Quality & Operational Improvement Engineer, Electrophysiology - 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 Electrophysiology (EP) Quality Assurance and Process Improvement (FQAPI) and UIHC Performance Improvement (PI) Program. Facilitate improvement activities utilizing PI methodologies (DMAIC); serve as a resource to assist and train others on performance improvement methodologies and evidence based patient safety and quality initiatives in the Electrophysiology clinical support programs within the UI Heart and Vascular Center (HVC); 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 Office of Clinical Quality, Safety and Performance Improvement and the Electrophysiology Program 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 (Electrophysiology) for the Performance Improvement and Decision Support programs in the Office of Clinical Quality, Safety and Performance Improvement (CQSPI) and the FQAPI 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 EP 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.
• 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 FQAPI tools and metrics monitoring 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 EP policies and work with departmental leadership in such development to ensure ongoing compliance with CMS and 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.
• 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 & Operational Improvement Manager/Director, CQSPI and UI Heart and Vascular Center Leadership.
• Responsible for data collection, tracking and report generation for designated clinical programs/patient population(s) within the HVC required for publicly reported metrics and/or certification. Establish reliable and efficient process for the collection and sharing of data.
• Maintain EP scorecards.
• Serve as HVC site administrator and liaison for related national registry access, inquiries and troubleshooting. Interact with registry website and maintain familiarity with upcoming changes to registry or data collection requirements.
• Collaborate with HVC administration and EP Physician Leadership to designated clinical care teams to identify, track and evaluate performance improvement opportunities based on registries and/or publicly reported data. Coordinate follow-up activities, meetings and distribution of information as it relates to performance improvement and quality projects.
• Consult with HVC administration and designated clinical care teams as well as other UIHC departments (i.e., CQSPI, HCIS, Compliance) to help establish and evaluate metrics intended to improve patient outcomes.
• Maintain knowledge on the metric specifications, and the evidence-based standards that are incorporated into the metrics and collaborate with designated clinical care teams to integrate recommendations into clinical practice. Accurately track compliance variances (i.e., Joint Commission) and report results to designated clinical care teams in real time basis.
• Serve as an educational resource on registry and/or publicly reported metric requirements, data elements, and reporting options. May develop educational material and deliver presentations related to registry information.
• Maintain education files for program clinical care teams (required for regulatory bodies/certifications).
• Serve as HVC liaison during regulatory onsite visits (including but not limited programmatic reaccreditation and/or certification).
• Coordinate program activities (i.e., council meetings, Advanced Cardiac Therapies Conference, Annual Healing Heart Nursing Symposium, Mortality and Morbidity Improvement Conferences, division training/education conferences) and events as requested.
• Coordinate planning activities.
• In collaboration with HVC-HR may participate in the onboarding and training of designated program staff.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

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:

• Minimum 3 years quality-related experience in managing outcomes and performance improvement initiatives/techniques in a health-related discipline.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to, effectively extract, apply and incorporate data for the purpose of establishing metrics/scorecards.
• Previous experience compiling complex data and report creation/generation.
• 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:

• Specific training and certification in performance improvement techniques e.g., Six Sigma Green or Black Belt is desired.
• Medical record abstraction or clinical computer information systems experience
• Formal education/training in performance improvement techniques such as DMAIC, TQM, or similar nationally recognized techniques.
• 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 Kelli Ballard at kelli-ballard@uiowa.edu or 319-467-6019.

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: Kelli Ballard
• Contact Email: kelli-ballard@uiowa.edu

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