Program Manager - Quality & Safety

Bluestone delivers great outcomes by bringing exceptional care to patients living with complex, chronic conditions and disabilities. Our unique, robust model of care goes beyond primary care services — our multidisciplinary care teams collaborate with patients, their families and other healthcare providers to deliver care that is preventative, proactive and tailored to their unique needs. Using an evidence-based approach focused on quality care management and data-driven medical decisions, Bluestone care teams collaborate to manage patients’ chronic conditions, address social determinants of health, manage transitions to and from inpatient settings, provide behavioral health support and more. Under our model of care, Bluestone patients experienced 21% fewer ER visits, 36% fewer hospitalizations and 41% fewer hospital readmissions compared to patients with similar conditions and complexities over the same time period. Our care teams travel directly to patients who reside in Assisted Living, Memory Care and Group Home communities throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin and Florida and are supported by clinical operations and administrative colleagues who work remotely or at our corporate offices in Stillwater, Minnesota, and Tampa, Florida. Our success is only possible through the hard work of our employees who bring our core values of Dedication, Excellence, Collaboration and Caring to life every day. Bluestone has been named to the Star Tribune's Top Workplace list for the 14th year in a row! Bluestone also achieved Top Workplace USA 2021-2026! In 2022, Bluestone Accountable Care Organization (ACO) was the best performing ACO in the country as measured by the overall savings per Medicare beneficiary. Position Overview: Bluestone is an innovative, value-based ambulatory practice delivering specialized, complex primary care to high-need patients within assisted living, group home, and independent living communities. By bringing care directly to the patient’s home, we aim to improve quality of life, prevent unnecessary hospitalizations, and drive exceptional clinical outcomes in a value-based care delivery model. Working within a collaborative, matrixed environment, this role partners with leadership across ACO, Provider, Clinical Assistant (CA), and EHR/IT departments to embed quality and safety initiatives into everyday clinical workflows, driving both clinical excellence and financial sustainability. The Program Manager of Quality & Safety leads the comprehensive operational execution and submission of quality measures for Bluestone’s Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs as well as other commercial payer contracts. The Program Manager of Quality & Safety will focus on the delivery of patient- and family-centered, equitable, safe, timely, and effective care. As needed, they will lead process improvements to prevent avoidable harm, reduce medical errors, and minimize clinical risks throughout Bluetone’s healthcare delivery. This role reports to the SVP of Clinical Operations and does not immediately have direct reports. Schedule: Full time position Location: This is a hybrid role requiring the flexibility to thrive across remote strategy, field observations, and on-site alignment. Applicants MUST reside within one of Bluestone’s primary markets: Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Florida. Salary: $120,000 - $138,000 base salary. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Responsibilities: ACO & Payer Quality Measure Operations • Oversee end-to-end quality measure reporting and submission processes for MSSP, LEAD, and commercial value-based care (VBC) contracts. • Interpret complex ambulatory quality specifications and translate them into actionable, standardized clinical workflows and operational guidelines. • Continuously monitor performance, analyze data trends, and establish targeted interventions to bridge gaps in care and maximize performance incentives. • Lead workflow design for the care teams, including efficient processes in the EHR, to meet measure specifications seamlessly Clinical Quality & Patient Safety Program Leadership • Design and execute initiatives focused on improving clinical outcomes, patient safety, and equity across all serving communities (assisted living, group homes, independent living). • Establish proactive risk-mitigation strategies, adverse event tracking, and root-cause analysis processes to prevent avoidable patient harm and reduce medical errors. • Serve as the subject matter expert on clinical quality and safety standards, driving a continuous culture of patient- and family-centered care. Cross-Functional Collaboration & EHR Workflow Integration • Collaborate closely with Providers, Clinical Assistants (CAs), ACO leadership, and EHR/IT teams to optimize health record templates, clinical decision support tools, and documentation workflows. • Ensure EHR tools support efficient point-of-care data capture without adding unnecessary administrative burden to field clinicians. • Lead cross-departmental workgroups to align operational execution with strategic value-based care objectives. Process Improvement & Project Management • Apply formal process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) and project management frameworks to drive clinical transformational projects from initiation through sustainability. • Define project scopes, set performance milestones, manage timelines, and evaluate post-implementation outcomes. Qualifications: Education/Certification/Experience • Healthcare Experience: Minimum of 5 years of healthcare experience required; 10+ years strongly preferred. • Value-Based Care Expertise: Proven experience in value-based care environments with a deep understanding of how quality measure performance directly impacts organizational financial outcomes and shared savings. • Ambulatory Quality & EHR Integration: Strong track record interpreting ambulatory quality measures and successfully translating them into EHR-integrated workflows. • Process Improvement / Project Management: Demonstrated experience leading formal quality improvement or project management initiatives in a clinical setting. • Portfolio of Success: A portfolio of work demonstrating measurable clinical quality improvements and successful cross-functional team execution is required upon application. • Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) - preferred • Project Management Professional (PMP) or Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt certification - required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities • Innovation & Strategy: A forward-thinking mindset with a proven track record of innovating processes and overcoming operational challenges. • Collaboration & Leadership: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust, inspire a team, and work effectively across diverse departments (Clinical, RCM, Operations). • Influence Without Authority: Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with a proven ability to align diverse teams (providers, operational staff, IT, leadership) around shared goals without direct line authority. • Matrixed Accountability: Comfort operating and accepting accountability within a highly collaborative, matrixed organizational structure. • Analytical Mindset: Ability to convert complex health data and quality metrics into actionable operational strategies. • Adaptability: Flexibility to thrive in a hybrid work environment (combining remote strategy, field observations, and on-site alignment). • Demonstrated compatibility with Bluestone’s mission and operating philosophies • Demonstrated ability to read, write, speak, and understand the English language Bluestone Benefits: • Health Insurance • Dental Insurance • Vision Materials Insurance • Company paid Life Insurance • Company paid Short and Long-term Disability • Health Savings Account (with employer contribution) • Flexible Spending Account (FSA) • Retirement plan with 4% matching contri