Ardent Health

UT Health East Texas (UTHET) is seeking a dynamic leader to serve in the role of Chief Quality Officer based in Tyler, TX.

Under the direction and leadership of the UTHET Chief Medical Officer (CMO) the Chief Quality Officer (CQO) will drive clinical excellence in the areas of quality, patient safety, and process improvement initiatives related to optimal quality performance. The scope of this role will include responsibilities across the UTHET Market and the UT Tyler School of Medicine (SOM)-while reporting directly to the CMO.

Major Responsibilities/Duties/Critical Tasks:

• Work with the CMO to direct and implement evidence-based programs, practices and activities that realize continuous improvements in clinical quality and patient safety.
• Work with the SOM Leadership and UTHET Leadership to promote engagement of faculty, fellows, residents, and students with quality improvement priorities.
• Collaborate with the UTHET Market Quality Director to ensure that annual facility level quality goals include focus on system-wide critical indicators.
• Work closely with the CMO and service line chairs to establish annual quality metrics that align with facility-level quality goals, with an emphasis on optimizing patient experience and clinical outcomes.
• Develop strategies to promote population health through creative ambulatory quality improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with the President of the University Practice Plan and Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs to assist with the engagement of academic faculty and associated training programs with quality initiatives, oversight, continuous monitoring, and programmatic feedback and development. The CQO will assist with directing the efforts of performance improvement initiatives to ensure overall compliance with all regulatory standards.
• Work closely with UTHET ambulatory clinical administrators, staff, and clinical faculty to promote effective ambulatory clinical quality metrics.
• Assist with the development and implementation of the foundational strategy and change management that is necessary as the health system balances growth and sustainability with the highest level of quality, safety, and service, reducing variation in patient care.
• Strengthen and reinforce a culture of quality, safety, and value.
• Create an environment that fosters innovation and performance, supporting the implementation of programs that continuously advance clinical outcomes and patient experience. Actively implement innovative ideas to redefine, measure and improve quality.
• Establish quality measurements and report quality metrics to all required external entities.
• Develop and oversee quality data analytics to drive strategic goals for the organization as it relates to optimizing clinical quality outcomes.
• Participate in various system-wide committees, councils, task forces, work groups and focus groups.

Accompanying Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Competencies to include:

• Knowledge and understanding of current trends in clinical medicine, including physician hospital relations, quality improvement processes, and clinical information systems
• A commitment to service within the community.
• Evidence of successful mentoring skills.
• The highest integrity and personal ethics.

Required Certification/Education/Experience:

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
• A minimum of 5 years of experience leading quality programs within a large, complex academic medical center or integrated delivery system with oversight for both inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Proven experience in establishing strategic priorities and building the infrastructure and team to implement large-scale initiatives and behavioral change across the enterprise.
• Experience utilizing the approaches and methods of process improvement as evidenced by achieving desired outcomes.
• Prior leadership roles within a health system related to clinical operations and/or quality improvement.
• Texas medical license

About UT Health East Texas:

The UT Health East Texas system is comprised of nine hospitals, more than 90 physician clinics, over 500 employed providers, 13 regional rehabilitation facilities, two freestanding emergency centers, six urgent care clinics, regional home health services covering 41 counties, an EMS fleet of more than 60 ambulances and four helicopters, and a comprehensive seven-trauma center care network, including a Level 1 trauma center. Our primary service area has a population of more than 600,000. 

About UT Tyler School of Medicine:

The University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine is the first medical school in East Texas and the seventh in The University of Texas System. Its mission is to train future healthcare professionals to embrace responsibility for the unique needs of rural and hard-to-reach communities and populations, particularly those in East Texas. 

The school offers a robust Graduate Medical Education program, with 20 residency and fellowship training programs, enabling graduates to gain specialized skills in areas such as family medicine, internal medicine, neurology, psychiatry, surgery, and anesthesia. Additionally, UT Tyler’s Master of Biotechnology program provides students with an interdisciplinary curriculum that emphasizes medical research and biotechnology innovation, preparing them for careers in medical research, diagnostics and therapeutic development. 

Construction is currently underway on a five-story, 248,000-square-foot Medical Education Building (MEB) in Tyler’s Midtown District. Connected by a skybridge to UT Health Tyler, the MEB will support interdisciplinary education for medical students and resident training. It will also aid as part of a medical education program expansion throughout the UT Health East Texas Health System. The building is scheduled for completion in fall of 2025. 

Emphasizing a community-centered approach, the UT Tyler School of Medicine combines advanced research, hands-on learning, and partnerships with regional healthcare providers to cultivate a new generation of physicians prepared to improve healthcare outcomes and enhance the quality of life in East Texas. Visit uttyler.edu/medicine to learn more.

About the Community:

Tyler, ranked #1 of USA Today's "Five Best Cities to Move to in Texas" in 2024- is known as the "Rose Capital of America." Centrally located in Northeast TX halfway between Dallas and Shreveport, Tyler is among the fastest growing regions in Texas and is the largest retail, healthcare, and business center in upper east Texas. Residents enjoy affordable housing, high-performing public and private schools, and no state income tax! Home to The University of Texas at Tyler, the community has many family-fun attractions from botanical gardens to a zoo. The region is also recognized for its outdoor recreational offerings, including hiking and biking trails, parks, and recreational lakes, including Lake Palestine and Lake Tyler.

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