Patient Safety Officer

Patient Safety Officer

The Patient Safety Officer serves as the organization's primary resource for patient safety program development, implementation, and sustainment across all MAHEC clinical departments. This role is responsible for building and maintaining a culture of safety through systematic event reporting, trend analysis, and improvement/cultural initiatives.

Working collaboratively with clinical leadership, risk management, and front-line staff, the Patient Safety Officer facilitates root cause analyses, develops corrective action plans, and ensures lessons learned are disseminated across the organization. This position plays a critical role in establishing MAHEC as an organization committed to the pursuit of zero harm.

The ideal candidate combines healthcare quality improvement expertise with strong analytical skills, systems thinking, and the ability to engage staff at all levels in safety improvement work. This role requires someone who can build trust, foster psychological safety for reporting, and translate complex safety science concepts into practical workflows.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Event Reporting & Analysis
• Safety Program Development
• Data Analysis & Reporting
• Culture & Training
• Committee Support

Key Competencies:

• Systems Thinking
• Analytical Capability
• Collaboration & Influence
• Healthcare Knowledge
• Integrity & Accountability

Specified Skills:

• Computer
• Foreign Language
• Technical Skills

Physical Demands:

• Light energy level. Primarily sedentary work with occasional walking to clinical sites for rounds, training, and patient safety event follow-up. Ability to travel between MAHEC locations as needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• No direct reports
• Provides functional guidance to front-line leaders and Practice Administrators conducting patient safety event follow-up
• May coordinate work of student interns or project-specific team members

Education and Experience:

• Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Nursing (BSN), Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Health Sciences, or related field
• Three (3) years of experience in healthcare setting
• Two (2) years of experience in quality improvement, patient safety, risk management, or related function
• Demonstrated experience conducting root cause analyses or similar structured safety reviews
• Experience with data analysis and performance reporting
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Master's degree in Public Health (MPH), Healthcare Administration (MHA), Nursing (MSN), or related field
• Experience in ambulatory, outpatient, primary care, or FQHC/community health center settings
• Clinical licensure (RN, LPN, or other healthcare license)
• Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), or Certified Professional in Human Factors in Health Care (CPHFH)
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt or equivalent process improvement certification
• Experience with Team STEPPS, IHI, Just Culture, or High Reliability Organization frameworks

Required Licenses:

• None required
• Clinical licensure, or patient safety certification (CPPS, CPHQ, CPHFH) strongly preferred

Schedule:

• Regular attendance on-site is an essential function of this position. Typical business hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (or flexed to best meet the needs of the clients and/or the Division); 40 hours per workweek; weekend, holiday, or evening coverage is occasionally required . Work hours will need to be flexible in order to respond to special work assignments, or evening activities, as requested by the team leader.
• On-call availability may be required for serious safety events requiring immediate response
• Regional travel to MAHEC satellite locations required

Position Compensation:

• Full-time position, with full benefits available. Salary position, $78,000.
• At MAHEC, we strive to equip all team members with Total Rewards (pay + benefits) to honor their service, support their health, manage their financial security, build their career, and thrive.
• MAHEC does not provide employment-based US visa sponsorship, now or in the future. All new employees must provide valid, original I-9 documents on their first day of work. All MAHEC employees and learners will be required to receive the Flu vaccine or have an approved exemption.
• MAHEC Talent Management is located at 121 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803. Equal Opportunity Employer.
• MAHEC is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Employees who meet federal requirements may be eligible to have remaining student loan balances forgiven after 10 years of qualifying payments while working full-time at MAHEC.