Our team members are the heart of what makes us better.

At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

The Quality Improvement Specialist, Ambulatory acts in conjunction with and reports to the local Manager/Director ofPatient Safety & Quality to support leadership for quality and safety improvement initiatives with guidance. Collaborates with Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) initiative-focused groups, clinical transformation services and quality councils to achieve transformational and sustainable outcome improvements using project/program management, process and system mapping, reliability science data driven strategies, evidence based best practices, quality improvement (QI) strategies, and high reliability principles. This position reports to the Ambulatory Quality and Patient Safety leadership and partners with the SVP Assoc Chief Qual Officer, VP Quality Implement Science, Physician Division SVP Chief Clinical Officer and SVP COO Phys Serv Division to provide leadership for quality improvement initiatives based on assigned Ambulatory clinical subgroup or program specialty

This position will offer a hybrid schedule.  Work with teams in a remote setting and would also be expected to meet in person when necessary.

A day in the life of a Quality Improvement Specialist, Ambulatory at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

• Supports highly functioning teams organized around quality, safety, and regulatory initiatives to include:
• • Leads the transformation efforts of their assigned Ambulatory clinical subgroup or program specialty. This work will include organizing quality and process improvement projects for the assigned clinical specialty or program using agile tactics. In partnership with the larger Ambulatory Quality team, this role will lead and assist in supporting process improvement projects for all providers/practices assigned to this subgroup across HMH. Tactics and course correction will be applied based on monthly review of outcomes, review of critical workflow key points, workflow observations, clinical feedback and individual needs of the providers and practices.
  • Provide expert knowledge, leadership and mentoring on quality initiatives utilizing high reliability and Agile science. Coordination of Workflow development based on clinical subgroup or program specialty in partnership Quality leadership, and Physician Enterprise Chief Clinical Officers. Collaboration with EMR and D&A teams for development and implementation of workflow and reporting needs of the clinical subgroup or program specialty. Participation in clinical data validation work as needed
  • Identifies improvement priorities specific to each HMH initiative-focused improvement work, clinical transformation service, or quality council based on evidence based practice.
  • Helps develop methods of engaging and developing team members in the work of quality & safety initiatives and improvement measures including education and coaching on QI (ie: performance improvement methodology, Agile, patient safety and high-reliability organization (HRO) principles).
  • Effective trend analysis of performance data with comparison over time to internal and external benchmarks to identify improvement opportunities, and progress.
  • Participates and organizes meetings with the leadership as required to present the progress on performance improvement initiatives, any identified patient safety issues, and the updates on publicly reported data.
  • In collaboration with local and network leaders, supports efforts related to regulatory requirements and accrediting agencies to ensure compliance with standards (ie: CMS, CMS Quality Payment Program, NCQA, The State of New Jersey Department of Health, The Joint Commission and specialty specific organizations ).
• Advances the science of safety and quality improvement through dissemination of methods, results and lessons learned from improvement projects.
• Supports the principles of high reliability as a foundational element of the quality/safety program and culture of HMH by:
  • Encourages event reporting related to events, concerns, needs, processes to identify near-miss, precursor and serious safety events
  • Enhances transparency by bringing safety and quality events, concerns and needs to the local Quality Leadership.
  • Participates in safety huddles, patient safety activities, just culture reinforcement and shared learning.
  • Assist in providing knowledge and mentoring in patient safety & quality initiatives utilizing safety and high reliability science.
  • Conducts records review of clinical quality or program specialty to ensure the appropriate safe care was
    provided and share the results with the leadership and the clinical staff.
• Supports the local and network efforts to enhance patient safety through:
  • May participate in the analyses, investigation and classification of event reports.
• Assists in the monitoring of standard practice to ensure compliance with standards with external regulatory and accrediting agencies including:
  • Collaborates with all hospital, Quality and Physician Enterprise personnel to assist in developing and maintaining strategies to successfully comply with the regulatory environment.
  • Works in a collaborative manner with department managers and staff to provide education and information to meet regulatory and quality requirements.
• Advances & enhances professional growth and development through seminars, workshops and professional
  networking opportunities to maintain and extend expertise.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing, healthcare or health science (existing team members moved into this role will be
  grandfathered as per HR guidelines).
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in health care.
• Ability to build on clinical and population health knowledge to manage Ambulatory focused quality transformation
  projects
• Knowledge and expertise in program/project management, change management, and EMR systems.
• Proficiency in the use of computer applications and software including Google sheets (Pivot tables and visualization
  tools), Google Slides, Google Docs
• Excellent clinical informatics as well as written and oral communication skills with ability to present quality outcomes at
  various physician leadership and senior leader level meetings within the organization.
• Ability to work on multiple projects concurrently in a fast paced, timeline driven environment.
• Strong planning and organizational skills with the ability to work independently, multi-task, and prioritize responsibilities.
• Proficiency in Electronic Medical Record reporting
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficient computer skills that include but are not limited to Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite platforms.

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred:

• Master's degree and/or professional degree and certification.
• Experience in Clinical Informatics and Clinical transformation work
• Experience in Ambulatory practice operations.
• Experience in acute care clinical operations.
• Performance improvement experience.
• Experience with leading quality and outcomes work.
• Understanding of clinical regulatory standards.

Licenses and Certifications Preferred:

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) certification in Specialty.
• Project Management.

If you feel that the above description speaks directly to your strengths and capabilities, then please apply today!