Department Overview:
The Centralized Access Quality & Improvement Architect serves as the process analysis backbone of the Quality & Process Improvement team within Centralized Optimization, monitoring and auditing quality and access workflow compliance across the Connected Care Center (C3), Incoming Referral Center (IRC), and Ambulatory Access Services (AAS). This position requires a strong understanding of healthcare access, scheduling systems, and ambulatory workflow processes, including a working understanding of Epic Cadence template design, provider capacity and slot utilization, decision trees, and master scheduling comparable to an Access Analyst's technical background, to evaluate access performance, identify workflow gaps, process bottlenecks, and non-standard practices, and document current-state and future-state process designs that reduce wait times, improve access, and enhance patient and customer satisfaction across all three centralized operational teams. The Architect draws on this Epic knowledge to inform analysis and recommendations; it does not perform template build, system configuration, or other hands-on Access Analyst duties.
The Architect defines and maintains access governance (the standards, decision rights, and documentation structures that keep scheduling, referral, and intake processes consistent across C3, IRC, and AAS) and leads cross-functional learning sessions so leaders and staff across all three teams understand and follow standardized access workflows. The role standardizes and redesigns access workflows to close identified gaps, and leads improvement initiatives across centralized access, translating analysis into implemented process change.
The Architect partners with the Centralized Access Improvement Partner and the Access Process Improvement Consultant to coordinate governance, training, and improvement work across the team, helping ensure that access and quality issues surface through data rather than escalation. This is an individual-contributor role: it carries broad process, governance, and training scope, but does not include supervisory authority or project portfolio ownership.
Function/Duties of Position:
- Monitors and audits quality metrics, access compliance, and clinical workflow adherence across C3, IRC, and AAS
- Analyzes access and performance data to identify workflow gaps, scheduling bottlenecks, and process issues affecting patient access before they escalate (e.g., 5-Why, fishbone, root cause analysis)
- Defines and maintains access governance (standards, decision rights, and documentation structures) that keep scheduling, referral, and intake processes consistent across C3, IRC, and AAS
- Standardizes and redesigns access workflows and best practices, identifying redundancies and proposing solutions that reduce wait times, improve access, and enhance patient and customer satisfaction
- Leads and runs access improvement initiatives, including facilitating process improvement meetings and kaizen events, translating analysis and governance standards into implemented process change
- Leads cross-functional training on standardized access workflows, governance structures, and process changes for staff across C3, IRC, and AAS
- Maintains standard work documentation and access playbooks, ensuring consistency across C3, IRC, and AAS as new clinics and departments centralize
- Prepares access, quality, and process audit reports for leadership and supports data-driven decision-making
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in healthcare administration, business, quality management, industrial engineering, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of training and experience
- 5 years of experience in performance improvement
- Including a strong working understanding of Epic Cadence template design, provider capacity/slot utilization, and scheduling, like an Epic Cadence Analyst's technical background with ability to evaluate and analyze ambulatory access and scheduling workflows.
- Working understanding of Epic Cadence template design, decision trees, master schedules, and provider capacity/slot utilization analysis, comparable to an Epic Cadence Analyst's technical background, used to evaluate and inform access and workflow decisions; does not require hands-on build or system configuration work.
- Strong understanding of healthcare access, scheduling systems, and ambulatory workflow processes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear quality and access audit reports for leadership.
- Ability to work collaboratively across functional areas, departments, and organizations.
- Problem-solving and critical thinking, with the ability to handle complex access and operational issues.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Lean/process improvement training or certification
- Experience in ambulatory or centralized access operations; experience supporting multiple ambulatory clinics or departments within an academic health system
- Experience with process mapping or quality management software.
- Experience conducting quality audits and applying structured process-mapping and root cause analysis methods (e.g., fishbone, 5-Why, value stream mapping).
- Demonstrated ability to define and maintain access governance and standards across multiple teams.
- Experience designing and leading cross-functional training sessions and facilitating improvement initiatives (e.g., kaizen events, workflow redesign sessions).
- Epic Cadence end-user, reporting, or training certification (or equivalent Epic training).
- Lean/Six Sigma Yellow or Green Belt, or healthcare quality certification (CPHQ), also preferred.
Additional Details:
- The work occurs in a typical office environment within a hospital setting. Work hours are as required to complete assignments; core hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday. This role may require occasional out-of-office meeting attendance, collaboration with staff across multiple OHSU locations, and travel to clinic sites.
- Able to perform essential functions of the job with or without accommodation.
- Extensive computer use.
- Frequent walking between buildings and to remote locations when on campus.
Why apply to OHSU?:
We are Oregon's only public academic health center.
In addition to caring for patients, we lead groundbreaking research. We also train the next generation of health care professionals. As Portland's largest employer, we give you opportunities to learn and advance in a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington.
All are welcome.
OHSU welcomes people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, national origins, religions and sexual orientations. We are striving to build an anti-racist, multicultural institution and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply.
To request reasonable accommodation, contact askhr@ohsu.edu
