Quality Improvement Specialist

Description

At Nuvance Health, we enjoy the benefits of a two-state system as we cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone feels welcomed, respected and supported. Together, we are a team of 15,000+ strong hearts and open minds . If you share our values of connected, personal, agile and imaginative, we invite you to discover what’s possible for you and your career.

Norwalk Hospital is a 366-bed academic and community medical center serving Fairfield County, Connecticut, and the surrounding New York Metro area. We are a Level II Trauma Center and Joint Replacement Center of Excellence, and we provide advanced cancer, heart, and neuroscience care.

Our accolades include the following :

• The Leapfrog Group - Grade A for quality and patient safety
• Healthgrades - America’s 50 Best Hospitals
• U.S. News & World Report - high performance in heart failure treatment

At Norwalk Hospital, we prioritize the health and well-being of our team, fostering a friendly and supportive culture where collaboration and compassion are at the heart of what we do. From the moment you step through our doors, you’ll experience a sense of community that makes our hospital a truly special place to work. Our employees feel a deep connection here because we’re not just part of the community – we are its center.

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.

Closing :

With strong heart s and open minds , we’re pushing past boundaries and challenging the expected, all in the name of possibility. We are neighbors caring for neighbors, working together as partners in health to improve the lives of the people we serve. If you share our passion for the health of our communities, advance your career with Nuvance Health!

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.

Credentials : RN,BLS

Company : Norwalk Hospital Association

Org Unit : 1904

Department : Quality Improvement

Exempt : Yes

Salary Range : $41.00 - $76.16 Hourly