Medication Safety Contest Honorable Mention
Job description for a medication safety practitioner
Allina Health System

Title: Project Manager for Patient Safety Initiatives at Allina Health System

Department: Quality Measurement and Analysis

Principal Accountabilities:

• Manage and coordinate projects in data collection and analysis on patient safety-related medical error measurement and improvement. Specific tasks include organizing projects to collect data and encourage reporting of medical errors within Allina for patient safety improvement purposes.
• Involvement in the Division Medication Safety Task Force which coordinates division medication safety initiatives and identifies and acts on opportunities for improvement.
• Involvement in the Culture Task Group to oversee and drive initiatives related to creating a blame-resistant culture for medical error reporting.
• Coordinate and track projects and initiatives throughout the Allina Health System related to patient safety and reduction of medical errors.
• Project management to insure timely completion of reports, identifying data sources and collecting data for established patient safety quality measures, assisting with data analysis, documenting and tracking data specifications, and facilitating meetings.
• Assist in designing data reports and displays (tabular, graphic, and other formats) for various Allina and external audiences.
• Assist in the development of data collection tools (e.g., surveys, chart abstraction forms) and manage data collection related to these tools for patient safety projects.
• Gather data from internal and external (local, state, national) data sources to establish benchmarks and gather information on lessons learned from patient safety initiatives throughout the country that can apply to Allina.
• Represent Allina's corporate quality measurement function in a variety if internal and external meetings.

Major challenges:

• Person must combine strong quantitative skills and disciplined task management capabilities with high levels of interpersonal skills and diplomacy to be able to function effectively within sometimes ambiguous environments and emerging roles. Interfacing with clinicians, senior management, and other staff requires substantial flexibility.

Qualifications:

• Masters degree in public health, epidemiology, health services research, or related field desired. Bachelors degree with appropriate knowledge, experience and skills will also be considered.
• Experience in collecting, managing, and analyzing health care related data.
• Experience in utilizing data for continuous quality improvement.
• Excellent computer literacy with significant experience in word processing, spreadsheet, database and graphics programs (Word, Excel, Access). Experience with statistical software (SPSS, SAS) a plus.
• Excellent writing and interpersonal skills.
• Experience in health care desired.