Patient Safety Assistant Coordinator (Anchorage, Alaska)

Credence Management Solutions, LLC (Credence) is seeking a Patient Safety Assistant Coordinator (PSAC) to assist and advise the Government with the establishment and operation of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Patient Safety Program (PSP) at the Military Treatment Facility (MTF) level.

This position is based in site at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Anchorage, Alaska.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the duties listed below, as outlined in the contract statement of work: 

• Collaborate closely with the Defense Health Agency Patient Safety Consultants, Patient Safety Specialists (PSS), Quality Management (QM), Risk Management (RM), and Process Improvement (PI) personnel.
• Provide consultation on MTF Comprehensive Systematic Analyses (CSA), Proactive Risk Assessments (PRA), medication and non-medication event reporting, and other PS initiatives from a data analysis perspective, verifying the development and use of appropriate performance measures
• Assist, advise, and make recommendations to the MTF to develop, coordinate, and execute PRA plans to identify, reduce, and prevent, wherever possible, risks to safe care. PS activities under this plan include but are not limited to preventable medical and near miss reporting, analysis of near miss and lesser harm events, CSAs on higher severity events and others as indicated, PRAs, communication, and team training.
• Serve as a PS resource to for both programmatic and data analysis functions and confer with all levels of personnel to assist with the development of program plans directed at risk identification, reduction, and prevention to decrease both the frequency and severity of preventable medical events and harm to patients. Assist MTF staff with data collection and analysis of PS-related PI projects.
• Serve as a resource to ensure compliance with DoD-mandated analysis and patient reporting systems such as the Joint Patient Safety Reporting System (JPSRS) and provide consultation on how the MTF uses this data to identify system and process issues that could have or did result in harm. Assist MTF to clarify the classification of each reported event and make recommendations to determine the level of assessment required.
• Search existing healthcare information sources and research clinical findings for PS relevant issues. Assist to develop and execute mechanisms to translate this data to information. Provide this information to leadership, committees, and individuals as appropriate.
• Educate and assist MTF in identification of safety improvement opportunities from data/information sources. From an analytic perspective, assist and make recommendations to MTF in reaching conclusions and making decisions.
• When a CSA is designated by the MTF, assist with the facilitation of the CSA teams through completion of the CSA process and debriefing to the MTF Commander or designee.
• Analyze completed CSAs at the MTF for opportunities to improve the CSA process, lessons learned, and causal and contributing factors. In collaboration with the PSS, make recommendations to the MTF for facilitation of future CSA teams. Assist MTF to develop and use tracking system for CSAs.
• Assist the MTF in PS rounds throughout the MTF. Communicate directly with MTF staff to identify and recommend opportunities to affect safer care. Encourage PS event reporting throughout the organization.
• Participate in preparation for The Joint Commission (TJC) as defined by the MTF.
• Collect, collate, analyze, and display data from event reviews, CSAs, PRAs, and other sources, as designated by the Chief of Medical Staff (SGH). Disseminate to appropriate committees and individuals for PS improvement purposes.
• Assist as designated by the SGH, in preparing and presenting briefings on MTF PSP trending and reporting MTF findings from JPSR as appropriate.
• Assist, as designated by the SGH, in the development, coordination, and presentation of ongoing PS education in the form of new employee orientation, one-on-one consultations, in-service, and just-in-time training.
• Attend meetings and other designated functions to ensure coverage by the Quality personnel.
• Maintain pertinent knowledge through review of current PS literature and attendance at professional PS meetings and educational programs.

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a healthcare-related field, Business Administration (BA), Information Systems (IS), or equivalency in degree programs that include data analysis and statistical analysis.
• Two (2) years of experience at a healthcare facility. Experience in an inpatient or outpatient medical facility is required, military healthcare experience highly desired.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite tools including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is required. Understanding of Microsoft Access, Visual Basic, and SQL is preferred.
• Must possess ability to work independently, organize time, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Attention to detail and the ability to effectively communicate PS concepts to leadership.
• Knowledge of TJC accreditation standards, process, PS initiatives and Patient Safety goals is preferred.
• Experience with performing RCAs, PRAs, and PI is highly desirable but able to be acquired after start.
• Effective writing and presentation skills.
• Effective team and interpersonal skills.