Policy Director (WMS 3) DOH8091

 Policy Director (WMS 03) 
Health Services Quality Assurance Tumwater, WA
(Flexible/Hybrid)
DOH8091

 
Join the Health Services Quality Assurance Division and make a vital impact on public health.
 
About Us:
The Health System Quality Assurance (HSQA) division is the regulatory arm of DOH. HSQA helps develop health systems and improve patient safety by working closely with communities and local health partners. Our over 650 employees regulate and support more than 520,000 health professionals in 88 health professions and 14,000 health facilities and programs. Our work centers on patient safety, access to care, healthy and thriving communities, transparency, partner-informed decisions, health equity, and a healthy culture for our employees. Learn more about what we do on our external site.
 
Your Role:
As the Policy Director, you will report to the HSQA Assistant Secretary. This position leads and directs the strategic policy, legislative development, and rulemaking for HSQA. You will identify emerging policy issues and lead resolution, oversee legislative and regulatory affairs, and be involved with management of external relationships with legislators, stakeholders, and the governor’s office. As an agency policy leader, you’ll partner closely with leaders in other divisions and executive offices to advance the agency’s policy priorities and assure division priorities are aligned.
 
 
Your Impact:
This pivotal position will set the vision, lead, and direct the development of HSQA’s policy, legislative, and rulemaking priorities. It serves as a legislative expert and strategic advisor to the Assistant Secretary and the HSQA leadership team on all policy, legislative and rulemaking issues, leads emerging initiatives across those areas, and directs the resolution of any emergent and high priority issues that occur.
 
The Director acts on behalf of the HSQA Assistant Secretary in policy, rulemaking, and legislative development functions and has division-level authority as delegated by the Assistant Secretary, including approval of agency-request legislation proposals, decision package proposals, rules, bill analyses, fiscal notes, and legislative reports. The HSQA Policy Director is the agency’s expert in health systems policy and rulemaking, and represents DOH in matters related to the health care system, patient safety, access to health care, and health care provider credentialing and regulation, and testifies before the legislature.
 
 
Key Responsibilities:
 
Strategic Engagement:
The Director serves as the HSQA Assistant Secretary’s advisor regarding strategic policy and legislative development issues and management of key external relationships, and as such makes significant recommendations regarding the division’s short- and long-term strategies related to these areas.  
This position works with the governor’s staff, state and federal agencies, industry associations, labor organizations, local and tribal governments, academic institutions, and other organizations to resolve sensitive, high-risk policy issues and develop policy proposals.
The Director works in tandem with the boards, commissions, and advisory committees which regulate hundreds of thousands of health care providers and facilities across the state. This position is responsible for recognizing emerging local, state, and national trends, aligning division policy, and developing policy and legislative strategies to optimize patient safety and access to care.
 
 
Leadership:
The Director provides executive-level leadership and expertise in the development, management, and implementation of HSQA’s policy agenda – including the legislative and regulatory functions – in collaboration with the division leadership team. This position makes recommendations to the Assistant Secretary and agency executive leaders on strategy, prioritization, and resourcing of policy development and implementation in HSQA. They lead changes to regulatory policy and division processes to address systemic bias and advance equity and social justice and work closely with leaders in executive offices (Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation; Office of Financial Services; and Office of Public Affairs and Equity) on policy, decision package and fiscal note development, communications, and equity.
 
 
Policy Review and Enhancement:
This position plays a critical role in rulemaking and quality improvement activities by overseeing the development of agency rules for health care facilities and professions under the authority of the Secretary, boards, and commissions. The Director works with various offices in HSQA to improve efficiency and effectiveness of rulemaking and bill implementation, compliance with applicable legal requirements, stewardship of public resources, and to minimize exposure to risk events. This position has significant influence over complex issues with high visibility and risk that impact health care quality and accessibility statewide, such as policies related to hospital staffing, behavioral health workforce, and charity care.
 
Join in this influential role, where you'll work closely with communities, partners, and licensees to build strong health systems across the state to ensure communities have access to safe and high-quality health care services in support of DOH’s commitment to provide effective public health services while promoting transparency, equity, and trust!
 

This position is included in the Washington Management Service.
 
 
The duty station for this hybrid position is in Tumwater, WA. Telework (mobile work) is currently expected. The incumbent will work with their supervisor to establish a work schedule to include telework and reporting to the Tumwater duty station for work activities as needed.