UPMC Corporate Operations is seeking an Improvement Specialist to join our team in Oakland! If you are naturally curious and enjoy problem solving or have a passion for patient safety this is the position for you! This position works Monday through Friday during standard daylight hours and offers some work-from-home flexibility. This is not a fully remote position, and the ability to work onsite is required. Occasional travel may also be required based on business needs.
This position is responsible for contributing to system-wide and departmental quality initiatives with a focus on patient safety. This involves performing the assessment and analysis of operations and processes. Additionally, improvement specialists work collaboratively with front line caregivers and leadership to design and implement improvements and innovations at UPMC. In order to achieve defined outcomes, the improvement specialist engenders commitment, fosters cultural changes, disseminates information and provides support for behavioral and process changes. The overarching focus of the improvement specialists' work is patient centered, staff vitality, process efficiency and waste reduction and safe and reliable patient care.
Responsibilities:
- Review and support patient safety and adverse event reports for accuracy, severity, and organizational/local impact.
- Support and/or facilitate structured adverse event reviews using a Just Culture methodology while promoting a transparent, shared-learning environment.
- Partner with operational leaders to develop and drive measurable and system-based interventions.
- Monitor adverse event reporting data for recurring themes/risks and emerging safety concerns.
- Promote a Just culture, psychological safety, speaking up, and continuous learning
- Support compliance with applicable patient-safety requirements (e.g., MCARE, CMS, NQF, Joint Commission, etc.) and organizational policies.
- Translate complex safety requirements into practical guidance for frontline staff and leaders.
- Assures project management skills are utilized to lead progress towards goals by collecting accurate, timely data to display the quality, cost and service outcomes.
- Works to ensure that quality improvement and innovation work remains focused on one or more of the following goals: patient centeredness, staff vitality, process efficiency and waste reduction and safe and reliable patient care.
- Effectively coordinates the assessment of current operational processes at various UPMC entities.
- Leads improvement utilizing various approaches such as TPS/Lean/PDSA or others as appropriate.
- Assesses institutional/departmental readiness and identifies strategies to achieve goals.
- Maintains accountability for ongoing self-development activities, especially related to presentation facilitation, change management and application of quality improvement activities.
- Creates a supportive environment in the department that is sensitive to the issues and needs of that area by regularly consulting with the Director and front-line staff.
- Effectively communicates improvements that are made to work teams, staff, managers and administrators throughout the organization and UPMC Health System. When opportunity arises, represents UPMC by presenting accomplishments to regional and national forums.
- Measures and utilizes varied approaches to analyze and interpret data.
- Leads and engages teams across the enterprise and interacts with all levels of executives
- Partners with all system divisional leaders to implement and deploy system and local change.
- When assigned, completes special projects and performs other related duties according to agreed upon goals and parameters.
- Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Business Administration or related field required at time of hire/transfer
- 5 years of related experience required with knowledge of information systems and process improvement techniques.
- Master's degree in Business Administration or applicable healthcare field preferred.
- Must be able to demonstrate skills to understand and interpret data.
- Familiarity with the Pennsylvania Medical Care Act and/or applicable regulatory/safety agencies (CMS, NQF, Joint Commission, etc.) preferred
- Knowledge of Just Culture, human factors, systems thinking, psychological safety, and High Reliability Organization principles preferred
- CPPS (Certified Professional in Patient Safety) and/or CPHQ (Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality) preferred
- Ability to establish and maintain positive, caring relationships with executives, managers, physicians, non-physician providers, ancillary and support staff, other departments, and patients/families.
- Ability to work productively and effectively within a complex environment, handle multiple/changing priorities and specialized equipment.
- Exemplary critical thinking, analytical and problem solving abilities required as related to various aspects of patient care.
- Critical thinking skills necessary to exercise and to lead others.
- Mobility and visual manual dexterity. Physical stamina for frequent walking, standing, lifting.
Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:
UPMC approved national certification preferred
- Act 34
UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran