Quality and Patient Safety Specialist

About the Role

The 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 cross-functional teams, this specialist supports 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 supporting a portfolio of system-level quality and process improvement projects, including project scope and design, process redesign, implementation testing, performance metric management, and sustainment plans.

Responsibilities

• Demonstrates progressively independent project management skills, including logistics such as project timelines, agenda development, minutes, documents, slide decks, and preparation of reports on project status and activities for various audiences.
• Participates in the development, implementation, and evaluation of programming to promote and advance the organization’s Culture of Safety, utilizing this as the basis for decision-making to support the hospital’s mission and goals.
• Applies working knowledge of patient safety science, IHI model for improvement, lean, or other improvement methodologies and tools.
• Uses 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, including risk surveys and assessments of various departments, services, and systems.
• Ensures effective data management for assigned quality improvement projects. Has knowledge of measurement frameworks and participates in the design, development, and implementation of data collection tools. Oversees and conducts data analysis, ensuring data integrity.
• Provides support and consults to multidisciplinary teams engaged in the development, implementation, and evaluation of quality care initiatives and/or patient safety improvement work.
• Mentors Quality & Patient Safety Associates.
• Interacts with and supports education for a wide variety of personnel throughout the organization, maintaining positive, collaborative, and supportive working relationships with medical staff, nurses, administration, department management, and staff.
• Maintains awareness of legislative and regulatory activities related to quality and patient safety to ensure compliance with regulations concerning patient care, including those mandated by state, federal agencies, and the Joint Commission risk management standards.
• Actively participates in Joint Commission readiness preparation and surveys, as well as other surveys guided by department leadership.
• Periodically reports on quality and patient safety matters and prepares reports for department and committees.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Sr Director of Risk Quality & Patient Safety or Executive leadership of Quality and Patient Safety.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree required. Graduate degree (Masters) preferred.
• Concentration in nursing, science, or other healthcare-related field; public health preferred.
• Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: RN, allied health degree preferred; CPHQ and/or CPPS preferred.

Experience

• With RN certification: 3-5 years of clinical care/healthcare experience, with a minimum of 1 year in patient safety/quality improvement/risk management.
• Without RN certification: 3-5 years of clinical care/healthcare experience, with a minimum of 3 years' relevant work experience in quality and patient safety required in lieu of degree/license.

Skills

• Demonstrated knowledge and use of patient safety science, quality improvement methodologies, and tools.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to deal effectively with administrative and clinical leadership, staff, Clinical Chairpersons, and other healthcare professionals.
• Ability to effectively interview individuals and groups from diverse professional backgrounds.
• Maintains strict confidentiality of information.
• Ability to collect event information and organize it into a coherent narrative.
• Highly self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adhere to work deadlines.
• Ability to inspire trust and be seen as someone who provides support and assistance.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent presentation skills, including the ability to speak before large audiences and prepare PowerPoint presentations.
• Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Office; ability to learn new computer applications such as adverse event reporting software.

Pay

Compensation range: $78,000.00 - $113,000.00. This range offers an estimate based on minimum job qualifications. Base pay is determined by education, experience, skills, certifications/licensures, business/organizational needs, internal equity, and market competitiveness. The range is based on Boston-area data and is subject to modification based on geographic location.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and pharmacy benefits.
• Discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases.
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• 403(b) savings matches.
• Paid time off.
• Career advancement opportunities.
• Resources to support employee and family well-being.

Schedule

Full Time