About this role
UTHealth Houston’s Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center is seeking a Quality Improvement Specialist – RN to help strengthen patient safety, clinical quality, and performance improvement across our Behavioral Sciences Campus. This position works closely with clinical leaders and administration to coordinate quality improvement initiatives, monitor outcomes, support clinical risk management efforts, and maintain readiness for CMS, State, and The Joint Commission standards.
In this role, you will evaluate quality metrics, develop performance reports and action plans, assist with regulatory and mock surveys, support improvement studies, and provide expertise for local process improvement efforts. You will also help develop training and tools that support clinical practice transformation and organizational quality goals. This position offers a Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. schedule.
What we do here changes the world. UTHealth Houston is Texas’ resource for healthcare education, innovation, scientific discovery, and excellence in patient care. That’s where you come in.
Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization (benefits, insurance, etc.), plus:
- 100% paid medical premiums for our full-time employees
- Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37-38 days per year)
- The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
- Longevity Pay (Monthly payments after two years of service)
- Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!
We take care of our employees! As a world-renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as...
- Free financial and legal counseling
- Free mental health counseling services
- Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
- Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
- Resources for child and elder care
- Plus many more!
Position Summary
The Quality Improvement Specialist will have the primary responsibility of coordinating key quality improvement (QI) activities and projects for the UTHealth Houston Behavioral Sciences Campus. Under the direction of the Director, this position will coordinate the quality improvement, patient safety and clinical risk management program for the campus.
Position Key Accountabilities
- Prepares clinical performance improvement initiatives and outcomes reports for the administration and other governing bodies.
- Maintains continued Regulatory survey readiness with regards to CMS, State and The Joint Commission Standards. Conducts and assists in The Joint Commission mock surveys, performs analysis of survey outcomes and reports findings and develops appropriate action plans in coordination with key clinical managers and administration.
- Investigate, aggregate and evaluate defined quality metrics for UTHealth John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center (HCPC and DCB Buildings). Generate program reports for analysis. Obtains quality metrics from the Electronic Health Records (Epic).
- Identify key performance metrics in various areas; monitor and report on metrics as necessary.
- Provides quality assurance / improvement technical assistance and subject matter expertise with local process improvement initiatives.
- Provides formal input towards the development of action plans or other follow up activities related to data collection activities.
- Coordinates implementation of training programs and delivers training as assigned. Develops and implements program tools to support clinical practice transformation goals. Coordinates with other entities to ensure consistency of documentation and other tools needed to successfully meet program objectives.
- Monitors quality improvement goals and tracks outcomes and measurements.
- Assist in the development, data retrieval, and analysis of medical staff quality improvement studies and medical staff indicator results.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Certification/Skills
- Superior written and verbal communication skills.
- Expertise in Microsoft Office suite of applications and healthcare quality data analysis.
- Manages Human Resources activities of department in regards to: recruiting and selection, hiring and termination, training, professional development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning.
- Work may involve handling biohazardous, chemical, and radiological materials, as well as operating associated equipment. Required safety training and appropriate engineering and administrative controls including the use of personal protective equipment must be followed.
- Registered Nurse (RN) State Licensure or Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) by Texas Board of Nursing (BON) required
- Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) by American Society for Quality (ASQ), Council for Six Sigma Certification (CSSC), International Association for Six Sigma Certification (IASSC), or Lean Six Sigma Institute (LSSI) preferred
- Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) by National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) preferred
Minimum Education
Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from an accredited nursing school with one year nursing experience required
Associate's Degree in Nursing from an accredited nursing school with three years nursing experience required
Nursing Diploma (3 year program) and two years nursing experience required
Master's Degree preferredMinimum Experience
Years of experience varies based on education level required
Experience in acute care hospital (behavioral health ) quality and/or process improvement training/education (Six Sigma, LEAN, Robust Process Improvement) preferredPhysical Requirements:
Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects. Security Sensitive:
This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code §51.215 and Texas Government Code §411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code §117.001(2), the ability to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure is a minimum qualification to be hired for and to continue to be employed in that position.
Personnel in such positions, and similarly situated state contractors, will be routinely reviewed to determine whether things such as criminal history or continuous connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary might prevent the applicant, employee, or contractor from being able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure. A foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R. §791.4.Residency Requirement:
Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.