Description Organization Overview Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, includes the nonprofit and nonpartisan and in San Diego, and the in Washington, D.C. These organizations are working together toward a shared mission: lowering the cost of healthcare to enable with access to high-quality, affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. For more information, visit and follow .
The West Health Policy Center is focused on research and education to identify innovations and policy solutions that can slow the trajectory of rising healthcare costs while improving access to—and the quality of—care, particularly for our nation's growing population of seniors. Our focus is lowering healthcare costs, improving health outcomes, and enabling the creation of a system that is more transparent, competitive, affordable, person-centered, quality-driven, and sustainable. Specific focus areas include lowering national and consumer healthcare spending, advancing integrated behavioral healthcare, promoting value-based care models, increasing price transparency, and limiting consumer exposure to high out-of-pocket costs.
Position Summary The Associate Director, Health Policy will work with WHPC's Directors and leadership to identify and produce cross-cutting, actionable policy options to lower healthcare costs for employers, state/federal government, and households to enable successful aging for all patients. Among other activities, the Associate Director, Health Policy will assist with identifying high impact policy analyses, identify and lead constructive collaborations with like-minded, highly respected organizations, help draft issue briefs and research papers, analyze healthcare spending and utilization data, provide oversight in producing effective graphics to convey research results and key messages, help implement communications and outreach strategies, and work collaboratively with colleagues across the Policy Center and the West Health Institute. The ideal candidate has an educational and employment background in health policy or related field with experience synthesizing data and research to produce effective and clear written materials useful to policymakers and/or the public.
Key policy areas include national, state, employer, and consumer spending on healthcare across all settings of care, behavioral health, value-based care payment policies, and alternative care delivery models for aging.
Essential Duties and Functions Assist Directors with policy reform opportunities to support healthcare cost initiatives; help devise legislative and regulatory strategies; assist with calculation of relevant budgetary estimates.Produce rigorous analyses of payment policies, benefit design, and the delivery of care to seniors; engage with West Health Data Science team to ensure alignment with Policy Center strategies.Manage production of and provide input for West Health policy research publications.Work with partners in identifying and crafting policy reforms to support healthcare cost initiatives and help educate federal/state policymakers of potential legislative opportunities.Support WHPC engagement with the DC think tank community to gain support for cost of care and successful aging initiatives; convene groups to support their implementation.Explore, design, and execute research opportunities with mission-aligned partner organizations.Monitor federal legislative and regulatory activities affecting projects and topics of interest to West Health entities; provide counsel and assistance to other West Health entities.Distill complex health policy, politics, and research issues and positions into succinct message points that educate policy makers and other stakeholders, including internal West audiences, about WHPC's viewpoints.Collaborate with Communications Department on position papers and other relevant internal and external documents.Qualifications and Experience A graduate degree in a related field is preferred. 5 - 10 years of applicable work experience in a health policy area is required.Detailed knowledge of at least one topic in healthcare and aging policy, such as Medicare policy, value-based care, provider payment, behavioral health, cost of healthcare services, prescription drug costs, and/or alternative care delivery models for aging.Experience on congressional committee staff, within CMS, and/or relevant advisory groups (MedPAC, MACPAC) preferred. Experience in think-tank community, commissioning, managing, and/or publishing peer-reviewed policy research projects preferred.Demonstrated research and analytical skills applied to public policy issues, including ability to synthesize and summarize large amounts of information and to focus quickly on the essence of an issue. A keen understanding of the importance of such research and disseminating it effectively to policymakers, the media, and the public.In-depth knowledge of health policy, economics, and political science literature relevant to Successful Aging; experience analyzing a range of health policy data sets.Experience reviewing legislation and regulations to conduct substantive, time-sensitive analysis relevant to cost of care and successful aging priorities; distilling the results into easily understood summaries, talking points, and PowerPoint presentations.Demonstrated communication skills, including interpersonal skills to foster collaboration and oral/written presentation.Demonstrated time and project management skills, including an ability to meet multiple deadlines by maintaining a high level of organization. Ability to establish a systematic course of action to ensure project completion.Able to occasionally travel to meetings and conferences.We gladly offer:
An up to 10% Annual Performance BonusHybrid Work Schedule (Must be located in Washington D.C) #LI-HybridRobust Benefits Package including Medical, Dental, and Vision plans401K/403b Retirement Plan MatchProfessional ReimbursementsGenerous PTO and Paid Holidays West Health Policy Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against persons on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, age, disability, or veteran's status.
