Chief Quality Officer

Job Summary:

The Chief Quality Officer is primarily responsible for advancing and overseeing the organization's quality assurance and patient safety initiatives. The CQO plays a key leadership role in developing, implementing, and continuously improving systems that ensure compliance with internal standards and external regulatory requirements, with a strong emphasis on imaging quality, safety, and performance metrics. This role champions a culture of excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement, aligning QA efforts with organizational strategy. The CQO will also serve as a liaison with partner hospitals and governing bodies on matters related to quality and safety and provide limited clinical services.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Lead the development and execution of SRI's enterprise-wide quality assurance and patient safety strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
• Design, implement, and monitor robust QA programs to evaluate imaging quality, procedural accuracy, peer review processes, and overall clinical performance.
• Measure and report performance on internal and external quality and safety metrics, and drive corrective action plans as necessary.
• Promote evidence-based practices and standardized protocols to minimize clinical variation and enhance diagnostic accuracy.
• Foster a strong culture of safety and quality throughout SRI by educating, engaging, and empowering physicians and staff at all levels.
• Serve as a primary point of contact with SRI partner hospitals on quality-related matters, including participation in their Patient Safety and Quality Committees.
• Collaborate with IT, compliance, and operations teams to ensure that data collection, reporting, and analytics support quality improvement efforts.
• Benchmark SRI's performance against leading radiology groups and national standards to inform strategic improvements and innovation in QA practices.
• Establish and lead the creation of a 3- to 5-year QA strategic roadmap with defined goals, metrics, and timelines.
• Support and oversee compliance with accrediting body requirements (e.g., ACR, CMS) and ensure readiness for audits and inspections.
• Oversee quality documentation processes, maintain QA records, and conduct regular audits of imaging studies and related clinical documentation.
• Provide limited clinical services (approximately 20–25% of time) while modeling best practices in quality and patient communication.
• Represent SRI on quality and safety issues in local and national forums; communicate performance and improvement efforts to internal and external stakeholders.
• Apply AIDET principles (Acknowledge, Introduce, Duration, Explanation, Thank You) to foster effective and compassionate communication.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned to support the organization's QA and safety mission.

• M.D. with Board Certification in Radiology and recent clinical radiology and quality management experience.
• Demonstrated progressive leadership experience, with a focus on directing quality programs in a medical practice, hospital, or integrated healthcare system.
• Active participation in quality committees and familiarity with hospital CPE/Peer Review processes.
• Preferred: Certifications in Six Sigma, CPHQ, American College of Radiology's Radiology Leadership Institute (RLI), or Institute for Healthcare Improvement.
• Proven ability to establish strategic priorities and lead enterprise-wide initiatives focused on behavioral change and performance improvement.
• Demonstrated success using process improvement methodologies to drive measurable outcomes.
• Must be licensed or eligible for licensure in Washington and/or Alaska.
• Clinical capability to interpret general radiology studies and perform basic image-guided procedures (e.g., thoracentesis, paracentesis, lumbar punctures, arthrograms, biopsies).

We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diversity is respected, celebrated, and seen as a strength. We believe that embracing diverse perspectives drives innovation and long-term success. Employment decisions, including recruitment, hiring, and promotion, are based on individual qualifications and performance, without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, disability, age, or veteran status.