Clinical Education Specialist
Upward Health
Company Overview:
Upward Health is an in-home, multidisciplinary medical group providing 24/7 whole-person care. Our clinical team treats physical, behavioral, and social health needs when and where a patient needs help. Everyone on our team from our doctors, nurses, and Care Specialists to our HR, Technology, and Business Services staff are driven by a desire to improve the lives of our patients. We are able to treat a wide range of needs – everything from addressing poorly controlled blood sugar to combatting anxiety to accessing medically tailored meals – because we know that health requires care for the whole person. It’s no wonder 98% of patients report being fully satisfied with Upward Health!
Job Title & Role Description:
The Clinical Education Specialist is responsible for assessing training needs for clinical teams, then designing and delivering effective educational solutions. This includes creating comprehensive training materials, communications, and hands-on activities that support learning objectives. The role involves developing engaging online self-paced courses, instructor-led sessions, and “train-the-trainer” programs to ensure consistent knowledge transfer.
In addition to developing educational content, the Clinical Education Specialist will coordinate scheduling and, when necessary, provide training for established staff on clinical processes and programs that impact Clinical Operations. Educational materials may include, but are not limited to, clinical guidelines, updated operational processes, technology enhancements, and information related to patient populations. Ongoing responsibilities include updating and maintaining educational documents to reflect process changes and program improvements.
This role is critical to Upward’s Clinical Operations Team, ensuring staff education is accurate, timely, and grounded in adult learning principles and best practices. The Clinical Education Specialist serves as the point person for finalizing and deploying materials related to core or market-specific clinical processes and programs. Collaboration is key, working closely with Clinical Training and Development Specialists, Clinical Program Specialists, Process Analysts, Quality, and Clinical Excellence teams to implement changes through clear communications and engaging training for optimal adoption.
The ideal candidate is flexible and willing to work in an early-stage company with the expectation that the scope of services and initiatives will evolve. They are skilled at gathering stakeholder requirements, leveraging available resources, and partnering with subject matter experts to design effective training solutions that align with the learning and behavioral objectives identified by stakeholders. This will be a dynamic environment that requires adaptability, dedication, and a commitment to improving care for underserved populations.
Core Responsibilities:
- Support the Clinical Process Excellence Team’s strategic plans by developing and implementing clinical program and process related educational materials.
- Utilize clinical guidelines, as defined by the Clinical Excellence department, to create educational programs that ensure care teams follow Upward Health’s best practices for disease management.
- Develop project plans for training solutions, including scope, timelines, resources, feasibility, and risk assessment.
- Apply principles of adult learning and training best practices to design effective and innovative training solutions.
- Leverage and modify existing training solutions to meet current needs through updates, revisions, or repurposing for new audiences.
- Create maintenance plans for training solutions to ensure ongoing relevance and effectiveness.
- Assist in delivering instructor-led, role-based training for new and existing employees.
- Provide hands-on learning activities through application demos and self-directed exercises.
- Write scripts and talking points for learning activities (e.g., trainer, audio, video, case studies).
- Develop supporting documents for learning activities (e.g., quick reference guides, job aids, trainer/learner guides, and visual/audio aids).
- Engage with learners and stakeholders post-training to gather feedback, evaluate effectiveness, and incorporate improvements into learning solutions.
Skills Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, another clinical discipline, Business, Education, Public Health, or equivalent.
- 3+ years of experience in training development and facilitation.
- Proficiency with tools and resources used to develop training content (e.g., MS Office Suite, LMS platforms, eLearning authoring tools, and video development software).
- Previous experience in document management.
- Strong ability to tailor educational materials for a variety of end users, including Community Health Workers, Nurses, and Providers.
- Excellent written, oral, and computer communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with various stakeholders.
- Ability to manage time effectively and prioritize tasks.
- Strong attention to detail.
- A high sense of urgency and a can-do attitude required for success in a rapidly growing company.
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Health, or a related field is preferred.
- Certified Health Education Specialist is preferred.
- Experience developing educational programs or document management systems from the ground up.
- Training development and facilitation experience specifically within the healthcare industry.
- Proficiency with tools and resources used to create training content (e.g., Articulate, Adobe Suite, SnagIt, Vyond, Camtasia, video development software) is preferred.
Key Behaviors:
Adaptability & Flexibility:
- Adjust educational content and clinical training programs in response to evolving clinical guidelines, new initiatives, and stakeholder feedback.
- Modify existing training solutions through updates, revisions, or repurposing to meet current and emerging instructional needs.
- Maintain flexibility with scheduling and delivery methods to support training timelines, including occasional nights and weekends.
Attention to Detail:
- Review clinical guidelines, workflows, and training materials with attention to accuracy, clarity, and alignment with clinical practice standards.
- Ensure that all training materials—including those developed from content created by other teams or subject matter experts—are thoroughly reviewed for accuracy, aligned with approved clinical guidelines and workflows, and validated by key stakeholders prior to implementation.
Communication & Influence:
- Crafts concise communications—including announcements, updates, and reference materials—to sustain awareness and engagement.
- Deliver instructor‑led and role‑specific training sessions using clear scripts, talking points, and supporting materials that promote consistent, high‑quality learning experiences.
Efficiency & Time Management:
- Manage multiple training projects, stakeholder needs, and development timelines to deliver high‑quality learning solutions efficiently.
- Engage learners and stakeholders post‑training to gather feedback, evaluate program effectiveness, and incorporate recommended improvements into future updates.
Leadership & Accountability:
- Lead the design, implementation, and continuous refinement of clinical education programs.
- Hold responsibility for ensuring training solutions are evidence‑based, aligned with Clinical Process Excellence direction, and effective in improving clinical practice and outcomes.
- Validate materials with subject matter experts and key stakeholders before training is delivered to ensure clinical and operational integrity.
Problem Solving & Decision Making:
- Apply clinical knowledge and evidence-based research to develop education and training solutions that reinforce best practices for disease management.
- Identify training needs, operational gaps, and risks, and implement adjustments to improve program effectiveness and learner performance.
Competencies:
Clinical Education Development:
- Support change management efforts by providing clear, accessible education that helps teams adopt new processes or technologies.
- Balance stakeholder needs to ensure training solutions meet operational requirements and learner expectations.
- Translate identified needs into clear, measurable learning objectives that guide educational program design.
Clinical Education Expertise:
- Conduct thorough assessments using data, stakeholder input, and performance insights to determine educational gaps across clinical teams.
- Evaluate training effectiveness through learner feedback, outcomes, assessments, and behavior change indicators.
- Identify opportunities for improvement, adjusting content and delivery methods based on performance metrics and stakeholder insights.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Teamwork:
- Build strong relationships with Clinical Operations, Clinical Excellence, and other cross-functional partners.
- Actively listen to team members and stakeholders and integrates their feedback into education.
Instructional Design:
- Apply adult learning theory and evidence‑based instructional design models (e.g., ADDIE) to create engaging, relevant training programs.
- Design multi‑modal learning experiences, including eLearning, scenario-based activities, and instructor-led sessions.
- Write high‑quality scripts, guides, and case studies that support consistent, accurate, and engaging instruction.
Training Delivery & Facilitation:
- Deliver engaging, learner‑centered trainings that adapt to various experience levels and roles.
- Facilitate instructor-led, hands‑on, and “train‑the‑trainer” programs to support the scaling of knowledge across the organization.
Project Management:
- Develop structured project plans for multiple simultaneous training initiatives, clearly defining scope, timelines, deliverables, and resource needs for each program.
- Organize parallel workstreams to ensure education programs move efficiently through development, review, revision, and approval stages.
- Establish milestones and structured review checkpoints to maintain alignment with Clinical Process Excellence priorities and stakeholder expectations.
Upward Health is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to attracting, retaining, and maximizing the performance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. This job description is a general outline of duties performed and is not to be misconstrued as encompassing all duties performed within the position.