Senior Patient Safety Specialist - 40hrs/Day Shift

ABOUT US:

With energy and purpose, Cooley Dickinson Health Care, a member of the Mass General Brigham system, is advancing health care in western Massachusetts, and has been since 1886. Our network employs more than 2,000 medical professionals and support staff, at our main Hospital campus in Northampton and additional locations in twelve towns throughout the Pioneer Valley.

OUR BENEFITS:

In addition to competitive pay, all Cooley Dickinson employees who work 20 hours or more per week have access to the following benefits with no waiting period:

• A range of health, dental, vision, prescription, and life insurance benefits.
• A generous and flexible Earned Time Off program starting at six weeks accrual per year.
• 403(b) retirement plan with various investment options.
• Opportunities and support for continued education including tuition reimbursement.

The Senior Patient Safety Specialist will support the Sr. Manager of Patient Safety, Risk, and PFR at CDH to oversee and manage hospital-wide patient safety initiatives and daily work at CDH. Other patient safety activities will be focused on carrying out Equity Informed High Reliability concepts. Extensive, daily interaction with other Directors, Managers, hospital leadership, and staff in the Department of Quality is a key component of this role. The Senior Patient Safety Specialist must also be able to coordinate projects across multiple academic and operational departments independently and mentor other patient safety staff members.

Because this role in an active change management environment, this specialist will need to demonstrate flexibility and open mindedness as the contours of this position will actively evolve over time.

Working Conditions:

• Office setting.
• Frequent, daily use of computer, telephone, fax machine.
• Occasional early or late meetings to accommodate clinicians' schedules.
• Highly confidential data and medical records materials require extreme discretion.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the day-to-day coordination of patient safety event management:
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  • Works collaboratively with the Department Chairs and Patient Care Services in facilitating the internal medical peer review process, the analysis of serious patient concerns related to clinical care and/or unexpected clinical outcomes, and adverse events.
  • Identifies trends by collecting data and other supportive information to improve clinical quality systems and performance.
  • Actively participates in the analysis of adverse events and serious patient concerns related to clinical care and/or unexpected clinical outcomes, and adverse events and in follow-up visits of regulatory or accreditation agencies. Safeguards, preserves, and maintains confidentiality of all peer review, performance improvement, and risk management information.
  • Recommends corrective and preventive actions to reduce risk. Collaborates with CRICO and hospital-based improvement teams on interventions.
  • Participates in educational offerings to enhance and maintain knowledge of current and developing research and trends locally and nationally in specific areas of responsibilities.
  • Works independently with minimal supervision and sets priorities in the completion of daily tasks and project deadlines.
  
  
  
  
• Identifies, recommends, and independently manages innovative patient safety initiatives:
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  • Assists in review and development of hospital policies.
  • Participates in hospital patient safety initiatives and activities.
  • Assists hospital leaders in identifying barriers to implementing improvement plans and developing strategies to overcome these barriers.
  • Works with team to transfer current CDH patient safety concepts and initiatives throughout CDH such as creation of culture change, increased reporting of patient safety events and near misses, and increased transparency and transition to equity informed, high reliability.
  • Provides staff education to nurses, physicians and committees regarding patient safety, non-punitive reporting, error prevention and equity informed, high reliability.
  • Works with the Sr. Manager Patient Safety, Risk, and PFR at CDH and clinical leaders to prepare regular presentations to the committees and clinical groups, as needed and requested.
  
  
  
  
• Mentoring/Training:
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  • Participates in the orientation, training, and mentoring of department of quality and safety team members.
  
  
  
  

• Conducts concurrent and retrospective review to retrieve data for physician quality profile activities and records pertinent data accurately in chronological order of event. Provide support to Medical Staff Office in conducting focused practitioner professional evaluation and ongoing professional practice evaluation, including preparation of performance improvement physician profiles.
• All other duties as assigned and requested

* Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in nursing, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, or other healthcare related field required.
• 3-5 years of progressive health care experience; strong clinical background.
• Experience working in a large and complex health care organization preferred.
• Presentation skills; verbal and written communication skills; project management skills; computer and Internet skills and experience required: advanced knowledge of MS Office products is essential for success in this position (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access).

Special Requirements:

• Must be available to work in the case of a hospital declared emergency.
• Must be available to assist during regulatory agency reviews.

It is the policy of Cooley Dickinson Health Care to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Cooley Dickinson Health Care will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Cooley Dickinson Health Care embraces diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, and encourages people of color, veterans, people with disabilities, LGBTQ candidates, and people from other underrepresented groups to apply.