Quality Improvement Specialist

Description

Summary

Serves as healthcare quality and patient safety subject matter expert and resource to hospital service lines and departments as assigned. This position supports performance improvement efforts quality and patient safety initiatives designed to achieve top decile quality and patient safety outcomes. The performance improvement specialist partners with service line, medical and unit leaders to review and analyze key performance indicators and service line dashboards and to facilitate the development of effective improvement action plans.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities :

1. Utilizes process improvement strategies (i.e. PDSA, Lean, Six Sigma) to conduct analysis of data and in collaboration with department / unit leadership. Promotes processes that increase patient safety and quality.

2. Develops and implements tools to track KPI’s for PI strategies, develops KPI definitions and processes for data collection. Develops tools to support audits, data collection and reports.

3. Conducts annual review with department / unit leadership of Quality Improvement plan / program to ensure the development of processes or initiatives that support quality practices.

4. Designs and participates in audits, chart reviews and data collection as appropriate.

5. Supports assigned departments / units in applying high reliability principles. Role models high reliability behaviors for staff. Educates teams on high reliability to improve patient outcomes and improve culture of safety.

6. In partnership with Risk, identifies potential safety events via various sources.

7. Supports patient safety through participation in SERT and by independently conducting root cause analyses, common cause analyses and risk assessments.

8. Collaborates with service line and department leadership to support the design, implementation of action plans to prevent event recurrence and mitigate risk.

9. Collaborates and coordinates with Peer Review partners during the Peer Review Process, ensuring appropriate case referral and thorough review of patient care.

10. Functions as an expert resource to assigned department / unit for interpreting and ensuring adherence to all Joint Commission, State and Federal standards, including Core measures.

11. Provides formal and informal education on topics applicable to the department / unit assigned.

12. Participates in ongoing education specific to role function. Attains appropriate Quality Certification(s) and maintains active membership in appropriate associations (CHA, CTAHQ, NAHQ).

13. Maintains confidentiality of information encountered through job activities.

14. Performs other duties as assigned

15. Fulfills all compliance responsibilities related to the position.

Education Skills Experience

Required : This position requires a minimum formal education of Bachelor Degree and minimum of five years job-related experience.

Minimum Experience : five years.

Desired : Current CT RN and / or PA license. Strong leadership, facilitation skills, ability to work with multidisciplinary groups, team building, project management, knowledge of hospital structure and functions, ability to provide presentations and education, analytic and problem solving, strong written and verbal skills, ability to process large amounts of information and interpret standards and regulations, ability to work independently, prioritize, self direction and set independent goals.

Working Conditions :

Manual : significant manual skills / motor coord & finger dexterity

Occupational : Little or no potential for occupational risk

Physical Effort : Medium to Heavy effort. May exert up to 35 lbs. force

Physical Environment : Some exposure to dirt, odors, noise, human waste, etc.

Company : Norwalk Hospital Association

Org Unit : 1904

Department : Quality Improvement

Exempt : Yes

Salary Range : $40.43 - $75.10 Hourly