Healthcare Quality Improvement Consultant

Objectives The international Health System Quality Improvement consultant will provide short-term technical assistance to the Healthcare System Strengthening in Armenia (HS-STAR) Project to 1) to build the technical capacity of the Armenian Ministry of Health (MOH) and regional healthcare leadership in quality of care (QoC) concepts and issues and 2) support the MOH in developing a hospital-level QoC approach (including processes and tools) and a pilot plan for implementation of the approach at 2-3 regional hospitals.

Background The Healthcare System Strengthening in Armenia (HS-STAR) Project is a three-year USAID-funded project that began in February 2011. The goal of HS-STAR is to address key constraints in health financing, leadership and governance, human resources, and information systems that impede access to and delivery of quality health services. The project simultaneously aims to strengthen the health system while improving the quality of care and increasing population knowledge in priority service areas, including maternal and child health, reproductive health and family planning, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, and emergency medicine.

Prior to HS-STAR, two USAID-projects, Primary Health Care Reform (PHCR) and NOVA, worked with the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Armenia to address quality of care issues. These projects focused on quality assurance activities at the primary health care level and in maternity hospitals. HS-STAR aims to build on the achievements of these projects while identifying innovative ways to institutionalize health care quality reforms and turning greater attention to quality of care at the hospital level.

Armenia began to address quality of care at hospitals in late 2005, when the MOH issued an order calling for the establishment of facility-level Quality Control Commis¬sions (QCC) in hospitals to monitor the quality of hospital services. The QCCs are expected to report to the MOH on a quarterly basis on a number of hospital quality indicators, such as clinical diagnosis validity and disease treatment outcomes. The relevant departments of the MOH are also expected to supervise hospital quality of care. To date, QCC members and hospital staff have not received any training, guidance, or tools regarding quality of care in hospital settings. Although QCCs do submit quarterly reports to the MOH, no feedback is provided to the hospitals.

Specific Activities The consultant will provide technical assistance over the course of two visits to Armenia: 1.First Visit Pre-visit •Review background materials and information about the quality assurance (QA)/quality improvement (QI) situation in Armenia •Prepare/develop one-day training module (including agenda, presentations, and course materials) on essential QoC concepts, strategies, and issues, such as quality assurance, quality improvement, supportive supervision, provider motivation, etc. In-country •Conduct one-day QoC training for about 20 MOH staff and regional health leadership involved in quality management •Visit limited number of regional hospitals to review specific QoC issues •Design hospital-level QoC approach, including methodologies, indicators, quality monitoring and improvement tools, incentive mechanisms, etc. •Develop pilot plan (including criteria for selection of hospitals, management reforms, training, QI tools, revised unified medical record forms, etc.) to test QoC approach •Present QoC approach and pilot plan to MOH Post-visit •Incorporate MOH feedback into QoC approach and pilot plan. •Provide technical guidance as needed during pilot implementation

2.Second Visit Pre-visit •Analyze results of hospital-level QoC approach pilot In country •Visit pilot sites to review implementation process •Revise QoC approach based on pilot results •Present the revised QoC approach to the MOH Post-visit •Incorporate MOH feedback and finalize QoC approach

Deliverables •Briefing and debriefing presentations for USAID and MOH. •Training module (agenda, presentations, course materials). •Training of approximately 20 MOH and regional staff. •Document detailing hospital-level QoC approach, including methodologies, indicators, quality monitoring and improvement tools, incentive mechanisms, etc. •Short analytical report with recommendations to revise approach based on pilot. •Trip reports including recommendations for next steps.

Consultant Description •Expertise in management and/or direct delivery of healthcare QI strategies in hospitals. •Demonstrated experience developing and delivering training in healthcare QI. •In-depth understanding of modern healthcare QA and QI concepts and their implementation in transitioning countries. •Experience working in Eastern Europe or Eurasia preferred. •Russian language skills desirable.

Timeframe Visit 1: February-March 2012 •5 workdays before visit, 15 workdays in country, and 5 workdays post visit. Visit 2: September 2012 •3 workdays before visit, 10 workdays in country, and 2 workdays post visit. Logistics The consultant will receive logistical support from the USAID-funded HS-STAR project while in the country, including transportation, and office space with computer and internet access.

To Apply: send CV and cover letter to Armenia_Jobs@abtassoc.com