DHA Patient Safety Specialist

Summary

Synensys Global is seeking a detail-oriented Patient Safety Specialist to support patient safety, quality improvement, and risk management initiatives within a Military Treatment Facility (MTF). In this role, the Patient Safety Specialist (PSS) serves as the facility lead for the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Patient Safety Program. This role partners with executive leadership, clinical staff, and support departments to promote a culture of safety, reduce patient harm, improve healthcare processes, and ensure compliance with DHA, DoW, and Joint Commission patient safety requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Patient Safety Program Leadership

• Manage and coordinate the facility's Patient Safety Program.
• Serve as the Patient Safety Subject Matter Expert (SME).
• Advise leadership on patient safety risks, trends, recommend and facilitate improvement opportunities.
• Support strategic patient safety and high reliability initiatives.

Risk Management & Event Investigation

• Conduct Proactive Risk Assessments (PRAs) and Failure Mode and Effects Analyses (FMEAs).
• Monitor, review, and analyze patient safety events and near misses.
• Lead Comprehensive Systematic Analyses (CSAs) and Root Cause Analyses (RCAs).
• Recommend corrective actions to prevent recurrence of adverse events.

Education & Training

• Develop and deliver patient safety education programs.
• Train staff on patient safety principles, risk reporting, and National Patient Safety Goals.
• Support TeamSTEPPS and teamwork training initiatives.
• Coach leaders and staff on safety behaviors and reliable healthcare practices.

Quality Improvement & Data Analysis

• Collect, analyze, and report patient safety data and performance metrics.
• Identify trends and improvement opportunities across the organization.
• Support quality improvement and process improvement projects.
• Prepare monthly executive reports for facility leadership.

Collaboration & Compliance

• Partner with Quality Management, Risk Management, Process Improvement, Nursing, Medical Staff, and other departments.
• Support implementation and monitoring of Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals.
• Ensure compliance with DHA, DoW, and Air Force patient safety regulations.
• Participate in executive committees and multidisciplinary workgroups.

Key Deliverables

• Facilitywide Patient Safety Program oversight.
• Risk assessments, FMEAs, PRAs, and event investigations.
• Staff education and patient safety training programs.
• Patient safety metrics, trend analysis, and executive reporting.
• Corrective action plans and process improvement recommendations.
• Annual assessment of patient safety activities and program effectiveness.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance; company-paid life insurance; short- and long-term disability coverage; paid time off; 10 paid company holidays; and a 401(k) plan with company matching contributions

Synensys is a veteran-owned small business providing consulting, learning, and analytical services to healthcare organizations to improve patient safety, team performance, and other key organizational performance outcomes. Our team is multi-disciplinary, representing extensive experience in medicine, nursing, management, instructional design, customer service, engineering, and information technology.

We have partnered with over 500 healthcare organizations in 14 countries including government, military health, public and private hospitals, clinics, and office-based practices.

About Synensys LLC

Synensys was founded to address safety and quality gaps in high-risk industries such as Healthcare, Aviation, and Defense. These gaps or hazards lead to financial losses, serious injury, loss of organizational reputation, and even death. Our founder, Dr. Stephen Powell, experienced the death of his father in 2002 due to a preventable medical error. He quickly realized that his family’s loss was not unique or an isolated incident. Preventable patient harm and death due to medical errors became the third leading cause of death in the U.S. Dr. Powell believed we could do better, and 20 years later, Synensys has helped over 500 high-risk organizations in the U.S. and 11 other countries achieve better outcomes through the development of safer systems and operators.