Program Director, Patient Safety

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health•Lebanon, NH

About The Position

The Program Director, Patient Safety, will work to establish Dartmouth Health as a leader in safety performance in accordance with the organization's core mission, vision, and values. The role facilitates system-wide implementation of High Reliability Organization (HRO) principles as the operating model across administrative, nursing, and medical leadership, and leads development and implementation of Dartmouth Health's vision for best-in-class safety performance across all care delivery locations. The Program Director leads system-wide HRO implementation, patient safety improvement, event analysis and reporting, safety culture initiatives, and compliance efforts related to Joint Commission standards and National Patient Safety Goal requirements. The position also serves as a patient safety subject matter expert and leads the Dartmouth Health Safety Committee.

Requirements

Advanced/graduate degree in a clinical discipline.
Experience building and coordinating a highly competent team focused on patient safety.
At least 10 years of experience leading organization/system-wide patient safety programs.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Excellent organizational, motivational, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interface well at multiple levels within a large organization.
Professional and positive approach to building relationships and gaining credibility with senior executives.
Certified in Patient Safety (CPPS).

Nice To Haves

Experience with the Press Ganey High Reliability Platform (HRP) is desired.

Responsibilities

Promotes awareness of safety improvement needs by educating others on HRO principles and identifying opportunities to prevent patient and workplace harm.
Supports analysis of events involving harm to patients, families, and team members; develops proactive strategies to address root causes and communicates improvement and prevention efforts across the health system.
Collaborates with risk management and legal teams to oversee event reporting, apparent and root cause analyses, participation in the Patient Safety Organization (PSO), and proactive identification of organizational safety vulnerabilities.
Promotes improved recognition and reporting of harm events and robust action plan management.
Expands Dartmouth Health's vision to prioritize safety as a foundation of patient-centered care, leveraging HRO strategies to improve quality of care and the overall patient experience.
Leads the Dartmouth Health Safety Committee, consisting of leaders from clinical and non-clinical operations, including the Office of Graduate Medical Education.
Oversees system-wide HRO implementation, including confirming resource availability, identifying competing organizational priorities, and developing an implementation timeline.
Oversees the design, development, and deployment of HRO leadership skills and a universal behavior toolkit for clinical and non-clinical employees.
Serves as a subject matter expert in patient safety and shares expertise during orientation, management training, and formal educational settings, as requested.
Establishes strategies to improve the quality of event reporting and strengthen patient safety culture through safety stories, shared learning, transparency, and effective communication across the health system.
Partners closely with Dartmouth Health Marketing and Communications and oversees patient safety communications during morning safety huddles, apparent and root cause analyses, and network leadership forums.
Collaborates with leadership teams across the organization to drive compliance with Joint Commission standards, with a focus on National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) requirements.
Identifies and develops strategies to address compliance gaps and coordinates system-wide policies, procedures, and practices to maintain alignment with current standards.
Performs other duties as assigned or required.