Quality Specialist

Under the leadership of the Quality Director, the Quality Specialist will assist with the development, implementation, and evaluation of the hospital’s overall Quality and Patient Safety program that includes Infection Prevention, Risk/Patient Safety, Performance Improvement, and Physician Peer Review programs.

• Certification in Quality (CPHQ) or another healthcare quality discipline preferred.
• Current RN license in the state of Tennessee or compact state if RN.

• 3-5 years of experience in nursing or acute care setting.
• Proficiency with standard Microsoft Office products required; experience in electronic database management and systems development preferred
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and know when to share confidential information with the proper individuals within the organization is an essential skill for this position
• Must possess strong problem solving, interpersonal, and presentation skills
• Must be able to work both independently as well as collaboratively within all levels of the organization including physicians, employees, and management staff
• Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing in a professional, clear, and concise manner; an understanding of how to effectively communicate both positive and negative outcomes is critical to this role
• Ability to function effectively, independently, and efficiently in a stressful and dynamic work environment
• Basic understanding of quality improvement processes, tools and techniques, quality measurement and reporting, accreditation and regulatory standards, root cause analysis, and process analysis

• Works with Director of Quality to plan, design, implement, and maintain a comprehensive and continuous quality improvement (CQI) program. Assists in educating new staff, including physicians, about QI systems and requirements. 
• Assists the Risk/Patient Safety Officer in conducting deep dives, focused reviews, and Root Cause Analyses for clinical adverse events and near miss events; develops action plans to reduce risk of recurrence; follows the progress of these action plans to provide support and escalate for assistance as needed. 
• Identifies quality improvement opportunities and participates in quality improvement initiatives in assigned roles as delegated. 
• Performs accurate concurrent and retrospective review, as needed to support performance improvement activities in conjunction with the goals of the Quality Department. 
• Performs tracers and observations of clinical practices to assess compliance with established standards for The Joint Commission, CMS, and other regulatory bodies. 
• Assists with the development, implementation and revision of the medical staff's QI program to meet the needs of patients, staff, and external agencies. 
• Performs other related duties as assigned