Consultant - Clinical Performance Improvement (Clinical Nursing Operations )

BRG•Chicago, IL

About The Position

We do Consulting Differently The Integrated Health Solutions (IHS) practice at Berkeley Research Group (BRG) provides end-to-end advisory support to healthcare providers, payers, investors, and other stakeholders navigating complex strategic, operational, financial, and clinical challenges. Led by seasoned healthcare executives, operators, and clinicians, IHS partners with organizations to drive sustainable performance improvement and long-term growth through strategic growth design, operating model transformation, AI and digital enablement, clinical quality and patient care optimization, and revenue strategy—helping clients build resilient, future-ready healthcare enterprises in an increasingly complex environment. Our four core service offerings include: Business Transformation Advisory Margin & Operational Improvement Quality Improvement & Clinical Care AI & Digital Solutions Clinical and Quality Transformation (CQT) helps providers improve care for their patients by implementing evidence-based leading practices to enhance clinical quality, operational efficiency, and care delivery. CQT’s broad-based engagements help providers transform how they deliver care through a combination of reduced complications and mortality, optimizing surgery quality and operations, improved throughput and length-of-stay reduction, improved emergency department performance, quality infrastructure enhancements, and more accurate clinical coding and documentation—helping organizations deliver better patient care and outcomes while most effectively utilizing their clinical resources and infrastructure. BRG’s Clinical Performance Improvement (CPI) service line within CQT emphasizes long-term, sustainable improvements in patient care operations through strong collaboration and inclusiveness across the care continuum. Our methodology stands out in the industry due to its comprehensive scope and the extensive involvement of physicians and clinicians in its implementation. We view clinical redesign efforts as a cyclical process in which implementation activities in one area build momentum for other activities throughout acute care, ambulatory or post-acute organizations. We customize our focus to address our clients' specific pain points, guided by key performance indicators in both foundational support and targeted interventions. It is our belief that a high-quality, efficient, and cost-effective patient care focus must begin at the point of entry and extend through post-hospitalization. The CPI service line is comprised of four pillars: Care Transitions, Emergency Care Solutions, Perioperative Services Optimization, and Clinical Nursing Operations. Each focuses on an area that has a vital role in the provision of patient care in a health care system. This position is with our Clinical Nursing Operations (CNO) pillar. Clinical Nursing Operations (CNO) strategically aligns staffing and operational resources to enhance workflow efficiency, reduce reliance on external staffing, lower costs, and improve nursing-sensitive quality indicators. The CNO Consultant leads complex performance improvement projects within their expertise pillar, overseeing project teams and ensuring high-quality deliverables. This role drives client value through advanced analytics, industry expertise, and strategic recommendations. Managing Consultants are expected to demonstrate leadership, manage multiple projects, and contribute to business development and staff development initiatives. Flexibility for travel (up to 80% of time) is required for this position. Travel volume is dependent on project and client needs.

Requirements

Either 3+ years of experience in clinical performance improvement consulting or 5-10 years of industry experience in a relevant role with relevant licensure/certification(s) and at least two years of industry experience in a relevant leadership role, such as a nurse manager (e.g. Registered Nurse, Social Worker, or experience in a health system performance improvement department with Lean Six Sigma Black Belt Certification or Certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP))
Bachelor's Degree required in health or related field from an accredited college/university, or equivalent training/experience; Masters Degree in a relevant field is preferred.
Candidates without a Masters Degree must enroll in a Masters program and earn their degree within three years of being hired into the role.
Proficient in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.
Understanding of labor productivity concepts, practices, verbiage, and benchmarking.
Analytical skills as they relate to the project and/or supporting the SME
Time management skills that enable supporting multiple engagements.
Resource management skills.
Expanded operational knowledge of inpatient nursing, including care models, standards of care across varying inpatient levels and effective resource utilization.
Strong expertise in workforce and productivity infrastructure including census and workload variability management, skill-mix methodologies, workforce planning tools and staffing to demand strategies.
Applies proven change management skills to guide stakeholders through process redesign workflow transformation, and adoption of sustainable operational improvement.
Able to interface effectively with the client’s nursing and labor initiative leaders.
Actively participate in inpatient nursing initiatives and independently lead smaller initiatives to drive process efficiencies and operational excellence.
Candidate must be able to submit verification of his/her legal right to work in the U.S., without company sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Tableau preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Learn and subsequently execute Project Manager Office (PMO) responsibilities under the direction of the project’s Client Services Executive and project Engagement Director.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Developing project travel logistics file Developing/negotiating project hotel room rates under direction of project engagement director Developing, monitoring, and coordinating project travel arrangements among multiple team members, and communicating on-site schedules to the client per project specifications Reviewing and approving travel expense reports Supporting the engagement director in coordinating/scheduling client meetings Developing/coordinating client-facing materials including but not limited to assessment slide decks, executive steering committee slide decks, etc. Other duties as assigned by the project engagement director
Support project workstream(s) under the direction of the project workstream/pilar Subject Matter Expert (SME), or serve as the SME if it is in the individuals core-knowledge area: Supporting SME in non-core knowledge area: - Support CPI SME in the workstream assessment and/or implementation deliverables. - Assists CPI SMEs in establishing client processes/policies that maximize the quality and efficiency of client operations - Monitors implemented workstreams and provides timely feedback to CPI SMEs as directed. - Ability to independently meet with clients and executives to advance project deliverables - Ability to independently create client facing materials including but not limited to slide decks and other materials Acting as SME in core-area of knowledge: - Ability to develop project plan and client deliverables for smaller-scale projects - Ability to independently implement client deliverables created by self or a SME - Ability to lead performance improvement work teams towards developing future-state processes - Ability to independently meet with clients and executives to advance project deliverables - Ability to independently create client facing materials including but not limited to slide decks and other materials
Submits complete, accurate, and on-time expense reports and time entry
Contributes internally to advancement of the firm through participation on work teams, task forces, etc.
Actively notifies superiors when bandwidth for additional utilization exists
Effectively utilizes non-productive time towards professional continuing education, and/or advancement of the firm
Willingness to work in other service lines as directed/assigned
Following 1 year of employment, ability to effectively serve as a “buddy” for summer associates and/or other new hire employees at the associate, senior associate, and consultant level
Other duties as assigned.