Indigenous Patient Care Quality and Safety Consultant

Interior Health; Kelowna; Hybrid; CAD 88,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Canada is seeking an Indigenous Patient Care Quality and Safety Consultant to enhance healthcare experiences for Indigenous patients through leadership in cultural safety, advocacy, and quality improvement. This role plays a critical part in ensuring Indigenous voices are integrated into the healthcare system. Competitive salary offered ranging from $88,990 to $127,923 annually with various employee benefits.

Benefits

An attractive remuneration package

Employer paid training/education

Employer paid vacation

Extended Health & Dental coverage

Municipal Pension Plan

Work-life balance

Qualifications

• Five to seven years of experience in a large health organization.
• Leadership experience for at least three years.
• Training in patient safety and quality improvement methods.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in cultural safety and patient-centered care.
• Support the resolution of patient/client relations.
• Lead Quality Reviews and Patient Safety Investigations.

Skills

Cultural safety

Patient advocacy

Quality improvement

Relationship-building

Knowledge of Indigenous health

Education

Master’s degree in nursing or health related program

Indigenous cultural safety training

Trauma Informed Practice training

Job description

Overview

Position Summary: Interior Health is seeking a permanent full-time Indigenous Patient Care Quality and Safety Consultant to help improve the healthcare experiences of Indigenous patients, clients, and families. This role provides leadership in cultural safety, patient advocacy, and quality improvement, with a focus on ensuring Indigenous voices are heard and valued, especially when concerns about care arise. Through relationship-building, restorative practices, and collaborative learning, the Consultant supports a more responsive and accountable healthcare system for Indigenous peoples across the region.

Work location: The worksite location for this position is flexible and can be located anywhere within the Interior Health region.

Benefits

• An attractive remuneration package
• Excellent career prospects
• Employer paid training/education
• Employer paid vacation
• Employer paid insurance premiums
• Extended Health & Dental coverage
• Municipal Pension Plan
• Work-life balance

• Benefits for Indigenous Employees:
• Ceremonial, Cultural, Spiritual Leave
• Indigenous Employee Network
• Indigenous Employee Voices Committee

Salary

Salary range for the position is $88,990 to $127,923. Interior Health establishes salaries within the minimum and maximum of the salary range based on consideration of the qualifications, experience of the applicant, and an internal equity review of the salaries of other employees.

Impact and responsibilities

• In accordance with the established vision and values of the organization, the Indigenous Patient Care Quality and Safety Consultant provides leadership and expertise in patient safety and client concerns management to promote a culture of safety and patient-centered care across the organization in support of program priorities within Quality and Patient Safety and Indigenous Health.
• Reporting to the Director, Patient Care Quality, Safety & Accreditation, the Consultant supports Interior Health to establish and maintain effective relationships with patients, clients, and residents with a specific focus towards Indigenous peoples and their health and healthcare experiences.
• Lead Quality Reviews and Patient Safety Investigations following serious adverse events; ensure avenues for Indigenous patient, client or resident feedback are established and accessible; ensure complaints, compliments, and concerns are addressed in a timely, appropriate, and respectful manner. Focus on learning from clinical practice through analysis of serious adverse events across the region. Support the application and integration of evidence-based tools, frameworks, and guidelines to support safety across the system of care. Facilitate quality improvement initiatives to promote quality and safety improvements across the Health Authority.
• Lead the intake, assessment, management, and resolution of highly confidential and sensitive matters concerning patient/client relations within the Patient Care Quality Office. This is a regulated role under the PCQRBA and BOR acts and operates in accordance with Interior Health’s complaint management philosophy, policy, and guidelines. Assist patients/clients with access and navigation to meet complex healthcare needs; meet patient/client needs related to resolution of complaints; liaise with internal and external partners to facilitate consensus and negotiate agreements that result in resolution of complaint issues.
• Proactively understand Indigenous patients’ experiences in healthcare and engage with Indigenous leaders and clients regarding concerns and adverse event management processes. Build relationships and engage with Indigenous health leaders, communities, public and clients. Track, analyze, evaluate, and report concerns and compliments; identify opportunities for education and policy/system change for the organization.
• Work closely with leaders in all portfolios to resolve care concerns and identify opportunities for quality improvement.

What you will work on

• Provide leadership and expertise to promote a culture of safety, including cultural safety within IH by incorporating an Indigenous lens to managing Indigenous patient/client and family feedback activities.
• Collaborate with key partners on patient, client or resident complaints or compliments and support culturally safe resolution, ensuring feedback is tracked for accountability and improvement.
• Remain current with obligations in relevant legislation, regulations, and common law, in collaboration with IH Privacy, Risk Management, IH Patient Safety and the PCQRB.
• Provide advice and consultation on Indigenous client feedback issues, including verbal and written communication and actions when initial steps do not resolve issues to satisfaction.
• Ensure timely triaging of complaints and determine follow-up actions including referrals as needed.
• Develop and maintain excellence in quality care by leading investigation and analysis of serious adverse events.
• Involve patients, family, and community in patient safety investigations and quality reviews.
• Provide consultation, support, and assistance during the disclosure process after adverse events as needed.
• Provide consultation, coaching, and training for leaders, medical staff, and employees regarding Quality Reviews, patient safety investigations, and complaint management for Indigenous patients, clients, and residents.
• Support Indigenous patients and families to report concerns about care; help navigate the complaints process and identify rights and responsibilities.
• Direct issues to appropriate bodies (e.g., Risk Management; Adult Guardianship; PCQO; Regulatory Colleges; Patient Care Quality Review Board; Ombudsperson) as needed.
• Elevate patterns of concerns to Indigenous Health to inform training and policy work.
• Coordinate conferences, circles, or cultural ceremonies between patients, clients, residents and families and IH leaders and external partners during the resolution of concerns.
• Assist in maintaining and developing a client feedback information management system, ensuring documentation, status of resolution, and reporting for accountability and improvement. Create standard and ad hoc reports as required.
• Participate in the development of policies and procedures related to concerns management.
• Participate in interdisciplinary/ interdepartmental meetings, sharing Indigenous perspectives and supporting the PCQO and patient experience teams.
• Carry out responsibilities in accordance with health and safety requirements, and report unsafe conditions promptly.
• Support and promote the mission and strategic direction for IH in Indigenous Health, Quality & Patient Safety, and patient/client relations.
• Adhere to Occupational Health and Safety policies and attend required training; report hazards, unsafe conditions, or incidents immediately.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Interior Health strives to create an environment where you enjoy the work you do, the place where you work, and the people around you. Together, we create great workplaces. Apply today!

Indigenous Commitment and Qualifications

Honouring Interior Health’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and Pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, preferential consideration and/or hiring will be given to qualified applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit).

Qualifications

• Education, Training, and Experience:
• A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Master’s degree in nursing or other health related program.
• Five to seven years of experience working in a large, multi-faceted health organization including three years leadership experience.
• Or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Training and certifications in patient safety and quality improvement methods is preferred.
• Completion of an Indigenous cultural safety training program.
• Completion of Trauma Informed Practice training.
• Training and/or experience leading a restorative approach to healing from harm is desirable.