In addition to performing the duties of a Quality Improvement Specialist, this role provides additional consultation, leadership and education to managers, supervisors and employees on matters related to performance measurement and quality improvement. Represents Hospital Quality and Patient Safety perspectives and activities on an organizational level, synthesizing a variety of results and initiatives and guiding collaborative efforts toward effective quality planning. Applies professional Quality theories in facilitating diverse groups, delivering public presentations and providing work team leadership.
Essential Functions:
- Provides leadership, consultation, advice and recommendations, coaching, education, and decision-making support to managers, supervisors, employees and professional peers related to clinical practices, adverse outcomes, policies and procedures and performance measurement and quality improvement activities
- Obtains and interprets data from a variety of sources into relevant and cohesive information for the purpose of guiding stakeholders in developing action plans designed to achieve the organization's quality objectives.
- Develops and tracks goals, strategies, tactics, and action plans for the assigned departments and serves as a resource for recommendations and next steps.
- Conducts and oversees investigations into adverse events, developing sufficient documentation to identify and evaluate human factors and system failures for the purpose of recommending changes to prevent recurrence and/or ensure patient safety.
- Integrates the tenets of a 'just culture' into consulting activities and written reports.
- Serves as a primary steward to patient safety and hospital quality on a clinical arena level, pursuing understanding of the services being provided within the arena, the nature of patient needs and the challenges unit and arena staff face in fulfilling assigned roles.
- Demonstrates proficiency in effective communication and negotiation skills.
- Seeks and capitalizes upon opportunities to provide education in performance and quality improvement, human factors and lean/six sigma theories.
- Acts as a leader in issues of performance measurement, quality improvement, and patient safety.
- This job description is not all encompassing.
Qualifications:
Basic Qualifications:
- Three (3) years of experience working in a health care field.
- Three (3) years of applicable quality improvement experience in an acute care setting, such as participating as a quality committee member, involvement with self-governed work teams, abstraction and interpretation of performance data, or demonstrated use of CQI tools and techniques is preferred.
- Bachelor's degree in a healthcare field or equivalent experience.
- Current Oregon or Washington State RN licensure.
- Certified Professional in Health Care Quality (CPHQ) required within twenty-four (24) months of hire for new employees, or by August, 2009 for current HQPS employees.
- Current certification in basic life support / CPR.
- Demonstrated use of Quality processes and tools (Root Cause Analysis, FMEA, Lean, Six Sigma, etc.), Utilization Management, and/or Risk Management principles and practices.
- Demonstrated ability to develop constructive interpersonal and professional relationships with diverse populations (administrators, physicians, nurses, aides, technicians and other personnel).
- Demonstrated self-motivation and ability to work independently and as a contributing team member.
- Proficient in PC based computer skills, as well as Excel and PowerPoint.
- Proficient facilitation and presentation skills preferred.
- Demonstrated knowledge of statistics, systems theory and organizational behavior preferred.
- Exceptional written/oral communication skills, demonstrated ability to facilitate teams and serve as a consultant to diverse groups preferred.
External hires must pass a background check/drug screen.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.