Quality & Patient Safety Specialist

Emory Healthcare•Atlanta, GA

2d•$48 - $57•Onsite

About The Position

The Quality and Patient Safety Specialist develops, implements, and monitors programs that promote high standards of patient care, safety, and satisfaction. The role collaborates with clinical and non-clinical staff to support regulatory compliance, improve care delivery, and foster continuous improvement. Responsibilities span project management, patient safety initiatives, quality improvement, regulatory readiness, data analysis, staff education, incident management, risk management, and performance improvement. The position is located in Atlanta, Georgia. The specialist coordinates safety programs and investigations, develops strategies and protocols to prevent errors and adverse events, and uses evidence-based methods such as Plan-Do-Study-Act, Lean, and Six Sigma to improve clinical outcomes. The role also collects and analyzes quality data, reports findings to stakeholders and leadership, educates staff, and helps prepare the organization for surveys, audits, and inspections.

Requirements

Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in a healthcare setting, with exposure to quality improvement and patient safety.
Master’s degree in nursing, healthcare administration, or a related field.
Candidates with more than 5 years of extensive relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a master’s degree; a bachelor’s degree is required for these candidates.

Nice To Haves

Clinical background, such as RN or PT.
Lean Six Sigma or equivalent quality improvement certification, or a quality and safety certification such as CPHQ or CPPS; highly desirable.
Familiarity with regulatory and accreditation processes and a deep understanding of regulations and accreditation requirements.
Strong analytical skills and ability to interpret data and identify actionable insights.
Excellent communication and leadership skills, with experience educating staff, engaging leadership, and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to achieve goals.
Familiarity with healthcare analytics tools and software, with proficiency in quality data analysis tools such as Excel and Tableau.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute project plans for multidisciplinary quality and patient safety projects; manage timelines, agendas, minutes, documents, presentations, and progress reporting.
Coordinate and facilitate patient safety programs, including risk assessments, incident reporting, and root cause analyses.
Develop and implement strategies to reduce medical errors and improve safety outcomes.
Design, implement, and evaluate quality improvement projects using evidence-based methodologies such as Plan-Do-Study-Act, Lean, and Six Sigma.
Monitor clinical outcomes, analyze trends, and recommend changes to improve care delivery.
Ensure adherence to accrediting-body standards, assist with survey preparation and follow-up, and participate in readiness surveys.
Review and facilitate interpretation of regulations and standards to advise leadership and staff.
Collect, analyze, and report quality metrics and safety data; use data visualization tools to present findings; identify trends and improvement opportunities; and generate reports for leadership and regulatory bodies.
Educate and train staff on quality and safety initiatives, policies, best practices, incident reporting, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance.
Promote awareness of quality and safety initiatives and encourage reporting of near misses.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to foster a culture of safety and quality and serve as a resource to staff and leadership.
Partner with staff to investigate patient safety events and near-misses, document findings, and implement preventive measures.
Collaborate in managing adverse-event reporting and regulatory compliance processes.
Design and facilitate implementation of policies to prevent medical errors, adverse events, and infections.
Collaborate with clinical and administrative teams to minimize patient risks and manage responses to adverse events, including patient communication and process review.
Lead or participate in performance improvement projects and develop strategies to enhance patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Prepare the organization for external audits and inspections and stay updated on changes in healthcare laws and standards.