Duke University Health System (DUHS) Job Descriptions
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DIRECTOR, PATIENT SAFETY, DUH
Job Title: DIRECTOR, PATIENT SAFETY, DUH
Job Code: 5528
FLSA: E
Job Level: J2
Revised Date: 03/01/2016
Supervisory Responsibility: Yes
General Description of the Job Class
The Director of Patient Safety for Duke University Hospital (DUH) has the responsibility, accountability and strategic direction for the patient safety program at DUH and as such provides the leadership in developing a culture of safety and in identifying opportunities and initiatives to enhance patient safety. The Diretor develops strategic and operational plans that build upon the present patient safety program to assure DUH continues to be innovative and world renowned in its approaches to patient safety.
An integral component in implementing this visionary approach is to proactively address patient safety issues utilizing data, information from Patient Safety Committees, Executive Rounding and other reports to analyze issues and determine their root causes. Working collaboratively with the executive team, other administrative staff, medical and nursing staff to develop strategies to minimize incidents is of the utmost importance. Through collaboration and partnerships with staff, the Director develops programs and services that produce measurable improvements in processes and practices that affect patient safety. Ultimately, this should result in a decrease of incidents, costs and severity levels of hospital incidents. A critical, collaborative relationship exists with the DUHS Patient Safety Officer especially as it relates to regulatory and reporting requirements to local, state and federal agencies.
Duties and Responsibilities of this Level
Key job responsibilities include:
Initiating and overseeing the development of a comprehensive patient safety improvement program inclusive of the analysis and trending of data related to hospital initiatives.
Providing proactive and reactive patient safety initiatives including participation in root cause analysis, failure mode effect analysis and Sentinel Event Alerts. This information will be used to develop a process and plan for change that can be constantly monitored and evaluated for its effectiveness.
Providing leadership and/or participating in patient safety committees and be responsible for communicating vertically and horizontally to all constituents within DUH and vertically within DUHS, as appropriate. Some of these committees include the DUH Patient Safety Clinical Quality Committee, DUH Performance Improvement Committee, DUHS Patient Safety Officer Committee.
Providing the needed direction to ensure that clinical services are provided in accordance with safety standards established by federal and state regulatory agencies and the Joint Commission accreditation standards, including the National Patient Safety Goals.
Developing patient safety score card and/or dashboard indicators in conjunction with the medical and nursing staff and the hospital leadership as a mechanism for tracking adherence to agreed upon patient safety goals.
Reviewing the current ???executive rounding??? program and developing clear expectations and recommending a process for analyzing trends, identifying root causes, and ultimately developing solutions to issues identified during the rounding process.
Meeting with the CEO and COO of DUH as needed /requested and to keep them informed of patient safety priorities, initiatives and incidents. Developing an effective collaborative relationship is essential to maintaining patient safety as a high priority.
Fostering and maintaining collaborative relationships within DUH and DUHS and with external agencies, purchasers, and stakeholders related to patient safety.
Collaborating with and serving as a liaison to the DUHS??? Patient Safety Officer and the other DUHS Patient Safety Officers to implement system- wide patient safety measures.
Developing, reviewing and implementing written policies and procedures for the department.
Proactively communicating with and educating leadership and staff regarding patient safety initiatives and activities.
Interviewing and recommending the hiring of personnel, planning and conducting training of new employees, conducting annual performance evaluations, establishing development plans and conducting disciplinary action when required.
Preparing and administering operating budgets incorporating long and short-term goals and forecasting personnel, equipment and professional development needs. Managing and monitoring the Department???s expenditures to assure fiscal responsibility and accountability.
Remaining fully informed of national and local patient safety mandates.
Establishing and maintaining a customer service-oriented philosophy for the Patient Safety department and their dealings with all customers.
Serving on DUH and DUHS committees, especially ad-hoc committees established to improve patient safety.
Required Qualifications at this Level
Education
A Master???s degree in a healthcare field or related discipline is required.
Experience
A clinical background is preferred. Candidates must have comprehensive knowledge of healthcare operations with a minimum of five (5) years of healthcare management experience in patient safety positions. In addition, three (3) years of operational experience in accreditation/regulatory affairs, performance improvement and/or patient safety in a healthcare environment is required. Certification in quality or risk management and/or a fellowship in patient safety are desirable. Experience in an academic medical center is helpful.
Degrees, Licensure, and/or Certification
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Distinguishing Characteristics of this Level
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions
Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.
