Vice President, Chief Patient Safety Officer & HRO

Overview

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better.

At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives - and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It's also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

The Vice President, Chief Patient Safety Officer & HRO, reporting to the Executive Vice President & Chief Quality Officer, is responsible for developing a culture of safety, reducing preventable harm and to ensure systematic implementation of an effective Patient Safety and High Reliability Plan throughout the HMH Network. S/he is responsible for identification and mitigation of risks to patient and team member safety. The Vice President, Chief Patient Safety Officer & HRO shares accountability for performance improvements in all areas of preventable harm including medical error, deficient processes, and unsafe behaviors. As the network leader for the development of high reliability, s/he leads training, including that of the most senior leadership, and the development of a long-term strategy for sustaining high reliability practices. The Vice President, Chief Patient Safety Officer & HRO serves as co-chair of the HMH Safety Council. In this role, the Vice President, Chief Patient Safety Officer & HRO is vested with appropriate authority to assure compliance with the HMH Patient Safety Plan as the primary point of contact for the integrated patient safety program for senior leadership, and by extension the Board of Trustees. It is expected that compliance will be achieved primarily through influence, motivation and cooperation with and among those parties responsible for performance and process improvement. Working in partnership with senior management at the System and Hospitals Corporation levels, the Vice President, Chief Patient Safety Officer & HRO is accountable for the development and implementation of HMH's approach to patient safety improvements and related Joint Commission compliance.

Responsibilities

A day in the life of a Vice President, Chief Patient Safety Officer & HRO at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

• Responsible for promoting a culture of safety first.
• Share accountability for reducing preventable harm, performance improvements in all areas of harm from medical error, deficient processes, and other unsafe practices, leading all efforts toward zero harm across the network.
• Guides HMH leaders in the practice of high reliability leadership.
• Responsible for identification and mitigation of risks in the organization to patient safety. This will be accomplished through the oversight of event review and analysis including RCA2, FMEA, ACA and other safety improvement methods.
• The primary point of contact for the integrated patient safety program for senior leadership, and by extension the Board of Trustees.
• Lead the efforts across the network on the journey towards high reliability including developing a strategy for sustaining high reliability principles as they become the foundation for work in all areas. Ensure training is available, completed and effective using standard metrics related to event reporting.
• Establishes strategies to improve quality of event reporting as the foundation for a highly reliable organization and patient safety culture. Utilize safety stories, shared learning and transparency regarding events to enhance safety culture.
• Implement just culture principles through collaboration across departments including human resources and nursing to support efforts in high reliability and culture of safety.
• Participate in the medical staff peer review process as a non-voting member to bring a non-punitive and just culture assessment to the proceedings.
• Facilitates initial event process review meetings conducted at all system entities and consults on action plans in response to patient safety events. Utilizes Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Common Cause Analysis (CCA), and Apparent Cause Analysis (ACA) tools and processes to study and interpret findings and classify safety events. Subject matter expert on risk reduction strategies using evidence based practices and appreciation of healthcare processes and procedures. Keenly understands and implements the science of patient safety to identify and mitigate human factors of errors.
• In collaboration with leadership teams across the entire organization, drives compliance with Joint Commission standards with a focus on the National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) requirements. Develops, teaches, facilitates and coordinates system-wide policies, procedures and practices to keep current with standards.
• Drives high reliability improvements in performance initiatives in all five Hackensack Meridian Health pillars that organizationally contribute to the long-term operational excellence of both the hospitals as well as the clinically integrated network - targeting attention towards commercial reporting organizations such as Healthgrades, Truven, Consumer Reports, Leapfrog, US News and World Report. Applies Lean processes or other innovative approaches to process improvement to achieve exceptional outcomes.
• Provides Leadership to the HMH Safety Council as the co-chair. Establishes annual goals and objectives based on analysis of events, concerns and needs identified across the network. Organizes and coordinates meeting agenda topics and presenters. Follow up on actions that need to be taken on behalf of committees.
• Responsible for identifying patient safety threats and strategies to eliminate them in an effort to decrease preventable harm. Employs event data and trends to appropriately manage resources and target areas of greatest concern. Contributes to the development of team members' understanding of patient safety science, strategies and initiatives as well as developing metrics to demonstrate successful strategies. Directs the development of a comprehensive Patient Safety Plan through data driven strategies. Employs recommended best practice to reduce targeted risk. Evaluates and updates the Plan at least annually based on direct monitoring, input from the Professional Care Committee and the Patient Safety Administration.
• Manages and/or assists in the recruitment, development and supervision of team members. Creates and sustains an environment that fosters team member engagement. Establishes clear objectives tied to department and/or organizational strategic goals. Coaches, counsels and evaluates performance of direct reports.
• Track, analyze, and report on relevant data and metrics as needed and/or requested. Develop, recommend and/or implement actions or process improvements as appropriate.
• Involved in the development and/or management of budget for assigned areas. Regularly monitors relevant key financial indicators and performance metrics, modifying business activities where needed in response to changing financial situations.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH's Organizational and Managerial competencies and standards of behavior.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Bachelor's degree in healthcare related field.
• Advanced degree in MD, JD, MBA, MPH, MHA, MMM, or related field of study.
• 7 years of healthcare experience with increasing responsibility.
• Demonstrated ability to influence change.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects.
• Effective verbal, written and presentation communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills to interact with all levels of the organization.
• Working knowledge of performance improvement methods and concepts, including facilitation skills.
• Change management skills.
• Demonstrated analytic skills.
• Ability to analyze patient safety-related events and identify themes and areas of opportunity.
• Ability to understand healthcare data and interpret and report results.
• Demonstrated computer skills.

Licenses and Certifications Required:

• M.D. License or Advanced Nursing Licensing.

If you feel that the above description speaks directly to your strengths and capabilities, then please apply today!

HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH (HMH) IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding, genetic information, refusal to submit to a genetic test or make available to an employer the results of a genetic test, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, national origin, nationality, ancestry, disability, marital status, liability for military service, or status as a protected veteran.

Our Network

Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) is a Mandatory Influenza Vaccination Facility

As a courtesy to assist you in your job search, we would like to send your resume to other areas of our Hackensack Meridian Health network who may have current openings that fit your skills and experience.