Senior Quality and Patient Safety Specialist, Surgery

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Quality & Patient Safety Specialist plays a key role in supporting the development, implementation, management and sustainment of an organization-wide system of quality and safety. Working with the Quality & Patient Safety team and organizational cross-functional teams, the Quality & Patient Safety specialist will support activities to strengthen the culture of safety with the goal of improving the reliability of a complex system. Staff in this role are responsible for independently leading a portfolio of system-level quality/process improvement projects from project scope and design, process redesign, implementation testing, performance metric management, and sustainment plans.

Position:  Senior Quality and Patient Safety Specialist

Department: Surgery      

Schedule: Full Time

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

Independently creates and executes all aspects of project plans by leading, facilitating and managing multi-disciplinary quality and patient safety improvement projects; over sees and manages project management and logistics such as project timelines, agenda development, minutes and documents, slide decks and preparation of reports on project status and activities to various audiences; provides management oversight for organization wide advancement of the culture of safety.

Demonstrates independence in use of patient safety science, IHI model for improvement, lean or other improvement methodologies and tools. Demonstrates independent project management skills.

Demonstrates ability to manage multiple improvement projects simultaneously.

Proactively seeks to identify circumstances that present or potentially pose a threat to quality and patient safety systems.

Performs risk surveys and assessments of various departments, services and systems.

Participates in activities to use the incident reporting database to identify trends and opportunities to improve patient safety.  Participates in follow-up action plans required to minimize patient safety risks.

Leads development, implementation and evaluation of programming to promote the BMC Culture of Safety.

Uses clinical practice experience and knowledge of clinical workflow when leading interdisciplinary teams engaged in complex clinical quality and patient safety improvement work. Ensures national practice standards are incorporated into project work plans.

Mentors Quality & Patient Safety Associates and Quality & Patient Safety Specialists.

Interacts with and supports education for a wide variety of personnel throughout BMC including administration, clinicians, staff, senior management and Department Chairpersons on quality initiatives and patient safety science, including culture of safety and principles of high reliability.

Serves as database administrator, as requested by department leadership.

Help to ensure compliance with various codes, laws, rules and regulations concerning patient care, including those mandated by state, federal agencies and compliance with the Joint Commission risk management standards.

Actively participates in in Joint Commission readiness preparation and surveys, and other surveys as guided by the department leadership.

Maintain awareness of legislative and regulatory activities related to quality and patient safety.

Helps ensure that quality and patient safety policies and procedures are communicated to employees. 

Assists clinical chairs and department chiefs to design Quality & Patient Safety programs specific to their individual areas.

Periodically reports on patient safety matters and prepare reports for various committees and boards.

Utilizes hospital’s cultural beliefs as the basis for decision making and to support the hospital’s mission and goals.

Other duties as assigned by Quality & Patient Safety Manager or Executive leadership of Quality and Patient Safety.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

BSN required. Masters in Nursing preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

Clinical degree required: RN. CPHQ required. CPPS preferred

EXPERIENCE:

5+ years’ experience combined in clinical care and healthcare administration; minimum 3 years’ experience in clinical quality /patient safety

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Demonstrated knowledge and use of patient safety science, quality improvement methodologies / tools, and ability to lead effective teams
• Must have interpersonal skills necessary to deal effectively with a administrative and  clinical le