Quality Management Consultant

Veterans Health Administration • New Orleans, LA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Quality Management Consultant (QMC) facilitates compliance with Veterans Health Administration directives, local policies, and national guidance, and supports service- and hospital-wide performance improvement activities. The QMC works with the Accreditation Coordinator on intra-cycle accreditation monitoring and related activities and is responsible to the Assistant Chief of Quality Management (ACQM) for formulating and implementing performance improvement activities. The position is collaboratively counseled and evaluated by the ACQM.

The QMC helps services stay informed about current The Joint Commission (TJC) standards and changes, identifies compliance weaknesses and implementation issues for Quality Management leadership, supports keeping policies and procedures current, and uses TJC Accreditation Manager Plus and Joint Commission Resources tools to assess survey readiness. The consultant works with leadership to plan corrective actions and improve survey performance, and coordinates preparation for external reviews by regulatory and accrediting bodies.

The role also reviews external-review reports, tracks recommendations through completion, and collaborates on national performance measures and improvement plans. In partnership with the Patient Safety Manager and Infection Control Nurses, the QMC identifies patient-safety and infection-control concerns, plans corrective actions, and supports sustained improvement. The position performs other duties as needed to support safety, effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, quality, risk mitigation, and appropriately tailored interventions.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., subject to facility needs. Telework is ad hoc only; this is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• Graduate from an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or meet the stated qualifying nursing education provisions for bridge-program or foreign-educated nursing graduates.
• Hold a current, full, active, and unrestricted registered professional nurse license in a U.S. state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia, subject to the stated Graduate Nurse Technician exception.
• Meet the education, specialized nursing experience, and dimension criteria for the assigned Nurse grade and level.
• Demonstrate basic written and spoken English proficiency for direct patient-care positions.
• Meet VA employment conditions, including U.S. citizenship except where policy permits otherwise, required background/security investigation, pre-employment drug testing for testing-designated positions, pre-employment physical evaluation, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Complete the online onboarding process and all application requirements specified in the announcement.
• Provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements; after May 7, 2025, non-REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or state identification cards are not acceptable forms of identification.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced use and experience with Excel and Microsoft Office.
• Experience with CPRS and VISTA.
• Detail orientation and experience with data analytics and reporting data.
• Expertise with TJC, CARF, and OIG standards and survey processes.
• Ability to support programs involved with accreditation.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate compliance with VHA directives, local policies, and national guidance.
• Facilitate service- and hospital-wide performance improvement activities and formulate and implement activities in coordination with the ACQM.
• Work with the Accreditation Coordinator on intra-cycle accreditation monitoring and related activities.
• Keep service staff apprised of current TJC standards and changes or clarifications.
• Inform Quality Management leadership of compliance discrepancies, weak areas, and implementation issues.
• Facilitate the development and maintenance of current policies and procedures.
• Use TJC Accreditation Manager Plus and Joint Commission Resources tools to assess survey readiness.
• Collaborate with leadership to plan corrective actions and improve survey performance.
• Plan and coordinate preparation for external reviews and maintenance of standards for regulatory and accrediting bodies, including EPA, GAO, LTC, OIG, OSHA, and TJC.
• Review external-review reports, compile recommendations, and track them through completion.
• Collaborate with the Performance Measures Coordinator and EPRP reviewer to determine facility performance on national performance measures.
• Work with the EPRP Coordinator to identify improvement opportunities and develop plans with managers and leaders.
• Collaborate with the Patient Safety Manager on patient-safety issues and corrective actions.
• Remain vigilant for patient-safety and infection-control issues throughout the medical center.
• Work with the Patient Safety Manager and Infection Control Nurses to plan corrective actions and measures for sustained improvement.
• Perform other duties as needed to support safety, effectiveness, timeliness, efficiency, quality, risk mitigation, and appropriately tailored interventions.

Benefits

• Competitive salary, regular salary increases, and potential performance awards.
• 50 days of paid time off per year: 26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree