Project manager opening

The Medi-Cal Incentives to Quit Smoking (MIQS) 
Project is recruiting a Project Manager based in 
Sacramento, California.  Job summary, 
qualifications, application and contact info below.

Job Summary
The California Department of Health Care Services 
(DHCS) is participating in a federal 
demonstration program entitled, Medicaid 
Incentives for the Prevention of Chronic Diseases 
(MIPCD). The California MIPCD project is 
entitled, Medi-Cal Incentives to Quit Smoking 
project, and is designed to create incentives for 
the prevention of chronic diseases by 
implementing and evaluating the effect of 
financial incentives to Medicaid beneficiaries 
for their smoking cessation effort. The five-year 
federal grant to DHCS supports two large 
state-wide experimental interventions: 1) testing 
different outreach approaches to increase 
provider referrals of Medicaid patients who smoke 
to the California Smokers Helpline and 2) testing 
different levels of randomly assigned financial 
incentives offered to patients who have called 
the Helpline for assistance in smoking cessation. 
In addition to evaluating beneficiary outcomes, 
both interventions will be examined for their 
cost-effectiveness to determine their continued 
feasibility and sustainability as a Medicaid 
benefit. The outcomes of this large-scale program 
will determine, in large part, whether the DHCS 
offers smoking cessation incentives as a Medi-Cal 
preventive benefit in the future. The program 
involves two University of California campuses, 
the California Department of Public Health and 
the DHCS Office of the Medical Director and other DHCS Divisions.

The position is instrumental in meeting the 
program’s objectives through oversight of 
multiple budgets, maintaining compliance with 
Federal requirements, keeping timelines, 
monitoring implementation of research protocols, 
and supporting the dissemination of findings 
through publications and presentations. The 
Project Manager will need to address regulatory 
and administrative issues impacting the 
demonstration program, resolving problems that 
may arise, including ensuring that all data are 
collected within the parameters of UC and DHCS 
human subject review committees. The role is 
vital in establishing and maintaining good 
working relationships with governmental and 
university departments. The project’s focus 
requires the Project Manager have a strong 
background in tobacco cessation programs and 
their evaluation, as well as experience working 
closely with health research teams. The outcomes 
of the program will need to be carefully 
documented and shared by the Project Manager so 
as to clearly inform DHCS and CMS policy-making 
going forward. The incumbent will also perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications
• BA/BS with a major in a public health and four 
years of experience in administrative analysis or 
operations research; or an equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Minimum of two years’ experience as a project 
manager or research analyst with evidence of 
functional independence in this role;
• Experience with tobacco cessation interventions and/or their evaluation;
• Exceptional skills as an independently functioning project manager;
• Outstanding organizational skills;
• Experience working with health services 
researchers in supportive and/or collaborative roles;
• Demonstrated skill in preparing summary 
reports, decision memos, and issue briefs;
• Ability to independently organize research briefings

To apply online click here. 

For questions, contact Cathy Hoffman at 
415-476-8030 or Catherine.Hoffman@ucsf.edu.

Source: Chris Anderson, UCSD