Quality Improvement Healthcare Specialist IV

University of California, San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

15d

About The Position

The Quality Improvement (QI) Specialist leads and supports service-line and clinical outcomes-based improvement work within UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals’ Oakland and San Francisco Emergency Departments. The role partners with physicians, nurses, and administrative leadership to monitor, evaluate, and improve quality and safety; develop short- and long-term goals; manage quality and safety initiatives; analyze data from multiple sources; and contribute to staff and faculty education in QI methodologies. The specialist provides technical expertise and leadership, supporting physician and nursing leaders in sustaining and improving quality and safety performance. Applying extensive knowledge of QI data analysis, improvement methodologies, and data collection and abstraction, the specialist supports projects of substantial scope and complexity through assessment, planning, improvement, and maintenance. The role evaluates processes and outcomes using qualitative and quantitative data and analytical methods such as statistical process control (SPC), communicates with clinical and non-clinical stakeholders, and develops tools, documents, sustainability methods, and presentations. The specialist promotes a culture of safety and continuous improvement and helps hold participants accountable for 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, training 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 the ability to lead a team, prioritize tasks, and complete projects on schedule.
Advanced critical thinking and problem-solving skills to manage complex information and responsibilities, assess problems quickly, and develop and implement timely, effective solutions.
Advanced interpersonal skills for collaboration with clinical and technical staff at all levels and representatives of external regulatory agencies, and for mentoring lower-level QI staff.
Advanced verbal and written communication skills to convey complex clinical, technical, and educational information and produce high-quality reports, documentation, and presentations.
Advanced knowledge of administrative and business software packages and specialized quality data management applications.
Advanced skills in influencing and persuading staff, management, and clinicians across departments.
Bachelor’s degree in nursing or another healthcare profession, or a comparable combination of 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

Support clinical areas with data management activities and projects involving significant clinical complexity and organizational scope.
Develop relevant department and service quality indicators, structures, and measures.
Oversee, analyze, and strategically use division-level QI data to inform decisions, identify performance gaps, and drive measurable improvements in clinical quality and safety.
Maintain ownership of division QI data, build and maintain outcomes data with QI Macros, and construct and validate datasets with appropriate oversight.
Research best practices and improve 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 visualizations and identify statistical trends, problems, and potential issues in patient care and services.
Participate in or lead clinical department 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 on 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 new QI initiatives and provide hands-on support for division QI projects, including projects led by physician leaders.
Independently guide projects through a full QI methodology, from problem definition through PDSA cycles and sustainment planning, with minimal input from QI Directors.
Help reduce bottlenecks in existing initiatives and advise others on complex QI issues involving functionality, efficiency, performance improvement, and program development.
Perform other duties as assigned.