Melissa Mariñelarena, RN, MPA, CPHQ

Co-founded healthcare quality consulting company focused on quality improvement and healthcare policy.

• Serve as clinical quality measurement expert in areas of quality measurement and healthcare policy.
• Collaborate with public and private sector clients to evaluate and improve programs using appropriate methods for developing and evaluating clinical quality measures.
• Provide expertise in evaluating evidence, reliability, validity, and feasibility of healthcare quality measures.
• Provide technical assistance to clinicians, data scientists, and other stakeholders on appropriate methods for developing, evaluating, and implementing clinical quality measures.

Senior staff member of quality measurement team responsible for execution and oversight of endorsement and selection of quality measures and pre-rulemaking activities.

• Successfully led multiple consensus development process (CDP) projects from initiation to timely submission of key deliverables to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
• Oversaw annual selection and coordination of quality measures for federal public-reporting and performance-based payment programs for hospitals. Simultaneously managed committees of 25 – 30 national healthcare experts and patient representatives to reach consensus on quality measures and provide feedback on policy to CMS.
• Supervised and mentored 20 – 30 staff in hybrid organizational structure.

Responsible for providing counsel and support to Chief Strategist and co-Directors of Center to Champion Nursing in America (CCNA) for Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action.

• Developed standardized data collection tool to measure progress of 51 Action Coalitions and 30 State Implementation Program (SIP) grantees,
• Analyzed Campaign's data and submitted progress reports to Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), AARP Foundation, and other key stakeholders.
• Provided technical assistance to Action Coalitions to support data collection efforts related to nursing workforce, education, and diversity.

Member of Measures Management Special Project Team supporting CMS on healthcare quality measurement projects.

• Created and monitored project plans, timelines, and action plans for HHS interagency workgroup comprised of high-level administrators from CMS, AHRQ, NIH, IHS, ONC, HRSA, CDC, ASPE, OASH, and SAMHSA assigned by Deputy Secretary to align quality measures across Agency.
• Developed standardized forms and other informational materials to be used throughout HHS for quality measurement alignment activities.

Responsible for meeting internal and external requirements for hospital data quality reporting using analytical, statistical, and methodological expertise and skills.

• Created analyses, reports, and graphical presentations of hospital performance in accordance with CMS, TJC, STS, and CHART standards to internal quality departments and senior hospital administration.
• Provided analytic support to quality improvement teams, hospital operations and other departments including Nursing Education, Electronic Information Systems/Health Information Department, and Department of Medicine & Surgery.
• Facilitated communication between CSMC, vendors, and external organizations involved in public reporting of hospital quality data.

Consultant, Performance Measures

January 2010 – January 2011

Provided day-to-day technical oversight of Pressure Ulcer Framework.

• Completed project and submitted deliverables to project funder.
• Responded to email inquiries on past projects.

Project Manager, Performance Measures

June 2008 – January 2010

Responsible for the execution and oversight of multiple CDP projects and completion of project deliverables.

• Developed project plan, timeline, budget, and oversaw committee selection process for multiple CDP projects.
• Collaborated with internal teams and external stakeholders to support committees of 20 – 30 national healthcare experts to reach consensus on quality measures.
• Produced technical reports for publication and submitted key deliverables to project funders.

• Intensive Care Unit, PRN, July 2008 – April 2010
• Interventional Radiology, July 2007 – July 2008
• Intensive Care Unit, May 2004 – July 2007