Quality & Patient Safety Specialist

Overview

The Quality and Patient Safety Specialist is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring programs that promote high standards of patient care, safety, and satisfaction. This role involves collaboration with clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, improve care delivery, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

At Emory Healthcare we fuel your professional journey with better benefits, valuable resources, ongoing mentorship and leadership programs for all types of jobs, and a supportive environment that enables you to reach new heights in your career and be what you want to be. We provide:

• Comprehensive health benefits that start day 1
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance & Reimbursement Programs
• Family-focused benefits
• Wellness incentives
• Ongoing mentorship, development, leadership programs and more

The Quality and Patient Safety Specialist is described in the overview above and is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring programs that promote high standards of patient care, safety and satisfaction. This role involves collaboration with clinical and non-clinical staff to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, improve care delivery, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

• Project Management:
  Develops and executes project plans by managing multi-disciplinary quality and patient projects
• Manages project timelines, agenda development, minutes, documents and presentation preparation, and reports on project progress
• Patient Safety Initiatives:
  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
• Quality Improvement:
  Design, implement, and evaluate quality improvement projects using evidence-based methodologies (e.g., Plan-Do-Study-Act, Lean, Six Sigma)
• Monitor clinical outcomes, analyze trends, and recommend changes to improve care delivery
• Regulatory Compliance:
  Ensure adherence to standards set by accrediting bodies (e.g., Joint Commission, CMS) and assist with survey preparation and follow-up
• Participate in readiness preparedness surveys
• Review and facilitate the interpretation of regulations and standards to advise leadership and staff
• Data Collection and Analysis:
  Collect, analyze, and report quality metrics and safety data to stakeholders
• Use data visualization tools to present findings effectively
• Identify trends and areas for improvement using tools like root cause analysis (RCA)
• Generate reports for leadership and regulatory bodies
• Staff Education and Training:
  Educate staff on quality and safety initiatives, policies, and best practices
• Provide training on incident reporting, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance
• Conduct training sessions for healthcare professionals on patient safety practices
• Promote awareness of quality and safety initiatives and encourage reporting of near misses
• Collaboration and Leadership:
  Work with multidisciplinary teams to foster a culture of safety and quality
• Act as a resource for staff and leadership regarding quality improvement and safety practices
• Incident Management:
  Partner with staff to facilitate the investigation of patient safety events and near-misses, documenting findings and implementing preventive measures
• Collaborate in the management of the reporting process for adverse events and regulatory compliance
• Developing Safety Protocols:
  Design and facilitate the implementation of policies to prevent medical errors, adverse events, and infections
• Risk Management:
  
  Collaborate with clinical and administrative teams to minimize risks to patients
• Manage responses to adverse events, including patient communication and process review
• Performance Improvement:
  Lead or participate in quality improvement projects (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma)
• Develop strategies to enhance patient satisfaction and outcomes
• Regulatory and Accreditation Readiness:
  Ensure the organization is prepared for external audits and inspections
• Stay updated on changes in healthcare laws and standards

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in a healthcare setting, with exposure to quality improvement and patient safety
• Masters degree in nursing, healthcare administration, or a related field
• Candidates with extensive relevant experience (greater than 5 years) may be considered in lieu of a degree; for these candidates bachelor’s degree will be required

• Clinical background (e.g., RN, PT, etc.)
• Lean Six Sigma or equivalent quality improvement certification OR Certification in Quality and Safety (e.g., CPHQ, CPPS) highly desirable

• Familiarity with regulatory and accreditation processes with deep understanding of regulations and accreditation requirements
• Strong analytical skills with ability to interpret data and identify actionable insights
• Excellent communication and leadership skills with…