Application Specialist

Title: Application Specialist

Location: Fountain Valley/Laguna Hills - Predominantly On-site (4x/week)

Department: Information Services

Status: Full Time

Shift: Day

Pay Range*: $114,504.00 - $166,046.40/annually

MemorialCare is a nonprofit integrated health system that includes four leading hospitals, award-winning medical groups – consisting of over 200 sites of care, and more than 2,000 physicians throughout Orange and Los Angeles Counties. We are committed to increasing access to patient-centric, affordable, and high-quality healthcare; your personal contributions are integral to MemorialCare's recognition as a market leader and innovator in value-based and other care models.

Across our family of medical centers, we support each one of our bright, talented employees in reaching the highest levels of professional development, contribution, collaboration, and accountability. Whatever your role and whatever expertise you bring, we are dedicated to helping you achieve your full potential in an environment of respect, innovation, and teamwork.

Position Summary

MemorialCare System Services team members work with end users, other Implementation Service (IS) teams, vendors, and management to help assess, select, configure, test, install and provide on-going support for software and hardware solutions for the end user community in administrative, financial, ancillary, clinical as well as additional areas. This includes helping to understand, change, and improve business workflows based on software solution modifications, to achieve process improvements and to ensure optimal use of applications. They maintain the role of IS liaison to assigned departments, helping to facilitate resolution of requests and problems, as well as to ensure end user/management customer satisfaction.

The Application Specialist should be able to perform all duties of the Sr. Application Analyst. Additionally, the Application Specialist role places a strong emphasis on project leadership as it pertains to upgrades and net-new implementations. They participate in all types of projects, providing oversight and guidance needed for IS Projects.

The Application Specialist applies a broad knowledge level of healthcare Information Technology (IT) principles, best practices, and an in-depth understanding of workflows to complete moderate to highly complex and multi-faceted assignments. They address escalated requests, and projects requiring critical thinking skills and ingenuity. The Application Specialist helps implement and administer highly visible ancillary applications and core systems that are both multi-faceted and robust, to meet the needs of MemorialCare end-users while seeking opportunities to optimize internal processes and standards. This position works to complete mission critical tasks, solve enterprise issues, and has oversight of highly complex systems within MemorialCare’s critical service lines. They must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills in working regularly with co-workers, other IS teams, end users, department managers, vendors, and senior and executive IT leadership.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities of the Job

• Leads project management operations, disaster recovery, and business continuity including the oversight and prioritization of active, and in-queue initiatives while managing individual assignments. When necessary, assists with troubleshooting, downtimes, and user related IT problems for assigned areas. Shares responsibility to ensure production system applications are accessible, fully functional, and optimally configured.
• Assists with oversight of day-to-day operations including making assignments, leading escalated requests with team and providing reports to leadership.
• Manages upgrades and net-new implementation initiatives
• Leads collaboration within and across Enterprise IS teams. Initiates, facilitates, and leads regular meetings with users and decision makers to ensure operational approval for system initiatives
• Strategizes prioritization and overall operations related to assigned areas and embedded systems. Makes recommendations, and escalates requests, and projects requiring greater creativity to peers, Lead resources.
• Assists with the completion of requests for scoping, and business plans related to ancillary applications and core systems of assigned service lines and departments.
• Maintains strong working relationships with end users and department leaders to assist with workflow analysis and business needs requiring IT services, LEAN initiatives, and IT process improvement activities.
• Ensures that both client and IS teams’ needs are met as projects evolve, monitors project progress, handles issues that arise, and communicates regularly on project developments to relevant participants in efforts to maintain overall visibility.
• Works independently with client and IS resources to identify and define project requirements, scope, and objectives
• Educates and trains junior staff related to project management processes through on-the-job instruction and formal training programs. Educates and trains junior staff related to workflow processes, system analysis, and project management. Educates staff regarding required processes related to the support of applications and systems.
• Manages personal and junior team member queues, issues, or calls from customers and end-users.
• Applies system knowledge to improve operational workflows, streamline processes, and support strategies. Consults and advises on advanced features, functions, and proper uses of ancillary applications and core systems. Applies in-depth knowledge of operations, expertise from training and/or certifications, to assist with assessment, development and support of workflows for MemorialCare systems and equipment
• Assists leadership with identifying gaps in MemorialCare guidelines, policies and procedures, and with optimizing processes
• Works to provide systems analysis and task ownership related to the acquisition and support of assigned applications and systems.
• Confers with other Senior resources and leadership on complex matters. Acquires assistance from entry level members as needed and develops latitude for independent actions and decisions.
• Participates in any phase of projects, ancillary applications, process improvement efforts, and LEAN initiatives. Participates in projects for system selections, implementations, and post go-live support.
• Provides and routinely maintains accurate documentation of current-state functionality and specifications. Develops training materials and in-service documents for staff and end-users.
• Develops testing scenarios from a detailed understanding of reliant workflows to utilize for regression testing
• Participates in operational, system, and customer acceptance planning and testing, supporting full end-to-end deployment of ancillary application and system solutions
• Participates in investigations of ancillary application and system logs, collecting harvested information and partnering with other senior members to generate reports

*Placement in the pay range is based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, relevant years of experience and qualifications. In addition to base pay, there may be additional compensation available for this role, including but not limited to, shift differentials, extra shift incentives, and bonus opportunities. Health and wellness is our passion at MemorialCare—that includes taking good care of employees and their dependents. We offer high quality health insurance plan options, so you can select the best choice for your family. And there’s more...Check out our MemorialCare Benefits for more information about our Benefits and Rewards.

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications/Work Experience:

• Minimum 5 years’ experience as a clinical or applications analyst, computer technician in a healthcare setting required
• Proven ability to lead all types and phases of highly complex projects. Proven history of managing oversight of team-based project management operations and methodologies. Experienced in leading projects, providing expert consultative guidance and direction on change initiatives, effectively dedicating time across more than one project, and meeting established deadlines
• Proven familiarity of regression testing as it pertains to ancillary applications and core systems interfaced with an EMR. Proven proficiency developing test scenarios and scripts for integrated ancillary applications and core systems.
• Held previously successful role for an ancillary application or system initiative, which required the use of project management tools and methodologies and experience with all project phases. Solid understanding of enterprise architecture related to ancillary applications and core systems including business continuity.
• Experienced establishing designing and implementing ancillary application and system support models with a core understanding of IT operations. Demonstrated ability to upgrade ancillary applications and core systems, optimize them for improved performance and streamline functionality based on operational workflows.
• Proven progressive project management experience working independently as well as in a team situation meeting aggressive deadlines
• Experienced troubleshooting and remediating routine problems associated with ancillary applications and core systems to ensure high levels of user satisfaction. Proven ability to apply an extensive amount of hands-on experience and expert level knowledge of ancillary applications and core systems while leading highly complex projects at the enterprise level
• Demonstrated comprehensive understanding of all areas of application support including integration using HL7 messaging and administration of system and service life cycles.
• Demonstrated high energy levels and tolerance of tight deadlines, time pressures, and ambiguity
• Proven ability to prepare and interpret flowcharts, schedules, and step-by-step action plans
• Proven experience managing personal issue queue as well as that of junior resources, assigning work orders, and providing advice on issues. Experienced at managing calls from customers for assistance and skillful at closing the loop with creating and updating pertinent documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor junior team members on operational and system workflows, as well as usage of systems and internal process. Experienced at training team members on troubleshooting and remediating issues associated with ancillary applications
• Demonstrated ability to manage professional relationships with executive leadership and regularly host meetings.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal direction.
• Proven experience involved in team initiatives including translating end-user needs, meeting deliverables, providing status reports, and managing customer expectations.
• Demonstrated effective communicator for purposes of interpersonal relations to understand and identify project needs and overall objectives.

Education/Licensure/Certification:

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience required; Advanced degree preferred
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent PMI recognized certification preferred