Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation Welcomes New Senior Director of Programs Susan Kirchoff

September 11 2012 – The Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation (Quality Corp) today announced that Susan Kirchoff has joined the organization as the new senior director of programs. Kirchoff is leading Quality Corp’s programs to improve the quality and affordability of health care in Oregon, including the newly forming Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Institute (PCPCH Institute) that will provide technical assistance to help clinics adopt a patient-centered approach to care.

“We are delighted to welcome Susan to the Quality Corp team,” says Mylia Christensen, executive director of Quality Corp. “Susan’s wide ranging experience, leadership skills and commitment to transforming care will help Quality Corp in its efforts to support Oregon’s rapidly changing health care environment.”

Kirchoff joins Quality Corp with more than 20 years of experience in successfully leading key health care initiatives. Most recently, Kirchoff was the director of health centers operations for the Multnomah County Health Department where she administered operations for a number of health clinics across the county. Kirchoff has also held executive positions with Providence Health & Services and has served on the Oregon Health Policy Board Workforce Development Taskforce. She is also the co-chair of the Oregon Health Authority Patient-Centered Primary Care Home Standards Advisory Committee and a national speaker on patient centered medical home strategies.

Kirchoff’s leadership in the development and implementation of the patient-centered medical home model will be extended to the new PCPCH Institute. In July 2012, the Oregon Health Authority, in partnership with the Northwest Health Foundation, awarded $1.3 million to Quality Corp to establish the PCPCH Institute, a public private partnership focused on supporting primary care transformation. In her new role, Kirchoff will facilitate a collaborative and open process to establish the PCPCH Institute, beginning with the appointment of a multi-stakeholder Expert Oversight Panel. The PCPCH Institute will invite proposals from interested technical assistance providers and the expert panel will oversee the selection process. Kirchoff will also have senior level management responsibilities for the strategic oversight and management of additional Quality Corp programs and services.