Senior SQPE Specialist

Cleveland Clinic; Fort Lauderdale (FL); Hybrid; USD 84,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital is seeking an experienced Senior Safety, Quality, and Patient Experience (SQPE) Specialist to lead safety, quality, and patient experience initiatives across enterprise service lines. You will partner with executive and clinical leaders to set objectives, drive improvements, and ensure regulatory and accreditation standards are met.

The role requires advanced knowledge in quality review, patient safety, performance improvement, health data analytics, and change

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business, Engineering, or related field with eight years of related experience in safety, quality, patient experience and performance improvement
• Experience with Joint Commission, HFAP, CMS surveys preferably in leadership/coordination roles
• In-depth knowledge of patient safety best practices and regulatory standards
• Familiarity with basic statistical analysis and CI tools
• Must maintain one of CPPS/CPHQ/HACP/CJCP/Lean/Six Sigma/CIC/CPXP certifications

Responsibilities

• Lead safety, quality, and patient experience initiatives across an enterprise service line or submarket
• Partner with executive and clinical leaders to set objectives and drive improvement
• Develop and implement performance improvement plans and governance artifacts
• Analyze performance data and drive data-informed improvements
• Coach teams on quality improvement methods and safety practices
• Collaborate with medical staff on FPPE and OPPE activities
• Ensure regulatory and accreditation standards are incorporated into improvement activities
• Lead or co-lead Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and CCIM-based projects

Skills

Quality improvement

Patient safety

Data analytics

Stakeholder management

Education

Master’s degree in nursing or related field

8+ years in SQPE or related healthcare experience

Tools

Joint Commission surveys experience

CI tools

Change management

Job description

Join Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital’s team of caregivers that remain on the leading edge of technology and education, all while consistently providing patient-centered healthcare. As part of Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region, Weston Hospital is recognized as one of the top hospitals in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale and Florida regions. Here, you will receive endless support and appreciation while building a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world.

As a Senior Safety, Quality, and Patient Experience (SQPE) Specialist, you will lead safety, quality, and patient experience initiatives across an enterprise service line or submarket, applying expert-level knowledge in areas such as quality review and accountability, patient safety, performance improvement, health data analytics, regulatory compliance, and care transitions. In this role, you will partner with executive and clinical leaders to establish objectives and key results, facilitate improvement initiatives, and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards, improve performance metrics, and advance Cleveland Clinic Core Values and behavioral standards.

A caregiver in this role works a hybrid schedule, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with on-site work 3 days per week and less than 5% travel to Coral Springs, Florida.

A caregiver who excels in this role will:

• Direct performance improvement regarding SQPE across an Enterprise service line, market, or submarket.
• Act as an accountable partner to executive and clinical leadership within their areas of responsibility.
• Understand and implement elements of performance as outlined by regulations, bylaws, and rules and regulations established by the medical staff. Act as the primary resource for staff to facilitate overall operations of programs.
• Develop meaningful quality assurance activities with executive and clinical leadership to establish when a deviation in standard practice occurs.
• Analyze performance data, develop and implement improvement strategies, and apply structured problem-solving approaches.
• Act as a consultant in educating and evaluating clinical and support department staff regarding quality management regulations and standards of care.
• Support medical staff quality assurance activities such as peer review, ongoing professional practice evaluation, and focused professional practice evaluation.
• Develop and ensure processes to monitor performance, identify where intervention is needed, and lead changes to drive and sustain improvement.
• Incorporate regulatory and accreditation standards into improvement activities around SQPE.
• Collaborate on development of required plans such as the performance improvement plan, safety plan, infection control plan, and others as required by governance.
• Incorporate enterprise priorities, regulatory requirements, and benchmarks, ensuring alignment to one standard of care across locations.
• Facilitate dashboard reviews, data analysis, and decision-making from data.
• Identify and address root causes to lead to sustainable improvement.
• Lead improvement projects to the desired key result, role modeling the Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model.
• Manage stakeholder relationships, project risks, and project changes.
• Research and apply best practices within and outside the organization.
• Manage changes to ensure the adoption and sustainment of quality improvement.
• Build relationships with project teams, medical staff, other clinical and non-clinical stakeholders, executive leadership, and sponsors.
• Coach complex improvement teams to success with their quality improvement projects at the local, market, and Enterprise levels.
• Coach high reliability principles and error prevention strategies.
• Apply the Cleveland Clinic cause analysis process to identify key factors that lead to failures in SQPE. Apply common cause analysis identification to safety events.
• Participate in Quality, EOC, Survey Readiness, and Safety Rounds.
• Support medical staff assurance activities such as Focused Professional Practice Evaluation (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluation (OPPE).
• Analyze performance data for trends and collaborate with key stakeholders to facilitate improvement strategies. Facilitate meetings as necessary.
• Perform ongoing trending of publicly reported metrics (e.g., Leapfrog Safe Practice).
• Collaborate with the SQPE Director in collecting necessary data to complete annual survey submissions (e.g., Leapfrog, QVP).
• Collaborate on updating required plans such as the performance improvement plan, safety plan, and others as required.
• Provide support during Healthcare Quality, Patient Safety, and Patient Experience Week.
• Lead or co-lead Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA).
• Lead Quality and Patient Safety improvement projects utilizing the Cleveland Clinic Improvement Model (CCIM).
• Participate in safety events and case reviews to assist in identifying root causes to lead to sustainable improvement.
• Improve care processes, patient safety, and outcomes through management of specialty programs.
• Provide onsite support during regulatory visits.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Master’s degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business, Engineering, or related field and eight years of related experience with safety, quality, patient experience and Performance Improvement program or related healthcare experience
• OR eight years of related experience with safety, quality, patient experience and Performance Improvement program or related healthcare experience and additional two years of related experience
• Experience in the primary service line supported by the role if this role supports an enterprise service line
• Previous experience in working with Joint Commission, HFAP, CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid: Government agency that provides reimbursement for accredited trainees) surveys process preferably in a leadership/coordination role
• In-depth knowledge of patient safety best practices, joint commission standards, and conditions of participation
• Familiarity with basic statistical analysis, CI tools and change management techniques
• Must maintain a minimum of one of the following certifications:
• Certified Patient Safety Professional (CPPS)
• Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ)
• Healthcare Accreditation Certification Program (HACP) or Certified Joint Commission Professional (CJCP)
• Process Improvement Certification preferred: Lean, Six Sigma, etc.
• Certified in Infection Control (CIC)
• Certified Patient Experience Professional (CPXP)

Preferred qualifications for the ideal future caregiver include:

• Clinical experience preferred and will offset three years of experience requirement in SQPE
• Additional certifications
• Registered Nurse

Physical Requirements

• Ability to communicate and exchange accurate information.
• Ability to perform work in a stationary position for extended periods.
• Ability to work with physical records or operate a computer or other office equipment.
• In some locations, ability to travel throughout the hospital system.
• In some locations the ability to move up to 25 lbs.

Personal Protective Equipment

• Follow standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

Pay Range

Minimum Annual Salary: $84,200.00

Maximum Annual Salary: $128,412.50

The pay range displayed on this job posting reflects the anticipated range for new hires. A successful candidate’s actual compensation will be determined after taking factors into consideration such as the candidate’s work history, experience, skill set and education. The pay range displayed does not include any applicable pay practices (e.g., shift differentials, overtime, etc.). The pay range does not include the value of Cleveland Clinic’s benefits package (e.g., healthcare, dental and vision benefits, retirement savings account contributions, etc.).