Improvement Specialist - Corporate

Improvement Specialist

The Improvement Specialist contributes to system-wide and departmental quality goals by identifying data-driven opportunities, applying improvement methodology, and working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams to design strategies to improve patient outcomes. As part of UPMC Quality, the Improvement Specialist will drive initiatives in areas such as sepsis, mobility and falls, readmissions, and complications.

This hybrid role will work standard business hours Monday through Friday. If you have prior experience with process improvement and a bachelor's degree, this could be the next step in your career. Apply today!

Responsibilities:

• Measures and analyzes data to understand and interpret information to focus on the right problem to solve.
• Assures project management skills are utilized to lead progress towards goals.
• 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 entity.
• Leads improvement utilizing various approaches such as DMAIC or others as appropriate.
• Assess system/facility/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, system or service line where improvement is being done that is sensitive to address the issues and needs of that area by regularly consulting with the executive sponsor, director or frontline staff.
• Effectively communicates improvements that are made to work teams, staff, managers and administrators throughout the organization and UPMC Health System.
• Skilled with representing 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.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing, Business Administration or related field required
• Master's degree preferred.
• Five years of related experience required
• Strong sepsis and improvement experience preferred.
• Experience with Vizient preferred.
• Knowledge of information systems and process improvement techniques.
• Must be able to demonstrate skills to understand and interpret data.
• Experience applying improvement methodologies to align initiatives, perform analysis, implement improvement strategies and evaluate outcomes strongly 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 Clearance
• UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran