PS Quality Improvement Spec

Job Summary

Join UPIQ, the Quality Improvement team within the Division of General Pediatrics! The Utah Pediatric Partnership to Improve Healthcare Quality (UPIQ) is a statewide coalition to advance quality and transform health care for children and their families. We are seeking a skilled and enthusiastic member to support clinical practice teams within the department and across the broader Pediatric clinical community in Utah. This position offers dynamic opportunities to collaborate with all members of a healthcare team including physicians, advanced practice clinicians, nurses, medical assistants, and administrators while driving meaningful improvements in patient care. The selected applicant will support the department's priorities for advancing clinical care through quality improvement methodology, including practice facilitation and measurement-based population health activities. To learn more about UPIQ, please visit: https://medicine.utah.edu/pediatrics/general-pediatrics/research/quality-improvement.

The Department of Pediatrics is the second largest department in the University of Utah School of Medicine and one of the largest pediatric departments in the country. We are committed to improving the lives of children through excellence in advocacy, education, research, and clinical care. For more information about the Department of Pediatrics, please visit: http://medicine.utah.edu/pediatrics/.

Mutual respect and appreciation are highly valued in the department.

The University of Utah offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Excellent health care coverage at affordable rates
• 14.2% retirement contributions
• Generous paid leave time
• 11 paid Holidays per year
• 50% tuition reduction for employees, spouses, and dependent children
• Flex spending accounts
• University provided basic employee life insurance coverage equal to a salary of up to $25,000
• Variety of elective insurance coverage
• Free transit on most UTA services
• Employee discounts on a variety of products and services
• Professional development opportunities

Additional benefits information is available at https://benefits.utah.edu/.

Responsibilities

This position is patient-sensitive and must fulfill all associated vaccination requirements, or be approved for an exemption, prior to the first day of work.

Essential Functions

1. Organize QI projects by working with UPIQ leadership and ad hoc planning committees.
2. Support practice teams throughout projects with professional facilitation.
3. Provide timely project deliverables, including documents supporting QI methods used such as process mapping, key driver diagrams, PDSA cycles, sustainability plans.
4. Conduct project wrap-up activities, including administering post-surveys, analyzing results, and evaluation.
5. Contribute to academic publications (including abstracts, posters, manuscripts).
6. Conduct post-project "holding the gains" continuous improvement activities.
7. Support UPIQ Steering Committee and other relevant committees as needed.
8. Foster and support relationships with partner organizations.
9. Participate in preparing proposals for funding opportunities.
10. Develop content for UPIQ relevant websites, newsletters, and conferences.
11. Engage in ongoing professional development to continually improve necessary skills.
12. Participate in on-going UPIQ needs assessment to identify improvement opportunities and topics for future improvement projects.

Minimum Qualifications

Required
Bachelor's degree in a health care field or equivalency (one year of education can be substituted for two years of related work experience).
Two years of clinical or related hospital experience.

Preferred
A current Utah License to practice nursing.

Preferences

• A current Utah License to practice nursing or Master of Public Health (MPH) degree
• Minimum of three years' work experience in a clinical setting (inpatient or ambulatory)
• Demonstrated experience in utilizing quality improvement methodologies, tools, and techniques
• Knowledge of "Quality Improvement" ideals with experience in a quality program
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with excellent attention to detail
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Proven ability to facilitate teamwork within clinical environments
• Strong proficiency in PC/Windows with working knowledge of Microsoft applications
• Professional certification such as Lean or Six Sigma
• Familiarity with pay for performance or quality measures by payers
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with UPIQ colleagues in a fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities