Quality & Operational Improvement Engineer - UI Heart and Vascular Center
University of Iowa

The UI Heart and Vascular Center (HVC) is seeking a 100% Quality & Operational Improvement Engineer to develop, coordinate and become subject matter expert on components of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation for Transplant Programs and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Bylaws and policies to ensure compliance. Facilitate improvement activities utilizing PI methodologies (such as DMAIC); serve as a resource to assist and train others on performance improvement methodologies and evidence based patient safety and quality initiatives in the solid organ transplant provide all levels of management, physicians, and clinical staff with accurate and timely information for effective decision making utilizing internal and external decision support systems in the Department of Quality and Safety and the Transplant Programs on behalf of the UI Heart and Vascular Center (HVC).


We are the best heart hospital in Iowa

UI Heart & Vascular Center is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as the best hospital in the state for cardiology and heart surgery patient care. The best hospitals nationally received this rating based on patient outcomes, number of high-risk patients seen, patient experience, advanced clinical technologies, and more.

Duties to include:

• Facilitates improvement activities for specific areas of responsibility (Thoracic Transplant Programs) for the Performance Improvement and Decision Support programs in the Department of Quality and Safety and the QAPI programs of the Transplant Programs
• Collaborates in the development of long-term strategies and methodologies for evaluation of processes and outcomes across the continuum of care including measurement, analysis, and reporting of data used in achieving goals identified in the UIHC strategic plan. Contact external peers/organizations for successful interventions/programs that have been proven effective.
• Promote performance improvement principles throughout the organization. Support and provide visibility for performance improvement philosophies and tools.
• Work with HCIS and pertinent resources available to facilitate the collection of pertinent data, design and use of databases and reports for clinical and administrative decision making. Conduct basic and advanced analyses of UIHC and transplant specific performance on clinical processes and outcomes.
• Ensures accurate and reliable data acquisition including analysis and inter-rater reliability of data to support clinical and administrative decision making. (OPTN, SRTR, & TIEDI)
• Reviews, evaluates, interprets, and develops reports, and provides end-user assistance, involving analysis, identification of problem needs, designing solutions, and identifying required system adaptations. Utilizes QAPI tools and metrics to facilitate identification of required transplant specific metrics, including publicly available and OPTN performance metrics and monitoring to pertinent adverse events as well as process improvement projects.
• Acts as a departmental representative in meetings involving hospital policy issues surrounding performance improvement, decision support and utilization of hospital resources. Be directly involved in the development of Transplant policies and work with departmental leadership in such development to ensure ongoing compliance with CMS, OPTN, Joint Commission and all pertinent regulatory body requirements.
• Facilitate and help lead departmental QAPI meetings and process improvement efforts including training staff members in using pertinent tools and methodologies to achieve PI goals.
• Promotes collaboration, decision making, and problem resolution through effective interactions or facilitation with members of the hospital organization.
• Facilitates significant clinical event and root cause analysis, including peer review, process improvement, tracking and reporting of processes, policies and procedure updates and/or changes. Identification of variation, develop and implement systems and processes to facilitate effective clinical practice change and error reduction.
• Prepares/presents educational programs on performance improvement, evidence based practice, or ongoing quality initiatives to clinical and UIHC staff. Participates in staff education to ensure their ongoing familiarity with pertinent regulations and compliance with CMS regulations and OPTN bylaws and policies.
• Ensures and supports integration and standardization of process across the organization. Supports/leads development, implementation and migration of best practices for safe clinical practice and outcomes at the system level.
• Seeks opportunities to enhance own professional knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to one's current position and/or to prepare for potential future roles and overall career development, e.g., speaking/poster presentations at local or national conferences, publications in journals/books, or certification in quality or performance improvement.
• Assumes special assignments as delegated by the Quality Improvement Director, as well as Transplant Leadership, and UI Heart and Vascular Center Leadership.
• Participates in the hiring of professional and support staff. oversees pertinent QA related work performed by transplant clinical coordinators and data staff in HVC transplant programs.

University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics-recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States-is Iowa's only comprehensive academic medical center and a regional referral center. Each day more than 12,000 employees, students, and volunteers work together to provide safe, quality health care and excellent service for our patients. Simply stated, our mission is: Changing Medicine. Changing Lives.®

Education Requirement:

• Master's degree in a basic science and/or Healthcare-related field from an accredited college or university or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Experience Requirement:

• Ability to format advanced tables; retrieve data via queries; and create presentations via PowerPoint.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Power Point and Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to work well within a multi-disciplinary team and collaborate effectively with physicians, staff, patients/families and other internal and external customers.
• Demonstrated ability to positively interact and communicate (verbal and written) with physicians, staff, patients/families and other internal and external customers.

Desired Qualifications:

• Minimum 3 years quality-related experience in managing outcomes and performance improvement initiatives/techniques in a health-related discipline.
• Specific training and certification in performance improvement techniques e.g., Six Sigma Green or Black Belt is desired.
• Professional certification related to healthcare quality (i.e. CPHQ, ASQ) is desired.
• Clinical nursing experience desired.
• Some knowledge of University and Regent policies, procedures, and regulations is desired.

In order to be considered for an interview, applicants must upload the following documents and mark them as a "Relevant File" to the submission:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
  
  

Job openings are posted for a minimum of 14 calendar days and may be removed from posting and filled any time after the original posting period has ended.

Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.

For additional questions, please contact Jordan Adam at jordan-adam@uiowa.edu or 319-384-5699.

Additional Information

• Classification Title: Qual & Op Improv Engineer
• Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific
• Schedule: Full-time
• Work Modality Options: On Campus

Compensation

• Pay Level: 5A

Contact Information

• Organization: Healthcare
• Contact Name: Jordan Adam
• Contact Email: jordan-adam@uiowa.edu

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