Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.

As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises from New York City’s yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others.

Our Agency’s five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are:
1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a “response-ready” organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods
3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness
4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women’s health
5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change

Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism’s impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.

PROGRAM AND JOB DESCRIPTION:

The Bureau of Public Health Clinics (BPHC) seeks to hire a Quality Assurance Director to oversee its Quality Assurance (QA) and Release of Information (ROI) activities.

The mission of the Bureau of Public Health Clinics is to promote a healthy community by providing New Yorkers with the resources needed to make informed and empowered health decisions; identify and treat tuberculosis and provide immunization and sexual health services regardless of ability to pay or immigration status.

It is also the Bureau’s vision to provide timely, accessible, high-quality, equitable and respectful care that helps improve the lives of our patients and contributes to a healthier community.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Proposed Duties

1. Responsible for Quality Assurance Activities at the Bureau of Public Health Clinics (BPHC):
- Directs the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of the quality management activities related to Article 28 regulations.
- Oversight of QA reviews at BPHC including Incentives Audit, quality of record keeping and documentation of patient care.
- Prepares goals and objectives for the assigned quality improvement activities that are aligned with the strategic goals of the Agency and the Bureau.
- Forms strong alliances with the Agency’s Office of Clinical Quality Management and Improvement (CQMI) to ensure compliance with City, State and Federal rules and regulations.

2. Participates in Policy development and Coordination:
- Compiles and catalogues BPHC policies, guidelines, protocols and standard operating procedures.
- Reviews all BPHC policies, guidelines, protocols and standard operating procedures to determine if and how often these require updating.
- Coordinates and assists Unit Directors in revising BPHC clinic protocols and standard operating procedures.
- Coordinates and assists Unit Directors in developing new or updating existing BPHC policies, guidelines, protocols and standard operating procedures as indicated by programmatic priorities and needs.

3. Responsible for the review and release of patients' medical record:
- Oversees release of medical information to ensure the BPHC adherence to existing laws including HIPAA.
- Oversees a tracking system for logging medical record requests to ensure responses within 30 days to comply with regulations.
- Oversees medical record safety and disaster plan including management of the BPHC record retention office.
- Oversees site compliance audits (at least one per site) to ensure adherence with city, state and federal regulations regarding the release of patients’ medical information to third parties and storage of medical records.

4. Represents the Bureau at various division and/or agency committees:
- Schedule is arranged to allow attendance and maximum participation at team/working group meetings.
- Relevant individuals are kept up to date with the various activities, performance and concerns related to daily activities.
- Relevant information is communicated promptly and accurately to supervisor and managers.
- Represents the BPHC's interest and promotes its mission and vision.

5. Supervises staff performing medical record reviews for release, and processing files at record retention:
- Provides day to day guidance to QA/QI staff.
- Provides written and verbal feedback to staff with plans for improvement as needed.
- Writes and presents performance evaluation with constructive and factual feedback.
- Identifies and provides training as needed.
- Addresses HR/labor management issues including time keeping and leaves usage.

6. Performs other duties as assigned:
- Work is completed on or before deadline.
- Works collaboratively with others to achieve desired goals.
- Provides time notification regarding delays in meeting deadlines.
- Information is prepared and submitted via appropriate media-print/electronic.

1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in "2" above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in "1" and "2" above.

NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.

Familiarity with HIPAA and Article 28 regulations

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.