Quality Improvement Healthcare Specialist IV

UCSF•San Francisco, CA

16d

About The Position

The Quality Improvement (QI) Specialist leads and supports service-line and clinical outcomes-based improvement work within the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals (BCH) Emergency Departments in Oakland and San Francisco. The role partners with physicians, nurses, and administrative leadership to monitor, evaluate, and improve quality and safety by developing short- and long-term goals, managing a portfolio of initiatives, conducting complex analyses from multiple data sources, and helping educate and develop faculty and staff in QI methodologies. The specialist provides technical expertise and leadership in Quality and Safety, supporting the collaborative work of physician and nursing leadership and helping sustain and improve quality and safety performance. The role applies extensive knowledge of quality data analysis, improvement concepts and methodologies, and data collection and abstraction techniques to projects of substantial scope and complexity. It is involved throughout the assessment, planning, improvement, and maintenance phases of quality and safety projects. The position evaluates processes and outcomes using qualitative and quantitative data and analytical methods such as statistical process control (SPC). It requires effective communication with clinical and non-clinical stakeholders and the ability to develop tools, documents, sustainability data methods, and presentations. The QI Specialist is expected to promote a culture of safety and continuous improvement and hold others accountable for their role in improving quality performance. The Department of Emergency Medicine provides emergency care to more than 177,000 patients annually across UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals at Mission Bay and Oakland, and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center. Its administrative and research staff support faculty, attending physicians, residency and fellowship programs, housestaff, and students. The department’s vision is to lead in compassionate, innovative, and equitable emergency care for all people at all times.

Requirements

At least 5 years of related experience.
In-depth knowledge of QI standards, clinical chart review and abstraction, and regulatory requirements.
In-depth knowledge of QI models, tools, and techniques, including data collection, abstraction, validation, analysis, and reporting, and use of performance and benchmark indicators.
Advanced organizational and project management skills, including leading teams, prioritizing tasks, and completing projects on schedule.
Advanced critical-thinking and problem-solving skills to manage complex information and responsibilities, assess problems, and develop and implement timely, effective solutions.
Advanced interpersonal skills to collaborate with clinical and technical staff at all levels, work with representatives of external regulatory agencies, and mentor lower-level QI staff.
Advanced ability to communicate complex clinical, technical, and educational information verbally and in writing, and produce high-quality reports, documentation, and presentations.
Advanced knowledge of administrative and business software and specialized quality data management applications.
Advanced ability to influence and persuade staff, management, and clinicians across departments.
Bachelor’s degree in nursing or another healthcare profession, or a combination of comparable clinical education and/or experience.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in public health, healthcare administration, business, or a related area, and/or equivalent combination of experience and training.
Registered Nurse license.
Certification from a reputable organization in QI, process improvement, or Lean, such as CPHQ, IHI IA, or a Lean Six Sigma Belt.

Responsibilities

Lead oversight, analysis, and strategic use of division-level QI data to inform decisions, identify performance gaps, and drive measurable improvements in clinical quality and safety.
Own and understand the division’s QI data; build and maintain outcomes data with QI Macros.
Construct and validate datasets with oversight from RN/MD process owners or Quality and Safety directors, as applicable.
Research best practices and develop and implement improvements to data collection and reporting processes or systems.
Analyze and interpret highly complex data, summarize statistical findings, and develop reports, dashboards, presentations, action plans, and executive summaries.
Develop SPC charts and other QI methodology visualizations.
Identify statistical trends, problems, and potential issues in patient care and services.
Participate in or lead clinical project teams investigating issues, developing and implementing corrective plans, and monitoring their effectiveness.
Prepare incident reports and conduct QI reviews of complex mortality cases, sentinel events, readmissions, and other cases flagged by screening criteria.
Identify cases requiring urgent review and collaborate with management to develop and implement appropriate responses.
Participate in or lead clinical and technical teams on broad-scope projects using advanced QI models to develop plans, criteria, and benchmarks.
Project-manage assigned QI initiatives and provide hands-on support for division QI projects, including those led by physician leaders.
Independently guide projects through a full QI methodological approach, such as A3.
Own the QI process from problem definition through PDSA cycles and sustainment planning, with minimal input from QI Directors.
Reduce bottlenecks on existing initiatives where applicable.
Serve as a technical leader, advising and counseling others on complex QI issues involving functionality, efficiency, performance improvement, and program development.
Perform other duties as assigned.