Patient Safety and Quality Consultant

Virginia Commonwealth University Health; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Commonwealth University Health seeks a Patient Safety & Quality Consultant to advance a culture of safety across the health system. You will lead initiatives to reduce harm, analyze adverse events, and implement evidence-based improvements in partnership with executive, clinical, and operational leaders.

The role emphasizesRoot Cause Analysis facilitation, application of high reliability principles, Just Culture, and change management to strengthen safety processes and patient outcomes.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to lead patient safety improvement initiatives and HM processes, including RCAs.
• Experience applying high reliability organization principles to healthcare settings.
• Promotes Just Culture and system-focused improvement over individual blame.

Responsibilities

• Lead and facilitate patient safety improvement initiatives to prevent harm and improve outcomes.
• Facilitate Root Cause Analyses (RCAs) to identify system vulnerabilities and corrective actions.
• Apply high reliability principles to strengthen safety culture and reduce variation.
• Promote Just Culture with a focus on processes rather than individuals.
• Foster psychological safety and transparent communication of safety data.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to redesign processes and improve care transitions.

Skills

Patient safety

Root cause analysis

High reliability

Just culture

Change management

Team facilitation

Education

CPHQ

CPPS

PMP

Lean Six Sigma Black Belt

Job description

* Update professional knowledge applicable to the role by participating in education opportunities such as reading professional publications and networking locally and regionally.* Complete required continuing education to maintain certification (as applicable).Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) preferredCertified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) preferredCertified Project Manager (PMP) preferredLean Six Sigma Black Belt preferred### Patient Safety-Focused Summary: Patient Safety & Quality ConsultantThe **Patient Safety & Quality Consultant** is responsible for advancing a culture of patient safety across the health system by leading initiatives that reduce harm, improve reliability, and strengthen safety processes. The role partners with executive, physician, nursing, and operational leaders to identify safety risks, analyze adverse events, implement evidence-based improvements, and drive sustainable change that improves patient outcomes.Primary Patient Safety Responsibilities* Lead and facilitate patient safety improvement initiatives designed to prevent patient harm and improve clinical outcomes.* Facilitate **Root Cause Analyses (RCAs)** to identify system vulnerabilities and develop corrective actions.* Apply **high reliability organization principles** to strengthen safety culture, reduce variation, and improve process consistency.* Promote a **Just Culture** approach by focusing on system and process improvements rather than individual blame.* Foster **psychological safety** through transparent communication of safety and performance information.* Identify safety trends, measure the effectiveness of interventions, and prioritize opportunities for risk reduction and harm prevention.* Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to redesign processes that detect, mitigate, and prevent patient harm.* Improve care transitions and healthcare processes to ensure safe, effective, equitable, efficient, and timely care delivery.Key Areas of Expertise* Patient Safety and Harm Prevention* Root Cause Analysis (RCA)* High Reliability Principles* Just Culture* Change Management* Team Facilitation and Stakeholder Engagement* Healthcare Process Redesign and Risk Reduction### Executive SummaryThe Patient Safety & Quality Consultant leads organization-wide patient safety efforts by investigating safety events, facilitating root cause analyses, applying high reliability and just culture principles, identifying and mitigating system risks, and partnering with clinical and operational leaders to implement sustainable improvements that prevent patient harm and improve patient outcomes.