Registered Nurse - Chief of Quality

Veterans Health Administration • Syracuse, NY

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Registered Nurse - Chief of Quality is a member of the Medical Center’s Senior Leadership team and provides leadership, oversight, direction, and development for performance improvement, utilization review, risk management, patient safety, data management, strategic and operational planning, and performance management. The role supports the Director in accomplishing Medical Center goals and provides executive-level administrative oversight and accountability for the Performance Improvement Management Service programs and processes at the Syracuse VAMC.

Working collaboratively with leaders across departments, services, programs, and executive leadership, the Chief of Quality plans, implements, monitors, evaluates, and improves care and supports operational goals of the Medical Center, VISN 2, and Central Office. The role entails complex leadership and administrative work involving critical health care issues and activities that influence organizational mission, healthcare, and policy.

The Chief of Quality has facility-wide oversight and direction of accreditation and continuous readiness reviews, patient safety, protected peer review, risk management, external peer review, utilization management, data management, and process improvement programs. This includes ensuring their integration into the facility’s Performance Improvement Program to improve care, reduce risk to patients and staff, and foster a culture of safety. The role also functions as an administrator, leader, educator, and consultant, applying management theory in collaboration with other services. Additional duties may be assigned.

Requirements

• Graduate of an appropriately accredited school of professional nursing, or meet the stated alternative education provisions for qualifying nursing education.
• 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.
• Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
• For Nurse IV: Execute leadership with substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups or integrated programs crossing service or discipline lines and influencing organizational mission and health care.
• For Nurse IV: Master's degree in Nursing and four years of professional nursing experience, including one year of specialized nursing experience equivalent to Nurse III; or a master's degree in a related field with a BSN and the same experience; or a doctoral degree in nursing and three years of professional nursing experience, including one year equivalent to Nurse III; or a doctoral degree in a related field with a BSN and the same experience.
• Meet the Nurse IV dimensions, including leadership, business acumen, inspiring an industry-leading lifestyle, communication and relationship management, and professional and social responsibility.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Meet U.S. citizenship requirements, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens.
• Complete required background/security investigation and onboarding requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Applicants tentatively selected for testing-designated positions must undergo urinalysis screening for illegal drug use.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership, administrative oversight, direction, and accountability for the Performance Improvement Management Service programs and processes.
• Collaborate with department, service, program, and executive leaders to plan, implement, monitor, evaluate, and improve care and achieve organizational and operational goals.
• Oversee facility-wide accreditation and continuous readiness programs, including readiness for reviews by The Joint Commission and other regulatory agencies.
• Ensure Performance Improvement Management Service staff provide continuing education and training on accrediting and regulatory standards and requirements.
• Oversee and implement the Patient Safety Program to assess and monitor compliance with professional standards, patient safety goals, VHA requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Oversee and implement the Protected Peer Review Program in compliance with VHA directives, including oversight of the facility Peer Review Coordinator.
• Oversee and implement the Risk Management Program to identify, report, review, and correct problems and minimize risks to patients, staff, and visitors.
• Oversee and implement the External Peer Review Program and maintain relationships with the West Virginia Medical Institute to ensure timely completion and submission of reviews.
• Oversee the Utilization Management Program and the responsibilities of its staff within Quality Management Service.
• Oversee the Data Management Program and the responsibilities of its staff within Quality Management Service.
• Oversee the Process Improvement Management Program, including the facility Lean/Six Sigma/Process Improvement Program and its staff within Quality Management Service.
• Integrate facility-wide programs into the Performance Improvement Program to improve care, reduce risk, and foster a culture of safety.
• Function as an administrator, leader, educator, and consultant in collaboration with other services.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior