Quality Improvement Specialist

Nemours is seeking a Quality Improvement Specialist to join our Nemours Children's Health team in Wilmington, Delaware.

This position will work specifically with surgical services on quality plans, improvement and prioritization of strategic improvement related to growth, care delivery and excellent outcomes.  RN strongly preferred with surgical quality experience.

The Quality Improvement Specialist (Q.I.S.) acts in conjunction with the Quality Improvement leaders and key Delaware Valley stakeholders, to provide support for multidisciplinary teams working on quality improvement initiatives. These teams are leading a variety of quality improvement initiatives with a targeted focus on achieving results that improve key care processes and clinical quality outcomes.   The position serves to support the facilitation including planning, implementation, and coordination, of multidisciplinary teams and their work related to clinical quality improvement as well as the sustainment of these improvements. In order to achieve the targeted results this position will coordinate, identify, develop, promote, and supports implementation projects identified by the Quality Improvement Team. This position works with leaders of the quality improvement teams to ensure deadlines and deliverables are met.

The Quality Improvement Specialist will have familiarity using Quality Improvement methodologies, tools, techniques that are applied to achieve targeted and sustainable outcome improvements. 

This position works under general supervision, and is required to effectively apply initiative and independent judgment as part of their approach.

• Serves as a key Quality Improvement resource to support both hospital and practice wide initiatives as well as departmental quality improvement teams, programs, projects and initiatives. This support includes but is not limited to the following:
  • Partner with department leaders & quality improvement teams to develop and advance the following: Improvement teams’ charters; implementation plans; timelines; milestones to effectively track deliverables; performance dashboards; change proposals and other relevant materials needed to support the teams. 
  • Assist in coordination, preparation and planning for the projects including: conducting the necessary workshops, implementation of the recommendations, follow up utilizing daily management, and coaching leaders throughout the project.
  • Provide subject matter expertise, education, and consultative support.  
  • Conduct current state analysis for priority workflows based on performance gaps.  Develop respective gap closure quality improvement plans.
  • Preparation of progress reports and outcomes to key stakeholders 
• Partners with the Clinical Quality Improvement Committee and the chair to support the objectives and priorities of the committee.  This support includes organization of committee logistics such as: preparation of the agenda, participant involvement, completion of items requiring follow-up etc. 
• In collaboration with the quality improvement team support the development, upgrade, and delivery of quality improvement training programs and problem solving methodologies/tools, to Q.I. teams and other stakeholders as needed.  
• Apply appropriate quality improvement analytical tools and methodologies to identify improvement opportunities and advance rapid cycle improvement (i.e. PDSA, FMEA, reliability science , process flow mapping, dashboards utilization, key driver diagrams, run charts and documentation from PDSA cycles implementation, etc.).
• Develop trust and effective working relationships with key stakeholders (quality and safety team, infection prevention, hospital and ambulatory operations). 
• Additional miscellaneous duties and responsibilities may be assigned from time to time by employee’s supervisor.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree required.  Master's Degree preferred, or Master's Degree may be captured within three years of movement into the position, preferred.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in healthcare quality improvement, or equivalent combination of education, training and experience, required. 
• RN strongly preferred with surgical quality experience.
• Prior process improvement / Lean / Six Sigma project management experience required.
• If CPHQ not held currently, will be required within 18 months of hire. 

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