Quality Improvement Specialist - Patient Safety and Quality

Hackensack Meridian Health•Perth Amboy, NJ

23h•$92,144

About The Position

The Quality Improvement Specialist works with regional and system quality and safety leaders and local patient safety and quality leadership to guide quality and safety improvement initiatives. The role collaborates with initiative-focused groups, clinical transformation services, and quality councils to achieve sustainable improvements through project and program management, process and system mapping, reliability science, data-driven strategies, evidence-based practices, and quality improvement methods. Knowledge of front-line clinical operations helps provide structure and oversight for improving quality and patient safety and strengthening a sustainable culture of safety for patients and team members.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in healthcare or health science.
Five years of experience in health care.
Proficiency with computer applications and software, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to present to different organizational levels.
NPSF Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) certification within one year of hire.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree and/or professional degree and certification.
Performance improvement experience.
Experience in statistics or clinical research.
Understanding of The Joint Commission and regulatory standards.
Certified Professional in Patient Safety certification.

Responsibilities

Facilitate and lead teams focused on quality and safety initiatives, and develop ways to engage and develop team members in improvement work.
Identify improvement priorities based on evidence-based practice and applicable regulatory and accrediting requirements.
Bring safety and quality events, concerns, and needs to local morning safety huddles.
Encourage event reporting and transparency to identify precursor and safety events.
Identify and implement data-driven strategies to support team success.
Use the Quality Scorecard to drive improvement work.
Provide expert knowledge, leadership, and mentoring in patient safety and quality initiatives using safety and high-reliability science.
Work with personnel at all levels to develop and coordinate patient safety programs, providing coaching and hands-on support.
Create and maintain timely, thorough progress reports, including key driver diagrams, run charts, and PDSA testing documentation.
Develop metrics and report quality and safety measures that demonstrate improvement across the medical center and network.
Provide timely, actionable feedback and reports to clinical, administrative, and support staff.
Analyze and investigate event reports related to assigned clinical areas.
Ensure appropriate event referral and follow-up, including escalation for regulatory reporting.
Promote transparency, high reliability, and safety culture by participating in and facilitating safety huddles, patient safety activities, just culture reinforcement, and shared learning.
Facilitate the NPSF RCA-2 process as needed and guide shared learning within clinical areas and across the institution and network.
Disseminate improvement methods, results, and lessons learned to advance safety and quality improvement.
Present improvement methods and results at local, national, and international forums.
Monitor standards of practice for compliance with internal and external regulatory and accrediting requirements, including The Joint Commission, New Jersey and federal codes such as DOH and OSHA, and professional review organizations.
Analyze performance trends and compare data over time with internal and external benchmarks to identify improvement opportunities and progress.
Coordinate and mentor team members in quality projects and assist unit councils with performance improvement work.
Attend root cause analysis meetings related to assigned initiative-focused groups, clinical transformation services, or quality council areas.
Promote patient and team member safety by identifying actual or potential safety issues.
Pursue professional growth through seminars, workshops, and professional networking.
Adhere to Hackensack Meridian Health organizational competency standards.