Reporting to the Manager of Risk Management and Compliance, the Patient Safety and Experience Supervisor shall be responsible for supporting Emergency Medical Care's Patient Safety and Patient Experience initiatives delivered through the Risk Management and Compliance division. This position has a focus on the EHS system.
The Patient Safety and Experience Supervisor has an overall goal of fostering a culture of patient and family centered care, while ensuring an organizational focus on patient safety. As a specialist in patient safety, the incumbent shall be responsible for identifying, monitoring, investigating and mitigating patient safety risks, while ensuring sustained risk management and safe practices for EHS patients and families. The accomplishment of this will be through leading both prospective and retrospective analyses using existing methodology for incident analysis, quality reviews and failure mode and effects analyses (FMEA). Related investigations would be lead through the Issues Management (IM) program which would include database management, conducting investigations, completing case files and tracking mitigation loop closure through system-level recommendations.
The incumbent shall be responsible for supporting patient and family relations within the organization, as well as leading the Patient and Family Partnership Council. In the performance of duties, outside of the Risk Management and Compliance team, the Patient Safety and Experience Supervisor will work closely with the Clinical Services Manager, Clinical Supervisors, System Performance, Operations and Medical Communications leadership, as well as other personnel within the organization, as required.
As an employee of Emergency Medical Care (EMC) we are accountable to our patients and coworkers by participating in and supporting all safety related initiatives, as well as acting in a manner that fosters a culture that focuses on patient safety and a safe workplace.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The position entails, but is not limited to the following:
Patient Experience - Patient and Family Partnership Council
· Act as an organizational specialist for patient experience and engagement.
· Support the organization in improving the patient experience, primarily though leading the Patient and Family Partnership Council.
· Lead the Patient and Family Partnership Council with duties not limited to the following:
o Lead the development of the council, ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic plan and business priorities.
o Act as a liaison for internal patient engagement through collaboration with EMC business area leaders.
o Liaise with patient and family partners, acting as the key point person on behalf of EMC.
o Coordinate, assign and communicate duties and responsibilities for each patient and family partner on the council.
o Lead the Patient and Family Partnership Council Meetings:
§ Chair, and guide the discussions for each meeting
§ Set meeting agendas
§ Monitor minutes and action items
§ Organize and set up virtual and/or in-person meetings
Patient Relations
· Act as the organization's specialist for EHS patient relations.
· Communicate directly with patient and/or family members who require additional support after receiving care through the EHS system.
· Make contact, and act as the EMC representative for patients and/or family members who are involved in a service inquiry, or related to care received within the EHS system.
· Follow-up and effectively communicate a summary of findings to patients and/or family members who are involved in a service inquiry, or related to care which was reviewed through the Issues Management Program.
Prospective Risk Analysis
· Act as the organization's specialist for prospective risk analysis to ensure sustained risk management and safe practices that align with EMC's strategic plan.
· Lead the organization through Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for projects and/or initiatives identified through the Change Management Office (CMO), or other internal stakeholders.
· Author reports submitted to senior leadership based on an FMEA exercise, summarizing risks and recommendations.
· Follow-up on, and coordinate recommendations made through an FMEA analysis. Work directly with divisional leaders to ensure the completion of recommendations identified through this process.
Patient Safety Issues Management
· Monitor and report on all occurrences and inquiries which impact patient safety. Work closely with the Risk Management Team and responsible managers to ensure Issues Management (IM) files are opened and assigned as appropriate.
· Take the lead investigator role for IM cases as assigned for patient safety issues. Gather data and information as required, such as electronic patient care records, statements, pictures, dispatch audio, etc.
· Lead detailed interviews with front line staff when required related to reviewed cases.
· Lead independent reviews, inter-divisional quality reviews, and/or structured root cause analyses for patient safety investigations depending on severity of the incident, ensuring system learning from each occurrence.
· Author, monitor, distribute and ensure the completion of recommendations made post analysis of patient safety related investigations.
· Author reports submitted to senior leadership based on the patient safety investigations completed.
Patient Safety Education
· Ensure the knowledge translation of system findings for patient safety related concerns managed through the portfolio.
· Lead and deliver education through blended learning methods with front line staff both virtually, and in-person on patient safety and the patient experience.
· Collaborate with Clinical Services to present patient safety related information on Morbidity and Mortality (M&M) sessions, with a focus on educating front-line staff on system-level patient safety concerns.
· Lead the organization through Patient Safety Week, preparing both internal and external content to educate annual-based patient safety information.
Collaboration
· Collaborate with EMC leaders in the development of appropriate organizational patient safety policy, guidelines and other documentation.
· Participate in key committees, providing support from a patient safety and experience perspective, including but not limited to: ePCR Advisory, Continuous Quality Improvement, Privacy Management Committee, Equipment Standards and Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS).
· Act as a patient safety and experience liaison internally and externally on program and policy implementation.
· Actively participate in or facilitate committee work related to patient safety and experience.
· Collaborate with EHS, LifeFlight and Telehealth managers, supervisors and operations and support personnel to ensure the integration of patient safety and experience organizationally.
QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:
Education / Experience
· Undergraduate degree in a health related discipline. An equivalent combination of education and experience acceptable to the employer may also be considered.
· Progressive leadership experience in healthcare is required.
· Experience in committee leadership is strongly preferred.
· Licensed to work or ability to gain licensure in Nova Scotia as a paramedic or other regulated health professional an asset.
· Prior experience and/or certification in patient safety or patient experience is preferred (e.g., Patient Safety Officer, Failure Modes, and Effects (FMEA) experience).
· Experience and/or education in quality improvement science (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)) is an asset.
· Experience in customer service and client relations is considered an asset.
· Clinical experience considered an additional asset.
Knowledge & Skills
· Ability to exercise independent judgment and problem solve with discretion.
· Excellent written, oral, and presentation skills.
· Experience in conflict management, meeting facilitation, analysis, problem solving, organizational acuity, tact, diplomacy, interpersonal and time management is required.
· Computer literacy is required, including, and understanding of Microsoft office applications.
· Experience with database management and utilization strongly preferred.
· Experience with electronic patient care records and medical communications data required.
· Knowledge of relevant legislation and a sound knowledge of EHS operations policies required.
· Knowledge of relevant privacy legislation and experience handling confidential information
· Ability to perform risk identification and analysis.
· Knowledge of EMS management, information technology, and human resources practices an asset.
Physical Requirements:
The employee will spend various periods of sitting, standing, walking, crouching, lifting, and / or carrying light objects. The employee is required to maintain one position for possible long periods of time, such as sitting at meetings, or at a desk setting. The employee will be reading data or inputting data, report writing, operating a word processor, computer, calculator, and talking on the telephone. The employee will use and have exposure to general office equipment such as fax, photocopier, printer, and personal computer. The exposure to low to moderate noise levels.
*Please note this opportunity will remain open until filled*