Quality and Patient Safety Specialist

Position Overview

The Quality and Patient Safety Specialist – Mental Health, is responsible for managing quality review programs and leading projects that ensure patient care services are delivered with high quality, safety and consistency within the Mental Health portfolio. This role specifically works with and leads various improvement projects, and is specifically able to provide relevant data analysis, project management and logistical support. The primary objective of this role is to promote high quality evidence based care that is patient centered, timely and efficient. The incumbent is well versed in the provision of mental health care, both for in-patients and for patients receiving mental health care within the community. Using a holistic and integrated approach, this role will include providing leadership and direction in the development, execution and evaluation of a variety of projects and initiatives, and patient care planning with an important focus on enhancing a culture of safety. They will use their clinical expertise to assist in project management work within the department and ensure there is an ongoing focus on learning from incidents, and improving the quality of care for our patients and staff.  

Primary Responsibilities

• Facilitate the interdisciplinary review of patient safety incidents and support the development and implementation of resulting action plans.
• Lead risk management activities collaboratively with the Quality and Mental Health Services Department
• Support quality programs within the Mental Health Department, including the in-patient adult and pediatric mental health units, and off-site mental health care services across MGH.
• Serve as a resource to program leadership and advance quality and safety in the Mental Health Department through facilitation, education and coaching of quality improvement (QI) methodologies and patient safety best practices.
• Support organizational change within the program and achieve results-oriented outcomes.
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement through process review, literature solution design and standardization.
• Committed to generating, synthesizing, critiquing and applying research evidence into practice for improving care.
• Ensure QI practices are in compliance with standards and required organizational practice set out by Accreditation Canada and other regulatory bodies.
• Identify and lead quality and risk reviews and initiatives and support the follow-up and sustainability activities of initiatives.

Education

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's Degree, or equivalent, in healthcare administration preferred.
• Registered health care professional with certification in the delivery of mental health care or psychiatric services required.          

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of recent experience in a Mental Health/Psychiatric Services environment.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in a quality improvement or patient safety initiatives and/or committees.
• Demonstrated experience in progressive leadership responsibilities in the field of nursing/healthcare.
• Demonstrated ability to lead effective change management.
• Advanced problem solving and data analytic skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Experienced with data visualization and presentation using Excel, Access, PowerPoint, etc.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; a strong listener, speaker and presenter with experience in facilitating groups.
• Effective organizational and time management skills, with the ability to maintain flexibility, prioritize workload and remain detail orientated in the face of changing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to be reflective with the openness to learn new perspectives.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with demonstrated ability to develop trusting, credible relationships with all levels of staff, physicians, and volunteers.
• Ability to deal with multiple complex issues and manage multiple priorities.           
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to interact with front line staff, Physicians and senior team.
• Experience in managing multiple concurrent project types in various stages of development.
• Sound judgment, broad understanding and an inclusive approach to building consensus, solving problems and relationship building.

Vaccines (COVID-19 and others) are a requirement of the job unless you have an exemption pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code.