Quality Specialist

Quality Specialist

At Memorial Hermann, we pursue a common goal of delivering high quality, efficient care while creating exceptional experiences for every member of our community. When we say every member of our community, that includes our employees. We know that when our employees feel cared for, heard and valued, they are inspired to create moments that exceed expectations, while prioritizing safety, compassion, personalization and efficiency. If you want to advance your career and contribute to our vision of creating healthier communities, now and for generations to come, we want you to be a part of our team.

Job Summary

The Quality Specialist is responsible for reviewing, monitoring, and analyzing data to drive quality improvement that improves delivery of safe patient care as measured by external reporting programs such as CMS, Vizient, Leapfrog, and USNEWS. The Quality Specialist is a subject matter expert in external quality reporting programs and serves as the lead in coordinating all activities around submission, reporting, program optimization and identification of improvement opportunities. Coordinates, plans, facilitates, and finalizes control plans for quality, process, and performance improvement activities using Robust Process Improvement (RPI) methodology to identify opportunities for optimization and decrease defects/waste within the systems of care. This role identifies opportunities for improvements based on evidence-based practices, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, and data analysis of high risk, high volume and/or problem prone processes. The Quality Specialist works collaboratively with key stakeholders including process owners, organization leaders and physicians. This role shares best practices to allow for local as well as system-wide learning, collaborates with hospital councils to share knowledge leading to optimal outcomes and continuous education of robust process improvement within the hospital. The Quality Specialist also participates in the clinical quality measures data collection and acts as a resource for accomplishing inter-rater reliability in clinical quality data collection and submission.

Job Description

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in a work-related field/discipline (i.e. public health, business, economics, computer science, nursing, pharmacy) from an accredited college or university, preferred.

Licenses/Certifications: Project Management, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, or Robust Process Improvement certification preferred.

Experience / Knowledge / Skills:

• Three (3) years of healthcare experience with a bachelor's, five (5) years of experience in lieu of a degree, within a large acute care hospital or health care system within one or more of the following areas:
• Data-driven performance improvement
• Quality assurance/quality improvement
• Value-based care
• Self-motivated, proven communication skills, and ability to influence.
• Demonstrated effective working relationship with physicians and leadership.
• Ability to work collaboratively with health care professionals at all levels to achieve established goals and improve quality outcomes.
• Strong team facilitation skills including building trust and open communication regarding project issues and results.
• Proven statistical software, data visualization, and spreadsheet proficiency (i.e. Excel, Minitab, Tableau)
• Knowledge of change management tools/techniques and is able to apply them to projects to reach desired improvement outcomes.

Principal Accountabilities

• Utilizes the Clinical Effectiveness framework to ensure that performance improvement initiatives focus on improving outcomes, appropriateness of care, patient centeredness, and value.
• Coordinates project initiatives, meetings, and clinical program management to achieve service and unit-specific goals and strategic direction.
• Applies multiple performance improvement methodologies and tools to projects (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, FMEA).
• Applies advanced quantitative skills and ability to use statistics to evaluate and interpret data, summarize results and make recommendations.
• Responsible for understanding and use of structure to drive process changes and how to use processes to drive towards desired outcomes.
• Knowledge and ability to use decision support systems such as Access or other relational databases.
• Responsible for influencing effectively to create synergy, prioritize projects, set goals and actions plans, and measure impact.
• Responsible for staying abreast of inpatient/outpatient quality measures receiving external visibility and attention (e.g. CMS, HealthGrades, US News & World Report, Leapfrog, HEDIS).
• Participates in and coordinates comprehensive data collection for compliance of national, state, regional and internal clinical quality measures.
• Coordinates project initiatives, meetings, and clinical program management to achieve service and unit specific goals and strategic direction.
• Assists in identifying improvement opportunities based on evidence based clinical practices and statistical analysis of current practice patterns.
• Contributes to short term and long term RPI projects to continuously improve the clinical quality measuring, monitoring and compliance program.
• Facilitates site or RPI project teams.
• Ensures safe care to patients, staff and visitors; adheres to all Memorial Hermann policies, procedures, and standards within budgetary specifications including time management, supply management, productivity and quality of service.
• Promotes individual professional growth and development by meeting requirements for mandatory/continuing education and skills competency; supports department-based goals which contribute to the success of the organization; serves as preceptor, mentor and resource to less experienced staff.
• Demonstrates commitment to caring for every member of our community by creating compassionate and personalized experiences. Models Memorial Hermann's service standards by providing safe, caring, personalized and efficient experiences to patients and colleagues.
• Other duties as assigned.