Practice Improvement Specialist - Registered Nurse Senior

Practice Improvement Specialist - Registered Nurse Senior

Job Class: Registered Nurse Senior

Agency: Health Department

Job ID: 93903

Location: Various

Telework Eligible: Yes / Remote

Full/Part Time: Part-Time

Regular/Temporary: Unlimited

Who May Apply: This vacancy is open for bids and for all qualified job seekers simultaneously.

Closing Date: 06/23/2026

Hiring Agency: Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)

Division/Unit: Health Systems / Health Policy / Health Care Homes

Work Shift/Work Hours: Day Shift / 24 hours per week between 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Days of Work: Monday - Friday

Travel Required: Yes - Up to 25% of the time

Salary Range: $41.47 - $61.41 / hourly

Classified Status: Classified

Bargaining Unit/Union: 205 Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA)

Anticipated Start Date: 07/29/26

FLSA Status: Exempt - Professional

Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities: Yes

The work you'll do is more than just a job.

At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

Are you a nurse leader passionate about transforming primary care and improving patient outcomes? The Practice Improvement Specialist role offers the opportunity to work at the forefront of healthcare innovation by partnering with clinics, care teams, and healthcare leaders to advance patient-centered care. As a clinical expert, you will guide primary care practices through meaningful transformationhelping them implement evidence-based strategies, strengthen care coordination, and achieve Health Care Home (HCH) certification.

In this role, you won't just evaluate careyou'll help shape it. You'll collaborate directly with clinicians and healthcare teams, lead certification site visits, provide hands-on coaching, and use data to drive improvements in quality, cost, and patient experience. Your work will have a direct impact on how care is delivered across diverse communities, supporting better health outcomes and more effective, equitable healthcare systems.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Provide clinical consultation, coaching, and training to primary care teams on evidence-based, patient-centered care models
• Lead certification and recertification site visits, including planning, evaluation, and follow-up with clinics
• Assess clinic performance against HCH standards and deliver actionable recommendations for care improvement
• Analyze clinical data and prepare reports
• Drive practice transformation by supporting quality improvement initiatives, care coordination, and population health strategies

This position will support and serve assigned primary care organizations located in the southern part of the State of Minnesota. Applicants must live within this region which excludes the metro and stretches from the southern part of west central Minnesota in Traverse County, south to Rock County, East to Houston County, and North to Chisago County. Infrequent travel to St. Paul is also required.

This position is a remote worker position which is defined as an employee who, as a condition of their appointment, has their home or alternative location as the assigned work location, works permanently from that location, and does not have an agency permanent/principal work location. Currently the MDA does not allow remote work locations outside of the State of Minnesota.

MDH relies heavily on grant funding, in addition to state appropriated dollars. As an agency, we continually monitor funding levels and navigate some degree of uncertainty related to grant cycles and the impact of the grant funding on program priorities.

This position is currently funded and approved to be filled. While the position is funded at this time, future funding is dependent on the continuation of our funding sources. The Minnesota Department of Health works proactively to sustain programs and maintain our workforce, to avoid reductions in force to the very best of our ability. In the event of a loss of funding resulting in a necessary workforce reduction, that process is governed by our collective bargaining agreements and compensation plans.

Minimum Qualifications

• Possession of a current Registered Nurse's license in Minnesota, without restriction.
• Two (2) years of experience working as a Registered Nurse in a primary care or community health setting.
• A degree in Nursing, Public Health, Health Care Administration, or a closely related field may count towards professional experience as follows:
• Associates = 6 months.
• Bachelors = 12 months.
• Masters = 18 months.
• PhD = 24 months.

Minimum qualifications that will be assessed during the interview process:

• Experience applying clinical knowledge to support care delivery improvements or patient care management
• Experience with quality improvement methods (e.g., PDSA cycles, performance measurement, or process improvement)
• Experience analyzing clinical or healthcare data and using findings to inform decisions or recommendations
• Experience providing training, education, or technical assistance to healthcare staff or teams
• Applicants must live within Southern Minnesota, which excludes the metro and stretches from the southern part of west central Minnesota in Traverse County, south to Rock County, East to Houston County, and North to Chisago County.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Health Care Home (HCH), Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH), or similar care models
• Experience conducting site visits, audits, or formal evaluations of healthcare programs or clinics
• Experience in practice facilitation, coaching, or healthcare transformation initiatives
• Knowledge of population health strategies, chronic disease management, and preventive care models
• Experience working with healthcare certification, accreditation, or regulatory standards

Additional Requirements

• This position requires successful completion of a background check and employment reference check.
• This employment does not require a valid driver's license, but it does demand travel, which the candidate will be responsible for meeting.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities is an Equal Opportunity employer/educator committed to the principles of diversity. We prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or membership in a local commission as defined by law. As an affirmative action employer, we actively seek and encourage applications from women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and individuals with protected veteran status.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to all qualified applicants with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability who needs assistance or cannot access the online job application system, please contact the job information line at View phone number on click.appcast.io or email View email address on click.appcast.io. Please indicate what assistance is needed.