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Role Description

The Patient Safety Specialist (PSS) responds to patient safety issues brought to the Office of Quality & Patient Safety (OQPS) through various routes or sources. Activity surrounding the identified issue is commensurate with the nature and severity of the issue, with increasing responsiveness based on the urgency and seriousness of the patient safety concern. Critical thinking and clinical expertise are applied throughout the process of working with an accredited organization in responding to patient safety concerns. A collaborative approach, mindful of the patient experience, the healthcare provider or organization experience, and of other stakeholders (e.g. government agencies), is essential. Most interactions on these issues are held with executive leadership of the healthcare organization, such as the Chief Executive, Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Medical Officer, or immediate designees.

Responsibilities

• Responds to reports of quality of care concerns and safety risks regarding Joint Commission accredited healthcare organizations.
• Consults with other subject matter experts as needed.
• Triages reports in accordance with OQPS procedures, Medicare Requirements, and sentinel event policy.
• Assimilates known information about healthcare organizations for urgent issues and makes recommendations to senior leadership.
• Facilitates for-cause survey activity and ensures on-site survey activity is scheduled within defined timeframes.
• Collaborates with Accreditation Operations, Legal Operations, Standard Interpretation Group, and others across the enterprise.
• Initiates interaction with healthcare organizations when incidents meet sentinel event definition.
• Provides feedback and guidance to accredited organization’s leadership upon submission of the RCA.
• Works with organizations through the ‘organization response’ process for adverse events not meeting sentinel event definition.
• Tracks and monitors priority level issues that do not require further action.
• Completes appropriate documentation for each incident while maintaining confidentiality.
• Provides follow-up with the complainant in a sensitive manner for issues that have reached completion.
• Responds to data requests in a timely manner while adhering to the Public Information Policy.
• Collaborates with Legal Affairs and Compliance on confidentiality and legal issues.
• Effectively communicates with internal and external customers, providing excellent customer service.
• Provides education about Joint Commission’s process for responding to sentinel events and safety events.
• Serves as a role model in support of enterprise, division, and departmental mission and initiatives.
• Engages in training or educational sessions for various customer groups at the national level.
• Contributes to various Joint Commission publications using OQPS aggregate data and safety event experiences.

Qualifications

• Healthcare clinician with a master’s degree.
• Certified Patient Safety Specialist (CPPS) preferred; if not CPPS, achievement within one year of hire.
• A minimum of five to seven years recent clinical experience providing direct patient care; management experience preferred.
• Experience in quality improvement, risk management, or patient safety preferred.
• Experience in data management, statistics, or LEAN/Six Sigma preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to empathize with the experience of patients and their families.
• Ability to interact with executive leadership regarding serious patient safety risks.
• Excellent customer relationship management skills.
• Interpersonal skills to interact effectively with individuals at various levels.
• Demonstrated analytic, coaching, and diplomatic skills.
• Strong writing and speaking skills.
• Knowledge of Joint Commission sentinel event alerts, survey process, standards, national performance goals, and requirements preferred.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced, challenging environment and within a team.
• Strong computer skills preferred including word processing, databases, and spreadsheets.