Company Description

At Northwestern Medicine, every patient interaction makes a difference in cultivating a positive workplace. This patient-first approach is what sets us apart as a leader in the healthcare industry. As an integral part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to join our quest for better health care, no matter where you work within the Northwestern Medicine system. We pride ourselves on providing competitive benefits: from tuition reimbursement and loan forgiveness to 401(k) matching and lifecycle benefits, our goal is to take care of our employees. Ready to join our quest for better?

Job Description

The Pharmacy Operations Analyst reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards.

The Pharmacy Operations Analyst, under general direction, serves as the primary analytic resource for patient care. The individual is responsible for working collaboratively with clinical and operational department managers and directors to support the monitoring and analysis of all financial, clinical, quality, and operational metrics in all patient care areas. Additionally, the Operations Analyst provides analytical expertise to end-users with the overall objective of enhancing performance. The Operations Analyst position also includes collection of information, preparation, and dissemination of frequent periodic reports critical to the organization’s operations. The position supports or leads the creation and distribution of internal and external nursing dashboards and other trending tools.

Responsibilities:

• Business and Data Knowledge: Understand the financial, clinical, quality and operational environment at NM. Possesses an ability to collect, organize and report on data as it pertains to the business and data processes at NM and the operational characteristics of the various departments. Exemplifies the effective use of information and systems to report on and improve patient care.
• Obtain, analyze and interpret financial, clinical, quality and operational data from multiple internal and external data sources.
• Maintain accurate, up to date analytical documentation and operational dashboards.
• Conduct internal audits on prescription claims including 340B eligibility and respond to external payor audits.
• Prepare ad hoc reports for management to understand financial, clinical, quality and operational issues.
• Work collaboratively with other departments in the hospital to assist directors and managers in budgeting, variance analysis, achieving budget targets, and setting budget targets.
• Participate in the monthly budget variance reporting processes.
• Support during budget preparation and review.
• Seek new, innovative methods to continuously improve reporting processes and workflow.
• Identify, develop and assist in the implementation of key metrics to measure process performance and opportunity.
• Provide quality control – ensure 100% accuracy and integrity of all data elements that are reported and distributed.
• Demonstrate understanding of multiple system interfaces and workflow. Identify sources of truth related to data management.

Team/Interpersonal:

Communicates clearly, responsively, and purposely with peers, managers and directors (collectively: “customers”) and other stakeholders. Focuses on team success and promotes collaborative efforts with others. Able to adapt quickly to rapid change and multiple priorities from multiple stakeholders. Excellent organization and time management skills. Respond thoroughly and promptly to customer needs. Follow through with customers to closure. Highly developed interpersonal skills are required to create behavioral changes in customers.

Customer Focus:

Utilizes talents, skills, and knowledge in all assignments for the purpose of delivering excellent customer service. Guides preparation and delivery of information by seeking a thorough understanding of the department’s mission, goals, and values. Provide departmental and end user support related to reports and systems used within the department including:

• Train and develop staff related to reports, systems and interpretation of data.

Additional Functions

Professional Competencies

Prepares time estimates for project activities and develops project schedules, monitors performance and reports progress toward those milestones. Analyzes information to ensure greater integration of functions within the organization.

Position Differentiators

Assists in the development of dashboards, budgets and timelines; consistent delivery and performance within established performance parameters. Highly developed interpersonal skills are required to create behavioral changes in customers and deal with sensitive situations. Maintaining required regular customer communications and reporting, keeping abreast of developments in patient care areas and tracking all analytical requests. Leads the effort to identify and resolve data issues with end users. Manages one low to medium risk project at a time. Creative problem solving under the constraints of overarching management goals.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree or 4 years of relevant work experience in lieu of degree.
• 2-3 years related experience.
• Illinois Pharmacy Technician licensure with IDFPR within 60 days of hire.
• Certified Pharmacy Technician certification (CPhT) through PTCB or ExCPT through NHA required for all those licensed after 2008. Newly licensed Technicians have 2 years from license effective date to obtain their certification.
• Demonstrated excellent analytical skills.
• Excellent PC-based skills using Microsoft Products (Excel, etc.) and computer knowledge base.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred:

• Master’s Degree.
• Previous experience in healthcare analytics and finance.

Additional Information

Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.

Background Check

Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act.

Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

Benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information https://jobs.nm.org/benefits. Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception: New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.

Job Shift:

Day Job (1st)