Patient Safety Assistant Coordinator
R&K Enterprise Solutions, Inc. (R&K) is a certified Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) with core capabilities in Mission Support, Engineering and Logistics, Cybersecurity and Intelligence, Environmental and Emergency Management, Exercise and Training, and Defense Healthcare in support of our Defense, Intelligence, and Federal Civilian customers.
R&K supports the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and the Chief of Air Force Patient Safety, who has responsibility within the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) for managing the Air Force (AF) Patient Safety Program (PSP). The DHA PSP is dedicated to providing safe, effective, evidence-based healthcare to beneficiaries. It seeks to develop a healthcare organization where proactive risk identification, data-driven assessment, and reliable processes are the foundation for safe care. R&K supports the DHA PSP by providing expertise and assistance in accomplishing the PSP objectives within DHA, AF Major Commands (MAJCOM) and Military Treatment Facilities (MTF).
R&K supports the DHA by providing highly qualified and experienced patient safety professionals at numerous MTFs and by providing training and training materials to foster a workplace-based safety cultural transformation, guided by our experts in patient safety.
Title: Patient Safety Assistant Coordinator (PSAC)
Location : JBSA-Lackland AFB, TX
Duration: Permanent/ Full-Time
Clearance: Tier 1 (NACI) Investigative Clearance / Background Investigation
Start Date: Upon Approval
Duties: The PSAC will be responsible for PSP support and data analysis functions at the MTF. This responsibility includes assisting, advising, and making recommendations to the MTF on administration, management, and daily operation of the program including adherence to established policies and procedures, as well as identification of risk reduction strategies from analysis of healthcare information. Contractor personnel in this position are contract support for the Executive Staff of the Chief of Medical Staff (SGH).
The PSAC will:
1. Collaborate closely with the AFMRA PS Consultants, AF PSP Chief, and Patient Safety Specialists (PSS). Coordinate with the PSS, Quality Management (QM), Risk Management (RM), and Performance Improvement (PI) personnel. Additionally, to other service MTFs as necessary. Provide consultation on MTF Root Cause Analyses (RCA), Proactive Risk Assessments (PRA), medication and non-medication event reporting, and other PS initiatives from a data analysis perspective, verifying the development and use of appropriate performance measures. In order to carry out these functions, the Patient Safety Assistants (PSA) shall have access to all necessary and relevant MTF appropriate data. Assist, advise, and make recommendations to the MTF and assist in performing tasks related to administrative, clinical, educational, and research components of PS, including but not limited to the following: Patient Safety Alerts, Notice to Airmen (NOTAMS), National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG), Sentinel Event Alerts, and community health issues IAW AFI 44-119 Section 2.7 and DoD Manual 6025.13, Enclosure 8, Section 3, and DHA-PM.
2. Assist and collaborate with PS, RM, QM, and PI personnel and other related functions on all aspects of the PSP, with particular emphasis on performing data analysis.
3. Assist, advise, and make recommendations to the MTF PSS to develop, coordinate, and execute PRA plans to identify, reduce, and prevent, wherever possible, risks to safe care. PS activities under this plan include, but are not limited to: preventable medical event and near miss reporting, analysis of near miss and lesser harm events, RCAs on higher severity events and others as indicated, PRAs, communication and team training, and reporting to the DoD PS Center.
4. Assist MTF to identify key performance measures directed at risk identification, reduction, and prevention. Communicate these performance measures to MTF leadership, appropriate committees, functions and individuals.
5. Serve as a PS resource for both programmatic and data analysis functions and confer with all levels of personnel to assist with the development of program plans directed at risk identification, reduction, and prevention to decrease both the frequency and severity of preventable medical events and harm to patients. PSAC shall assist MTF staff with data collection and analysis of PS-related PI projects.
6. Event and Near Miss Reporting - PSAC shall serve as a resource to ensure compliance with DoD-mandated analysis and patient reporting systems such as TapRooT and JPSR system and provide consultation on how the MTF uses this data to identify system and process issues that could have or did result in harm. Assist MTFs to clarify the classification of each reported event and make recommendations to determine the level of assessment required.
7. Assist the MTF in designing and maintaining a mechanism for MTF staff to report near miss and actual events using appropriate data analysis tools such as graphs and charts.
8. Search existing healthcare information sources and research clinical findings for PS relevant issues. Assist to develop and execute mechanisms to translate this data to information. Provide this information to leadership, committees, and individuals as appropriate.
9. Educate MTF on and assist in identification of safety improvement opportunities from data/information sources. From an analytic perspective, assist and make recommendations to MTF in reaching conclusions and making decisions.
10. When an RCA is designated by the MTF, assist with the facilitation of the RCA teams through completion of the RCA process and debriefing to the MTF Commander or designee.
11. Analyze completed RCAs at the MTFs for opportunities to improve the RCA process, lessons learned, and causal and contributing factors. In collaboration with the PSS, make recommendations to the MTF personnel for facilitation of future RCA teams. Assist respective MTF personnel in developing and using tracking system for RCAs.
12. Assist the MTF in PS rounds throughout the MTF. Communicate directly with MTF staff to identify and recommend opportunities to affect safer care. Encourage PS event reporting throughout the organization.
13. Participate in preparation for The Joint Commission (TJC) and Unit Effectiveness Inspection (UEI) as defined by their respective MTFs.
14. Maintain all necessary files/records as deemed appropriate by internal or external policies and/or by the Medical Law Consultant (MLC) that ensures maximum protection from discoverability.
15. As designated by the SGH, collect, collate, analyze, and display data from event reviews, RCAs, PRAs and other sources. Disseminate to appropriate committees and individuals for PS improvement purposes.
16. As designated by the SGH, assist in preparing and presenting briefings on MTF PSP trending, and reporting on MTF findings from Joint Patient Safety Reporting (JPSR) as appropriate.
17. As designated by the SGH, assist in developing, coordinating, and presenting ongoing PS education in the form of new employee orientation, one-on-one consultations, in-service, and just-in-time training.
18. Attend meetings and other designated functions to ensure coverage by the Quality personnel.
19. Maintain pertinent knowledge through review of current PS literature, and attendance at professional PS meetings and educational programs.
PSAC's Tasks include:
Task 1: Utilize facility level JPSR data, event reports, PI project data, and other appropriate data sources to produce analyses useful in the execution of the facility PS program. These analyses will be in the form of written reports, graphs, charts, and other methods useful in translating raw data into actionable information that will allow for the establishment of PS priorities and targets of improvement within the MTF.
Task 2: Work with MTF to verify AF and DoD directives are met. This specifically includes support in the development of the MTF's monthly and annual reports, Failure Mode and Effect Analyses (FMEA), PRAs and RCAs.
Task 3: Collaborate with other MTF staff on items/issues related to risk identification, risk assessment, and risk control across all areas of the MTF. These areas include, but are not limited to: PI, IC, FM, Safety, Medical Logistics (ML), Medical Equipment Management Office (MEMO), Medical Equipment and Repair Center (MERC), Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT), Education and Training, Pharmacy and Therapeutics, Bioenvironmental Engineering (BE), and other services.
Task 4: Work with MTF to verify all PS events are reported according to AFI 44-119 Section 2.7 and DoD Manual 6025.13, Enclosure 8 Section 3 or current DHA-PM. In collaboration with PSS/PSM, monitor the reporting process, analyze events, take appropriate action, and consult with AFMRA quality, risk, and PI managers as appropriate.
Task 5: Collect, collate, analyze, and display data from MTF event reviews, RCAs, PRAs, and other sources to prepare lessons learned to the MTF and AFMS. Disseminate information to appropriate consultants and enlisted and officer SMEs for PS improvement purposes.
Task 6: Serve as expert advisor to MTF personnel on the use of analytical tools, e.g., flowcharting, statistical process control, etc., in PS-related PI activities.
Task 7: Assist with the development of proactive approaches to enhance and sustain PS by providing best practices to the MTF. Assist in developing creative approaches to control risk and apply successful safety principles from other agencies.
Task 8: Produce comprehensive analytic reports each year and present results to MTF leadership through appropriate functions. Assist in transforming data to information for decision-making.
Requirements: The candidate shall meet the following qualifications:
1. Bachelor's degree, preferably in a healthcare-related field, Business Administration (BA), Information Systems (IS), or equivalency in degree programs that include data analysis and statistical analysis. Two (2) years of experience at a healthcare facility. Experience in an inpatient or outpatient medical facility is required, military healthcare experience highly desired.
2. Proficiency skills in Microsoft Suite of tools including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required. Understanding of Microsoft Access, Visual Basic, and SQL is preferred.
3. The ability to work independently, organize time, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
4. Possess the ability for "attention to detail" and the ability to effectively communicate PS concepts to leadership and AFMRA staff.
5. Knowledge of the TJC's accreditation standards, process, PS initiatives, and patient safety goals is preferred.
6. Experience with performing RCAs, PRAs, and PI is highly desirable but able to be acquired after start.
7. Effective team and interpersonal skills.
8. Must possess ability to work collaboratively with RM and QM; sits on the Executive team and fills in for the PSS as needed. PSS/Government PSM will work side by side with the PSAC rather than a supervisory role over the PSAC. The PSS and PSAC align with the SGH of the organization.
R&K Enterprise Solutions, Inc. is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer committed to cultural diversity and compliance. All qualified women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply for R&K job vacancies. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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Phone: (757) 534-9170
Email: admins@randkes.com
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