Program Assistant, Vulnerable Populations

Commonwealth Fund
New York, New York

The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children, and elderly adults. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy. An international program in health policy is designed to stimulate innovative policies and practices in the United States and other industrialized countries. The Fund has an endowment of $600 million, and an annual budget of $31 million, approximately 60 percent of which is spent extramurally in grants and 40 percent intramurally in developing programs, conducting research, and communicating results to influential audiences.

THE PROGRAM

The Commonwealth Fund’s Program on Vulnerable Populations, part of the foundation’s efforts in the field of delivery system improvement and innovation, is designed to assure that low-income, uninsured, and minority populations receive care from high-performing health systems . The program consists of two components: 1) the Vulnerable Populations grantmaking program, and 2) The Mongan Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy. The fellowship program, established in 1996 and based at Harvard Medical School, seeks to develop physician leaders who will address the health needs of vulnerable populations through delivery system improvements. The Vulnerable Populations grantmaking program was created in April 2011 and is a natural outgrowth of and builds upon the Fund’s past and current work in community health systems and state health care policy. The program recognizes that states and localities are responsible for the health and well-being of th eir residents, and most resources for vulnerable populations are channeled through, originate from or are expended within states. Key strategies for the program include:

Monitoring and Tracking: documenting and tracking health care utilization and quality of health care for vulnerable populations at the state level.

Delivery System Reform: Encouraging state- and regional/local-level planning for systems of care that can meet the health care and related needs of vulnerable populations.

Current Models and Future Opportunities: Identifying promising practices and delivery system models and developing and disseminating policy recommendations to support innovations and improvements in care systems so they can better serve vulnerable populations.

Government Policy Levers: Working with CMS, State Medicaid programs, HRSA, and other agencies and payers to identify incentives and supportive federal and state policies that would achieve equity in access and quality, and address concerns related to vulnerable populations across a continuum of care.

The Vulnerable Populations program is part of the Delivery System Innovation and Improvement Program Cluster along with the Health System Quality and Efficiency Program, the Long-Term Care Quality Improvement Program, the Patient-Centered Coordinated Care Program and the Payment and System Reform Program.

SUMMARY POSITION DESCRIPTION

Reporting to the Senior Program Officer, Vulnerable Populations, the program assistant is the staff member responsible for providing the daily support for the Vulnerable Populations Program. The program assistant will be expected to perform a variety of duties ranging from writing, editing and research responsibilities to daily administrative tasks. 

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Grants Management

• Provide support for the Vulnerable Populations program, including: drafting payment and review schedules and letters of agreement; monitoring timelines and tracking grantee products, including papers and conferences; scheduling grant payments accordingly; assisting in the review of grantee products, including papers and reports; planning meetings, forums or conferences related to grantee work; and preparing memos analyzing completed projects.
• Provide support in the development of grants, including: conducting background research; working with potential grantees to refine proposals and ensure completion of all required documents; assisting in internal reviews of proposals; preparing summaries of proposed Board-level and Small Grants.
• Act as a liaison with Communications to ensure the dissemination of all grant products, including: coordinating the review of draft grantee publications by Fund staff and the promotion of grantee-published articles; drafting language for the Fund website that publicizes grantee work; developing web-based grant products for placement or promotion on the Fund website; reviewing and providing program updates to the Fund website as needed; coordinating with grantees and Communications staff to produce webinars, podcasts, and other multimedia to promote grantee work.

Research

• Conduct background research, including literature reviews, internet searches, legislative developments and public coverage of state and federal health policy activities.
• Provide research and writing support for Fund reports based on Fund commissioned surveys. This work may include survey development, statistical analyses (using computer statistical software), tables and chart preparation and report writing.

General Administrative Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to the program officer: including the calendar, phone, travel, meetings, expense reports, correspondence, and distribution of program work.
• Arrange appointments and scheduling of in-house meetings, which includes reserving meeting rooms and arranging for food, beverage, and audiovisual needs.
• Prepare documents for internal meetings, including the annual program plan meetings and proposal review meetings; this involves Internet and library research and assembling materials and detailed information about current and potential projects.
• Prepare materials, including PowerPoint slides, for public and internal presentations by the Program Officer.
• Prepare correspondence to current and prospective grantees, consultants, and experts reviewing proposed projects; assemble and provide materials on Fund programs, projects, and other activities as requested by grantees and other individuals.
• Travel to relevant meetings and conferences to represent and support the work of the program and its grantees.

The Fund’s philosophy on successful performance in the job includes the willingness on the part of all staff members to handle any assignment necessary to further the goals of the institution. This may include taking on responsibility in other program areas or departments if the need arises.

QUALIFICATIONS

College bachelor’s degree and two to three years of related experience required. Demonstrated knowledge, experience working with and an interest in vulnerable populations and health policy is essential. Demonstrated strong administrative experience is an absolute necessity, as are project management skills and high level meeting experience.

Candidate must have superior organizational and administrative skills as well as strong writing and analytic skills. Candidate must also be able to manage and work on multiple tasks and under tight deadlines, to write and condense information for various audiences, to work with budgets, and to prepare PowerPoint graphics, charts and tabular data presentations. The position requires strong computer skills, including knowledge of the Windows Office Suite of products, Gifts for Windows, Outlook and the Internet. Candidate must be willing to learn new computer skills as necessary to work with the Fund’s web site and surveys.

Flexibility and skill in working as a team member are a must as the position requires working in a highly demanding, multiple task environment with changing priorities. Candidate must have the ability to work independently in an intellectually challenging environment as well as the willingness to handle the more routine tasks that keeps the office functioning. Candidate must be intellectually curious and able to gather, assess and synthesize information from various sources.

The Fund has a relatively small staff, and judgment, integrity, and the ability to listen with sensitivity to others are traits that are particularly important in an organization of the Fund’s size, where teamwork is essential to effectiveness. The ability to work collegially with a variety of Fund staff and interest in and strong commitment to the Fund’s mission and grants programs are key qualifications.

COMPENSATION

Commensurate with background and experience. The Fund offers an excellent benefits package (medical/dental insurance, life/disability insurance, pension plan, tuition reimbursement, ample vacation and lunch in staff dining room).

START DATE

The candidate hired for this position will start on Monday, May 13, 2013.

CONTACT

Send resume and cover letter via e-mail to: dd@cmwf.org

Diana Davenport
Vice President, Administration
The Commonwealth Fund
One East 75th Street
New York, NY 10021-2692

The Commonwealth Fund values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of individuals of diverse backgrounds, sex, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

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