How to Apply

Letters of interest and CVs can be sent to Sara Williams at scschule@med.umich.edu

Summary

A Medical Directors for Patient Safety, in partnership with the Office of Patient Safety (OPS), promotes the mission, vision and values of UMH through the prevention of harm to patients. The Medical Directors of Patient Safety (MDPS) functions at the segment level and partners with the Patient Safety leadership and other Medical Directors of Patient Safety to maintain a structured, coordinated, and collaborative strategy to provide the safest possible patient care, using continuous process improvement and high reliability principles.  The Medical Directors of Patient Safety reports to the Chief Quality Officer (CQO) to drive organizational change to enhance patient safety.  The core work of the MDPS is to work collaboratively with segment senior leadership, clinical leaders, and frontline staff to detect and prioritize opportunities for improvement in patient safety, to drive change to close safety gaps and to encourage a robust system-wide safety culture.

The MDPS is a key champion of the patient safety program segment-wide in collaboration with OPS, the CQO, segment leaders, and other Medical Directors for Patient Safety. Through supporting infrastructure, such as the Safety Event Review Committee (SERC) and Patient Safety Committee (PSC), the patient safety program strives to prioritize and align patient safety activities across UMH, as well as to coordinate initiatives and opportunities for all individuals who work to improve safety in the organization.  The Medical Directors for patient safety works to integrate and help lead safety interventions within their segment.

Scope

The activities of the Medical Directors for Patient Safety encompass the entirety of the segment in which they represent such as Adult Hospitals, Children & Women’s hospital (C&W), or Ambulatory Services, including all staff and faculty, units and departments.

Organizational Relationships

• The MDPS is appointed by and has a direct reporting relationship to the Chief Quality Officer (CQO).
• The MDPS works closely with the Patient Safety Officer, Patient Safety Leadership, and the Patient Safety Event Review Team.
• The MDPS works collaboratively with other segment MDPSs and other existing safety structures, such as the Perioperative Safety and Quality Improvement Program (PSQIP), to ensure alignment, consistency, and integration of safety systems in the delivery of care.
• The MDPS works collaboratively with numerous committees across the organization to improve patient safety (see below).
• The MDPS works collaboratively with Patient Relations and Clinical Risk to ensure the appropriate response to safety events and concerns that have both patient safety and risk management implications in their segment.
• The MDPS partners with segment leadership, clinical departments and divisions, business units, and clinical system improvement teams to detect, prevent, and respond to patient harm.

Overarching Responsibilities 

• Acts as a segment integrator for advancement of Patient Safety, partnering with Patient Safety leads, other MDPS and liaisons across UMH
• Share patient safety vision with partners across segments and Michigan Medicine and seeks collaboration and momentum for improvements toward the vision
• Prioritizes and informs the institution of segment system gaps and patient safety risks to inform decision making
• Improve segment-wide culture of patient safety
  • Grow/enhance patient safety program by training /knowledge transfer for emerging segment faculty leaders
  • Target at risk departments and roles to implement interventions and HRO principles as needed
• Optimize segment patient safety event review and response in partnership with OPS Leadership
  • Partner with the Patient Safety Event Team
  • Assist Executive Sponsors and local leaders involved in patient safety in appropriate event response
  • Collaborate with senior hospital leadership and Clinical Departments to facilitate patient safety improvements and implementation of resulting action plans
  • Facilitate improvement response by collaborating with or convening appropriate committees, personnel, or assigning task force oversight for implementation
• Partner with GME program for House Officer reporting improvement
• Support and enhance segment patient safety structures.  Partner with existing Patient Safety Resources to connect OPS and segment structures.
• Committee participation and leadership
  • Member of the Patient Safety Committee (PSC).  Integrate segment safety gaps and improvement work into institutional annual patient safety plan.
  • Member of the Safety Event Review Committee (SERC). Connect event reviews and action plans to segment priorities and support implementation.
  • Ad hoc member, PSET Advisory Committee
  • Ad hoc member of Multidisciplinary Event Review teams, as needed

Required Qualifications*

• Eligible for a faculty appointment within University of Michigan Medical School.
• Able to serve as an active member of the medical staff in respective specialty.
• MD or DO degree with more than 3 years of experience practicing medicine.
• Strategy-oriented, outcome-focused, and cross-functional leader with patient safety improvement, fiscal management, and operations experience.
• Displays insight and knowledge regarding challenges and pressures facing healthcare systems.
• Demonstrated integrity and respect for others. Values teamwork and collaboration in interpersonal interactions.
• Demonstrates excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated understanding and experience with principles of High Reliability Organizations.
• The ability to analyze complex problems, develop recommendations and solutions and cogently communicate them to multiple stakeholders.

Desired Qualifications*

• Patient safety training and/or eligible for certification in patient safety.
• Published and active nationally relative to the responsibilities of this position.
• Committed to maintaining a sense of the national landscape in patient quality and safety, and a willingness to share knowledge.
• Possesses knowledge of management principles, practices, and methods.
• Evidence of being a lifelong learner with continuing professional self-development.
• Knowledge and experience in physician organizations including familiarity with patient safety and quality improvement.
• Prior leadership responsibility with a proven track record of implementing change and patient safety improvements in a complex environment like an academic medical center.
• Willingness to attend educational programs in quality and safety.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

U-M COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

COVID-19 vaccinations, including one booster when eligible, are required for all University of Michigan students, faculty and staff across all campuses, including Michigan Medicine.  This includes those working remotely and temporary workers.   More information on this new policy is available on the U-M Health Response website or the UM-Dearborn and UM-Flint websites.