Quality Advisor

Sanford Health•Rapid City, SD

About The Position

The Quality Advisor collaborates with leadership to organize, evaluate, assist with, and coordinate planning and implementation of organization-wide approaches to improving outcomes, meeting regulatory requirements, and/or achieving infection prevention program goals. The role supports corporate and local strategic plans through oversight of performance improvement, regulatory compliance activities, and/or infection prevention and control. The Quality Advisor supports informed operational decisions that align with system strategies to improve patient or resident experience and outcomes while reducing patient safety and regulatory risk. The role guides process change from education through sustainability and serves as a communication link and resource for performance improvement, infection prevention surveillance and reporting, healthcare regulations, and patient safety across departments and management. The position involves data and project management; analysis and interpretation of complex information; identifying patterns and key issues; and measuring results. It requires knowledge of regulatory requirements, evidence-based practices, contractual obligations, and organizational policies, along with the ability to maintain confidentiality. The role communicates quality and safety priorities related to high reliability and value-based care and supports a productive work environment through problem solving, critical thinking, conflict management, and team building.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; leadership may consider an associate’s degree and five years of applicable experience in lieu of a bachelor’s degree.
At least two years of experience in a clinical, nursing, healthcare safety, process improvement, infection prevention, accreditation, or healthcare management setting.
Strong computer skills.
Ability to analyze data, interpret complex information, identify patterns and key issues, and evaluate results.
Ability to communicate clearly in writing and verbally and to make independent, timely decisions when circumstances warrant.
Knowledge of basic process-improvement tools and healthcare and medical terminology.
Interpersonal skills for effective interaction with healthcare professionals, physicians, upper-level management, regulatory agency staff, and the general public.
Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and conform to regulatory requirements, evidence-based practices, contractual obligations, and organizational policies.
If licensed as a registered nurse, hold an unencumbered RN license with the State Board of Nursing where nursing practice occurs and/or possess multistate licensure if in a Nurse Licensure Compact state.
Obtain and maintain required department-specific competencies and certifications.

Nice To Haves

If the degree is in nursing, graduation from a nationally accredited nursing program is preferred, including CCNE, ACEN, or NLN CNEA accreditation.
Certification in regulatory accreditation, patient safety, a quality specialty (such as Lean Six Sigma or Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality), or Infection Prevention and Control (CIC®) or equivalent is preferred.

Responsibilities

Collaborate with leadership to plan and implement systematic, organization-wide approaches to improving outcomes, meeting regulatory requirements, and/or achieving infection prevention program goals.
Support corporate and local strategic plans through performance improvement, regulatory compliance, and/or infection prevention and control activities.
Use and teach process-improvement methods related to quality performance, regulatory compliance, or infection prevention.
Support operational decision-making that aligns with system strategies to improve patient/resident experience and outcomes and reduce patient safety and regulatory risk.
Support process changes from education through sustainability.
Serve as a communication link and resource for performance improvement, infection prevention surveillance and reporting, healthcare regulations, and patient safety.
Manage data and projects; analyze and interpret complex information; identify patterns and key issues; and measure and evaluate results.
Analyze data to identify opportunities for improvement.
Communicate quality and safety priorities related to high reliability and value-based care.
Maintain confidentiality and conform to regulatory requirements, evidence-based practices, contractual obligations, and organizational policies.
Demonstrate problem-solving, critical-thinking, conflict-management, team-building, and interpersonal skills when working with healthcare professionals, physicians, upper-level management, regulatory agency staff, and the public.
Make independent, timely decisions when circumstances warrant and communicate in a legible and understandable manner.