Health Equity Program Director

Position Summary

The Health Equity Program Director is responsible for leading and managing the organization’s compliance with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) health equity standards and ensuring the successful implementation, maintenance, and improvement of NCQA health equity accreditation and related health equity and quality initiatives. This role collaborates within internal and external stakeholders to implement policies, monitor program effectiveness, and support continuous improvement efforts related to health equity. This is a full-time position.

Essential Position Functions

• Manage the NCQA Health Equity accreditation process, including planning, coordinating, and maintaining compliance with all applicable NCQA standards.
• Oversee the NCQA Health Equity accreditation work plan and lead multidisciplinary teams to ensure continuous readiness for accreditation.
• Develop and manage workflows, policies, and procedures that support health equity initiatives.
• Maintain accurate documentation and reports for accreditation audits and regulatory reviews.
• Prepare and present reports on quality improvement activities and accreditation status to leadership
• Represent the organization during accreditation site visits, audits, and meetings.
• Offer functional and technical expertise on health equity standards to all departmental staff and conduct educational sessions as needed.
• Assist in developing and implementing health equity programs to address health disparities, focusing on measurement and quality improvement.
• Collaborate with internal teams to collect and analyze data related to health disparities, population health trends, and social risk factors.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate equity-focused initiatives into care management, member engagement, and provider networks.
• Monitor performance metrics and recommend program improvements to enhance health equity efforts.
• Stay current with the latest NCQA Standards and regulatory requirements, ensuring that updates are applied accordingly.
• Support internal training and education on cultural competency, implicit bias, and health equity best practices.
• Serve as designated Community Advisory Council (CAC) Coordinator with responsibility for managing the operations of the CAC in compliance with all contract requirements including:
• Ensuring committee meetings are scheduled and committee agendas are developed;
• Maintaining committee membership (including outreach, recruitment, and onboarding of new Members) that is adequate to carry out the duties of the CAC;
• Actively facilitating communication and connection between the CAC and Contractor leadership, including ensuring CAC members are informed of Contractor decisions relevant to the work of the CAC;
• Ensuring facilities, materials, and other components necessary to conduct a CAC meeting are accessible by Member and other attendees who have a disability, limited English language proficiency, and diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, to facilitate inclusion.
• Ensuring Contractor compliance with all CAC reporting requirements. The CAC Coordinator may be an employee of Contractor or a Subcontractor of Contractor.
• Assist in organizing workgroups, meetings, and advisory committees focused on equity-driven healthcare initiatives.
• Actively participate in various strategic and internal committees to disseminate information and represent company philosophy.
• Develop, review, and update policies and procedures to align with health equity standards.

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in business, healthcare administration, organizational development, public health, or related field. Minimum 8 years of work experience in a healthcare setting OR equivalent combination of education and experience which will provide the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Licenses, Certificates, & Registrations

• PHR, SHRM-CP or other HR certification a plus.

Compensation

The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate will be based on multiple factors, including but not limited to education, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, geographical location, and internal equity.  

This position is also eligible for incentive pay in accordance with the terms of the Company’s plan.

Company Benefits

Willamette Dental offers the following benefits for this position, subject to applicable eligibility requirements: medical, dental and vision insurance, tuition reimbursement, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) retirement plan with 5% match, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, life insurance, voluntary disability insurance, commuter benefits, two complimentary pairs of Fig scrubs (clinical roles), and employee assistance program.

Paid Time Off (PTO): Eligible employees will accrue a minimum of 120 PTO hours per employment year in addition to seven paid holidays annually. The Company’s PTO program combines vacation and sick leave, which is more generous than Washington State’s Sick Leave Law. Employees in part-time roles working less than 40 hours per week will accrue PTO on a pro-rated basis.

Physical Requirements

The work is primarily performed while sitting and/or standing, but will require occasional walking, bending, stooping and carrying light items such as papers, books, or other supplies. The incumbent uses a computer and other standard office equipment to complete tasks.

Willamette Dental is an equal opportunity employer.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to an individual’s race (including physical characteristics historically associated with race), religion, color, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, veteran status, disability, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy-related condition, or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position’s scope and function in the company.

This position may be exposed to PHI in the course of his/her duties, and will handle protected information (PHI) in a manner consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).