Patient Safety Specialist

Job Description

Job Title: Patient Safety Specialist

Department: Patient Safety

Location: Riedman Campus  

Hours: 40

Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8am-4:30pm

        

SUMMARY

Reporting to the Vice President, Patient Safety Officer, the Patient Safety Specialist is responsible for planning, implementing, directing and/or evaluating patient safety improvement programs throughout the aligned business area. The Patient Safety Specialist will serve as a direct resource with clinical and technical expertise to departments. The Patient Safety Specialist works with teams to ensure the highest possible level of safety, quality, performance, and innovation are achieved. The Patient Safety Specialist will play a critical role in ensuring the well-being and safety of patients within our healthcare organization. This position requires a skilled professional who can develop, implement, and oversee patient safety initiatives to create a health culture of safety, mitigate risks and enhance the overall quality of care provided.

      

RESPONSIBILITIES

Implement Patient Safety Programs:

• Recruit and implement comprehensive unit-based safety programs (CUSP) in alignment with national and international standards.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to address risks and integrate patient safety protocols into existing processes.

• Actively participates in and promotes patient safety improvement activities.

Risk Assessment and Analysis:

• Conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential hazards and vulnerabilities in patient care.

• Analyze patient safety data, incidents, and near misses to proactively address emerging trends and areas for improvement.

• Facilitate event debriefings and analysis (e.g. Learning from Defects, Root Cause Analysis)

Education and Training:

•  Deliver training programs for healthcare staff to enhance awareness and understanding of patient safety principles.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement by providing ongoing education on patient safety topics.

Policy Development:

• Update hospital policies and procedures related to patient safety, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

•  Work collaboratively with relevant departments to ensure consistent implementation of policies across the organization.

Incident Investigation and Reporting:

•  Facilitates entity event management processes.

•  Leads investigations into patient safety incidents, collaborating with relevant stakeholders to determine root causes.

• Develop and implement corrective and preventive action plans based on incident analysis.

• Analyze trends of patient safety incidents, investigations, action plans to identify opportunities for system learning.

•  Synthesizes event analysis and summarizes for various audiences to promote system learning.  

Communication and Advocacy

•  Serve as a liaison between patients, families, and healthcare providers to address concerns related to patient safety.

• Advocate for patient safety initiatives and promote a transparent communication culture within the organization.

Performance Monitoring:

• Establish key Patient Safety performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of patient safety programs.

• Monitor and report on performance metrics, making recommendations for continuous improvement.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Stay abreast of changes in healthcare regulations and standards related to patient safety.

• Ensure the hospital's compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in healthcare management, nursing, or a related field.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in healthcare, quality improvement, or a related field.

• For those with a BSN; valid NYS Registered Nurse License is required.

• Certification in quality improvement, safety, clinical risk management or equivalent (e.g., Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality – CPHQ, Lean, Certified Professional in Patient Safety - CPPS) required or must be obtained within three years of hire.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in healthcare administration, nursing, or a related field preferred.

• Strong understanding of healthcare regulations, accreditation standards, and quality im