Uninsured: provides low or no cost specialty care for ineligible-uninsured patients following a hospital interaction. Primary goal is to reduce hospital utilization and readmissions.
• Skilled Nursing Facility Alliance (SNF Alliance): a collaborative, data-driven program to improve care transitions and outcomes for patients who are discharged from a hospital to a SNF for short-term rehabilitation prior to returning home. Primary goal is to reduce readmissions and total cost of care.
• Community Physician Engagement: a portfolio of activities that foster greater patient coordination between Nexus hospitals and independent primary care physicians in the community. Initially, these activities focus on care improving care coordination post discharge from a hospital, building physician engagement with CRISP (Maryland’s Health Information Exchange), and expanding the creation and use of advanced directives.

In addition, Nexus Montgomery continues to develop and review other potential programs that align with the overall goals of the collaborative.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Director Community Physician Engagement reports to the VP Population Health/Director of Nexus Montgomery, and is responsible for:
 

• Providing overall management accountability for successful deployment and operation of the Nexus Montgomery Community Physician Engagement Program.
• Developing final plans, budgets, and timelines for launching the Community Physician Engagement program, securing approval from the Nexus Montgomery Board of Managers as needed. This includes identifying, securing, and managing resources needed for successful implementation.
• Developing short and long-term measures of successful implementation and presenting them to senior leadership and NMRP Committees.
• Develop and execute plan to recruit independent primary care providers into the program and ensure successful onboarding and ongoing engagement.
• Working collaboratively with others on the Nexus Montgomery team to:  establish clear measures of return on investment, including measures of utilization reduction, and ensuring accurate and timely measurement and reporting; Monitor and evaluate emerging opportunities related to primary care transformation at the local, state and federal level (MACRA/MIPS, Maryland Primary Care Model, etc.).
• Preparing project mitigation plans, as needed, and clearly communicating program expectations to the NMRP Board and Committees.
• Collaborate across other Nexus programs in a way that fosters process improvement that ultimately provides greater service to the community and reduced utilization of health care services.
• Support VP/Director in communications to the NMRP Board, HSCRC and other external stakeholders on Community Physician program’s performance, outcomes and recommendations; address impact on short-term and longer term population health goals and opportunities. As delegated by VP/Director, represent Nexus Montgomery Regional Partnership to external agencies and organizations.
• Identify and build opportunities for collaboration with local, State and Federal organizations, academic centers involved in health care management and quality improvement efforts, and others to further regional reductions in hospital and total cost of care, ensure positive patient experience, and improve population health.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITES

• Experience engaging with independent primary care practices to improve care management practices and enhance patient care, particularly among high-risk and high-cost populations. This might include experience with practice management, care management, population health management, patient outreach, practice billing, management of an ACO or other value based payment model, or other relevant experience.
• Bachelor or Master in public health or policy, health administration, business administration, health care delivery or similar. At least 5 years of work experience in health care delivery, consulting, or analytics is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated advanced analytical skills. Experienced in project management and new program development, definition of program success measures, scorecard development, and reporting. Familiarity with data collection and data analysis design, sufficient to communicate needs with data management and data analysis staff. Ability to effectively prepare concise reports and presentations of outcomes for internal and external audiences.
• Demonstrated experience in process improvement with ability to work as a consultant, facilitator and colleague with multidisciplinary healthcare professionals.
• Demonstrated advanced communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, both orally and in writing to a broad range of stakeholders, including clients, clinicians, hospital administrators, and public health officials. Prepare and deliver effective presentations. Listen actively, build rapport easily, identify conflict and tension and facilitate constructive resolution, inspire and build trust.
• Ability to lead, facilitate and work with diverse groups. Experienced in creating engaging, non-judgmental meeting environments that encourage sharing of challenges and failures and supportive peer-to-peer learning.
• Computer literacy with proficiency and expertise in Microsoft Office, including WORD, EXCEL, and PowerPoint.
• Self-motivated individual with the ability to work independently and with minimal supervision.
• Physician practice management experience preferred.
• Experience with CRISP (Maryland’s Health Information Exchange) preferred.
• Knowledge of the Advance Care Planning practices preferred.