Patient Safety Manager

at  UPMC

UPMC MERCY IS HIRING A FULL-TIME PATIENT SAFETY MANAGER!

This position typically works Monday-Friday during daylight hours, with 24/7 responsibility should there be a significant patient safety event.
This position will lead UPMC Mercy’s patient safety event reporting and patient safety structure. This position will report to the Director, Quality and Safety and work closely with the quality regulatory, infection prevention and patient relations teams to coordinate campaigns and activities that improve safety.

PURPOSE:

Serves as the hospital’s Patient Safety Officer; coordinates the activities of the patient safety committee; educates hospital and system staff on care of patients; consults with management and staff:, and communicates evidence based, effective patient safety strategies to others within the hospital organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Reviews, analyzes and codes incident reports for reporting.
• Triages patient safety reports and makes recommendations for further action, including intensive assessment, root cause analysis, external reporting and failure modes.
• Develops the hospital’s Patient Safety Plan and fulfills patient safety objectives. Adheres to the national patient safety goals by planning, directing, and monitoring implementation aspects related to those goals. Adheres to regulatory requirements set forth by federal and state agencies relative to patient safety.
• Facilitates the execution of the intensive assessment and root cause analysis processes as appropriate.
• Communicates significant events, potential or actual, through established mechanisms in a timely manner.
• Serves as the point person for professional and general liability and other cases and legal matters.
• Develops and implements medical error reduction initiatives that are based on periodic review of clinical operations and processes (patient care standards, policies, procedures, clinical pathways, inspections of clinical sites, review of credentials of caregivers, etc.).
• Completes the on-line reporting of serious events and infrastructure failures to the Department of Health and the coding (incident report) via Risk Master.
• Assists both in-house and outside defense counsel with investigations, analysis and resolution of claims and litigation involving various System institutions and individuals.
• Participates in the hospital-wide performance improvement efforts through data gathering and analysis. Works cooperatively with other members of the hospital to meet common goals.
• Reviews actual and potential patient safety occurrences with physicians, department heads, and managers; identifying trends, making recommendations for action, and assuring compliance with the program.
• Develops and presents formal and informal patient safety education on an ongoing basis to staff at the hospital and throughout the system.
• Serves as Chairperson to the hospital’s Patient Safety Committee.
• Investigates actual and potential patient safety risks in the clinical operations of the hospital through rounds, chart reviews, interviews, physical inspection and other means as necessary.
• Develops policies and procedures relative to patient safety, assists in the annual revision of the hospital-wide patient safety program.
• Manages the hospital’s Safety Management process.
• Assists in the identification of serious events through the review and investigation of incident reports and patient contact forms.
• Bachelor Degree required
• 3-5 years Healthcare related experience required
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Ability to interact at all levels of the organization.