Constellation Quality Health empowers healthcare organizations, practitioners, and communities to navigate the intricate landscape of quality measures and performance metrics. By bringing clarity to the big picture, the company helps stakeholders make informed decisions that drive positive change across the healthcare continuum.
The organization has a long history of evolving to meet the needs of a changing healthcare landscape. Coinciding with the organization’s 40th anniversary in 2023, the organization rebranded from its previous identity as Carolinas Center for Medical Excellence to embrace a new direction sparked by a visionary strategic plan.
An important aim of the new strategic direction is to embrace a holistic approach to healthcare quality improvement, one that emphasizes agility, innovation, and collaboration. Central to this vision is the expansion of Constellation’s consulting practice, designed to offer nimble, customized solutions to a broader range of clients, including health systems, LME-MCOs, and retail health partners. This shift reflects the organization's commitment to staying ahead of industry trends and meeting the evolving needs of healthcare providers and communities.
As part of this transformation, Constellation has launched the Center of Innovation (COI), a platform for thought leadership and product design that will serve as both a catalyst for new ideas and a marketing vehicle for consulting services. The COI will convene thought partners from across the healthcare spectrum to collaborate on solutions that drive measurable impact. This is where the newly created role of Vice President of Consulting and Innovation comes in — a key leadership position responsible for driving both the consulting practice and the COI’s growth.
This is an exciting opportunity for a visionary leader to join Constellation at a pivotal moment, helping to shape the future of healthcare quality and innovation.
The Role
The Vice President of Consulting and Innovation will lead the development of Constellation Quality Health's consulting practice, with a focus on agile, high-impact solutions for health systems, LME-MCOs, private sector health partners, and other stakeholders. This role will oversee the transformation of Constellation's established government contracting model into a more nimble, scalable consulting framework while also spearheading innovation initiatives through the Center of Innovation (COI). The VP will play a critical role in driving thought leadership, convening industry leaders, and using insights from the COI to inform and market Constellation’s consulting services.
Key Responsibilities:
Consulting Practice Leadership
Build and scale Constellation's consulting practice, leveraging existing capabilities in healthcare quality.
Develop and implement a dual transformation strategy—optimizing current operations while preparing for future consulting growth.
Lead consulting engagements, ensuring delivery of exceptional, client-focused solutions.
Identify new consulting opportunities within health systems, LME-MCOs, private sector health partners, and other key markets.
Establish and refine consulting processes, tools, and methodologies to ensure high efficiency and quality.
Center of Innovation (COI) Oversight
Provide leadership and strategic direction for the COI, with the aim of fostering innovation and product development.
Convene thought leaders and stakeholders to collaborate on emerging trends, challenges, and solutions in healthcare.
Use COI initiatives to inform consulting product design and serve as a marketing platform for Constellation’s services.
Work with external partners and internal teams to ensure COI outputs align with consulting business development goals.
Serve as an ambassador for the COI until a dedicated VP of the COI is sourced.
Strategic Leadership & Market Expansion
Drive the adoption of an internal consulting culture and mindset across the organization, working across internal teams and providing leadership to address consulting goals.
Provide oversight of the innovation lifecycle, from ideal collection to go-to-market strategy, facilitating teams through the various phases of that process.
Build and maintain relationships with key decision-makers in health systems, LME-MCOs, retail health, and government sectors.
Lead go-to-market strategies for new consulting services and products, ensuring Constellation’s competitive positioning.
Work closely with the leadership team to align consulting goals with the broader organizational strategy.
Dual Transformation Change Management
Lead the organization through dual transformation—balancing optimization of current processes (Transformation A) with preparation for future growth (Transformation B).
Use change management principles to align leadership, engage stakeholders, and manage communication and readiness for transformation efforts.
EXPERIENCE
A successful Executive Director candidate will have:
Master’s degree in healthcare administration or a related field.
10+ years of experience in consulting or healthcare management, with a focus on consulting, innovation, change management, and client services.
Proven experience leading consulting practices and working with diverse stakeholders, including government entities and private sector clients.
Strong knowledge of healthcare quality improvement, health systems, and managed care organizations.
Exceptional leadership, strategic planning, and project management skills.
Experience with dual transformation or similar change management frameworks is preferred.
About Constellation Quality HealthThrough cutting-edge technology, data analytics, and deep industry expertise, Constellation Quality Health (formerly CCME) provides actionable insights and strategic guidance to improve system performance while providing patient-centered, cost-effective care. Founded in 1983, Constellation Quality Health is a health care quality consulting organization that services multiple states on quality improvement, clinical review, audit, technical, and protection from financial fraud and abuse.
We’re here to answer your product-related questions
NAHQ wants to partner with you and your organization as you explore how to elevate the profession and advance the discipline of healthcare Quality & Safety.
Need customer service assistance?
For customer service issues, contact us at info@nahq.org or call us at (847) 375-4720. The team is available Monday-Friday from 8 AM-4:30 PM CT.
Important Information for CPHQ Recertification
The recertification process has been streamlined. Unlike previous years, you don’t need to list out your CE activities at the time of completing your application. Instead, you will be asked to attest to having met the requirements, further aligning with the honor-based system of recertification. In the event that your application is randomly selected for audit, you may be required to list your CE activities and submit supporting documentation.
While you may participate in NAHQ learning opportunities (Learning Labs, JHQ articles, etc.), you can only claim CE credit once for each activity. Therefore, if you’ve previously earned CE from a NAHQ learning opportunity, you can’t claim it again, nor will you see the repeat CE appear in your “My Learning� tab. This includes activities used in previous recertification cycles.
Remember, if you’re recertifying during the grace period (1/1/24-1/31/24), you already had to earn your CE hours by Dec 31, 2023.
You still have time! Register today for a multi-day virtual event that addresses the most urgent and important issues facing healthcare today that offers a full schedule of educational sessions organized around NAHQ’s twice-validated healthcare quality competency framework.
We are excited to announce the release of the book “UNSTOPPABLE: Inspiring Stories of Perseverance, Triumph and Joy from Trailblazing Women in Healthcare“.
Be inspired by nine leading healthcare trailblazers, including our own CEO Stephanie Mercado, who empower us all with their vision and passions.
You’ll notice we’ve simplified the application process to recertify. You will not have to list your CE activities at the time of applying*. Simply attest that you met the requirements to complete the application.
*In the event of an audit, CPHQs may need to list activities and upload documentation in their NAHQ account.
Quality Education Resources
Join this informative session, “Quality Education Resources� Thursday, June 22 from 11-11:30 a.m. CT. You will learn about the range of NAHQ quality education resources available to you and hear directly from universities about the benefits they realized from implementing NAHQ’s content within their courses.
Maintain a Pulse on the Latest Quality & Safety Benchmarking Data
Learn more about NAHQ’s enhanced Quality and Safety Benchmarking Program, which provides timely insights to help U.S. hospitals and health systems create data-driven business cases for their quality and safety resourcing.
Understand the Variability Among Your Quality Team Through Workforce Accelerator
Join us Tuesday, May 2, at 11 a.m. CT, to learn more about the different options available to engage with NAHQ’s enterprise-wide solution, Workforce Accelerator®. Options range in size and scope and are designed to meet the various budgetary and timing needs of health systems as they embark on their quality journeys. Register today!
Healthcare Quality and Safety Workforce Report: New Imperatives for Quality and Safety Mean New Imperatives for Workforce Development
The National Association for Healthcare Quality® (NAHQ) has conducted groundbreaking research on the advancement of the quality and safety agenda and has published the results in a new workforce report. NAHQ’s Healthcare Quality and Safety Report answers the question: “Is today’s healthcare workforce doing the work that will advance critical priorities of quality, safety, equity, value, and system sustainability?� The answer is no.
Updated Maintenance Dates: Sunday, February 5, 2023
Maintenance is planned for Sunday, February 5, from 11 p.m.-4 p.m. CT. During this time, you will not have access to the “My Learning” section of your NAHQ account. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your patience.
NAHQ’s Organizational Membership Subscription will serve as a one-stop shop for healthcare quality and safety training and education. Attend the February 2, at 11 a.m. CT, info session to further understand the new offering that will continue NAHQ’s focus of “Quality in Action.�
NAHQ has published an updated version of the CPHQ exam content outline.
The new exam content will take effect on March 15, 2023. Candidates planning to take the exam before March 15, 2023, can access the current CPHQ exam content outline and related resources on our website.
Missed NAHQ Next? Don’t worry, you can purchase NAHQ Next on-demand and receive access to all content for 60 days from purchase. Benefit from actionable content that addresses issues head-on and features “how-tos” and results. Buy now and have the opportunity to receive 40+ CEs.
Healthcare Quality and Safety Workforce Report: New Imperatives for Quality and Safety Mean New Imperatives for Workforce Development
Member Briefing Workshop and Healthcare Quality Week Webinar
October 7, at 12 p.m. CT
NAHQ will host an exclusive member briefing workshop where NAHQ CEO Stephanie Mercado and NAHQ President-Elect Nidia Williams will review the workforce report in-depth and prepare you to discuss it with your team and leadership during Healthcare Quality Week.
October 17, at 12 p.m. CT
To kick off Healthcare Quality Week, (HQW) NAHQ will host a complimentary webinar with NAHQ leaders to discuss the report, its impact and how you can leverage the report to your advantage.
You still have time! Register today for a multi-day virtual event that addresses the most urgent and important issues facing healthcare today that offers a full schedule of educational sessions organized around NAHQ's twice-validated healthcare quality competency framework.