Join a national organization committed to advancing a movement to race equity and health justice.

Community Catalyst is a leading non-profit national health advocacy organization dedicated to advancing a movement for health equity and justice. We partner with local, state and national advocates to leverage and build power so all people can influence decisions that affect their health. Health systems will not be accountable to people without a fully engaged and organized community voice. That’s why we work every day to ensure people’s interests are represented wherever important decisions about health and health care are made: in communities, state houses and on Capitol Hill. Learn more about our vision for the future in our five-year strategic plan.

Position Summary

The Center for Community Engagement in Health Innovation is seeking a senior policy analyst to join its Hospital Equity and Accountability Project (HEAP). The HEAP team is working to strengthen requirements for hospitals and health systems to address the needs of the communities they serve and advance health equity, and apply a race equity analysis, while building the power of communities to hold their hospitals accountable. Current areas of focus include state and federal policy work aimed at:

  • Requiring health equity assessments of the likely impact on medically-underserved people when hospitals and other health facilities are seeking state or federal approval for proposed consolidation, such as mergers, acquisitions, downsizing and closing. Policy development will build from success in enacting new laws with such requirements in New York and Oregon.
  • Advancing policies that can help address the negative impact of hospital policies refusing to provide certain reproductive services, gender-affirming care and end-of-life treatment options.
  • Developing policy approaches to address the often-negative impact on communities when private equity firms conduct horizontal or vertical consolidations, such as taking over local hospitals, nursing homes, physician practices and other health providers and move to increase debt, lay off staff and reduce services.
  • Strengthening state oversight of newer types of health and health-related facilities, such as urgent care centers, retail health clinics and crisis pregnancy centers.

The Senior Policy Analyst will broadly support our learning community of state and local advocates from across the country by providing strategic advice, policy analysis, model bill templates and accessible written materials about policy approaches to addressing hospital and health industry consolidation. The right candidate for this position will also be poised to serve as a subject matter expert in meetings with state and federal policymakers, allied advocacy organizations and with staff of other programs within Community Catalyst.

This position is included in a collective bargaining unit represented by a staff union, Community Catalyst United, and specific employment terms may be subject to a future Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Supervision:

The Senior Policy Analyst is supervised by the Director of Policy, and will work closely with the Associate Director of HEAP and other HEAP and Center (spell out) team staff.  

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with project management and staff to build and maintain relationships with state and local advocates by providing them policy research and analysis, model bill templates and strategic coaching on their advocacy campaign efforts to advance hospital equity.
  • Monitor policy developments and provide policy analysis and research, including analyzing regulatory and legislative proposals on issues related to hospital equity and accountability.
  • Present and write comment letters, issue briefs, fact sheets, blogs and reports.
  • Coordinate and collaborate with other Community Catalyst programs on crosscutting issues and participate on relevant teams, as necessary.
  • Participate in national and state coalition work, particularly focused on strengthening regulatory oversight of hospitals to enhance their accountability for serving communities and advancing health equity.
  • Conduct research and develop expertise on new policy issues that may arise.
  • Perform other duties as called upon.

Qualifications

Required:

  • Bachelor’s plus 4 years, at least 6 relevant work experience
  • Basic knowledge of how state and federal agencies fund and regulate hospitals and health systems.
  • Demonstrated ability to quickly learn complex areas of health policy, including providing legislative and regulatory analysis.
  • Outstanding writing skills with the ability to convey complex information in writing and orally so that it is easily understood by the public.
  • Strong verbal communications skills, including experience with public speaking, training, facilitating, and/or coaching.
  • Understanding of—and commitment to—building capacity and policy pathways that support communities to meaningfully engage local hospitals and health systems.
  • Experience and knowledge of the political process and its interface with health policy
    • Experience in social change activism such as: legislative advocacy or political/policy issue campaigns; community organizing; working with coalitions and stakeholders; and/or implementing communications strategies
    • Experience working with local, state and/or federal policymakers
  • Demonstrated commitment to social justice, health equity, racial justice, reproductive justice, gender equity and experience working on these issues with a broad range of stakeholders
  • Flexibility and ability to take on and identify emerging policy issues
  • Strong leadership, relationship development and collaboration skills
  • Strong data analysis skills
  • Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks at once, respond to tight timelines, pay attention to detail, and operate independently and effectively in a fast-paced environment
  • Experience working in a multicultural environment

Preferred:

  • Ability to travel in US
  • Strong knowledge of the mechanisms by which state and federal agencies conduct licensing, funding and oversight of health facilities.
  • Knowledge of how hospital policies can lead to refusals of reproductive health services, LGBTQ+-inclusive care and end-of-life options
  • Experience working with consumer and community advocacy organizations
  • Bilingual/bicultural background

Benefits & Salary

  • Salary Range: $62,150 – $77,580
  • Generous paid time off policy
  • Robust benefits package
  • Location: Flexible, can be based anywhere with the USA. If the employee is not based on the East Coast, flexibility in supporting different time zones may be required.

Applicants should submit a resume with a one page cover letter briefly summarizing their interest in and qualifications for the position to: jobs@communitycatalyst.org. Please put “Senior Policy Analyst, HEAP” in the subject line.