Director of Patient Safety and Quality

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership:

• Lead the Patient Safety and Quality team, including quality improvement specialists, patient safety officers, and data analysts.
• Act as the primary advocate for patient safety and quality, influencing hospital policies and clinical practices.
• Foster a just culture of continuous improvement and learning across AMCE.
• Foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and excellence in patient care.

Strategic Development:

• Develop and implement a comprehensive patient safety and quality improvement strategy, aligning with the hospital's mission and goals.
• Monitor data/intelligence on quality to identify trends and performance profiles, working closely with the operational teams to ensure that intelligence is acted upon in driving improvement at AMCE.
• Identify and prioritize areas for improvement based on data analysis, patient feedback, and regulatory requirements.
• Set and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of safety and quality initiatives.

Governance:

• Ensure compliance with national and international standards for patient safety and quality care, including those from The Joint Commission and other accrediting bodies.
• Oversee the hospital’s accreditation processes, ensuring ongoing compliance and readiness for assessments.
• Implement and monitor clinical guidelines, protocols, and best practices to enhance patient outcomes.

Other Responsibilities:

• Offer advisory expertise to senior members/managers in relation to any issues relating to on-site facilities.
• Provide regular updates to management and the board.
• Lead root cause analyses and develop action plans for incidents affecting patient safety.
• Manage the hospital’s patient experience program, including the collection and analysis of patient feedback.
• Oversee clinical audit programs to ensure adherence to quality standards and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Keep abreast of publications and regulations that directly impact the delivery of the AMCE objectives.
• Support in providing strategic oversight of proactive patient safety initiatives in conjunction with the clinical and non-clinical teams.
• Undertake highly sensitive and confidential investigations/reviews on behalf of the AMCE, analyzing and interpreting complex data sets and seeking to minimize reputational risks with a focus on improvement and learning.
• Ensure staff are kept updated regarding regulatory issues, new statutes/guidelines, and safety/quality activities including patient safety, quality, infection prevention, and control.
• Act with integrity and discretion always when dealing with issues of professional and personal conflict with and amongst senior colleagues, ensuring that clinical governance and patient safety standards and requirements are paramount and human resources policies are adhered to.
• Work collaboratively with the executive directors in having oversight and driving improvement in terms of Joint Commission International (and any other relevant regulatory bodies).

Analytical & Judgmental Skills:

• Support and oversee research governance processes with the AMCE Executive Director of Quality to ensure that the AMCE promotes and supports best research practice amongst staff in line with Africa/national research governance frameworks.
• Promote effective utilization of research and the development of research programmes within commissioned services to stimulate innovation and service improvement, liaising as appropriate with research networks.
• Plan, develop and evaluate methods and processes for gathering, analyzing, interpreting and presenting data and information.
• Deliver projects to comply with key performance indicators.
• Support the coordination of Research and Development initiatives, delegating as appropriate.
• Support the Executive Director of Quality in the delivery of shared corporate objective responsibilities such as the Board Assurance Framework and the Risk Register.

Equality and Diversity:

• Act as lead for Equality & Diversity in the department to ensure the development and effective implementation of a strategy, set of policies, procedures, and monitoring and control systems are in place.

Personal and Staff Development:

• Work with HR to undertake recruitment, retention, performance management and development of staff in the team.
• Work with the Recruitment Manager to establish connections with appropriate local, international, and online communities to nurture a pipeline of talent to support the growth of the company.
• Responsible for development of high-potential employees, providing a structured approach to mentoring and developing critical talent at all levels of management.

Communications And Working Relationships:

• Collaborate with clinical and administrative leaders to integrate safety and quality practices into all aspects of care delivery.
• Communicate with patients, families, and staff about safety initiatives, quality improvements, and the hospital's commitment to high standards of care.
• Engage with external stakeholders, including regulatory bodies and accreditation organizations.
• Establish credibility throughout the organisation and set an example as a proactive senior leader and change agent who earns respect by demonstrating a sound understanding of the departments’ objectives and goals.
• Collaborate with the COO and divisional Heads to determine short and long term needs of the departments.
• Develop and present updates to the Board of Directors.

Line Management:

• Supervise the Patient Safety and Quality team, providing guidance, mentoring, and professional development opportunities.
• Manage the department's budget and resources, ensuring efficient use and allocation.
• Provide strong leadership to develop, coach and ensure a high-performing team.
• Establish the department goals, objectives and operating procedures.

Organizational Responsibilities:

• Report to the Chief Nursing Officer and participate in the hospital’s executive leadership team.
• Contribute to strategic decision-making and policy development, ensuring patient safety and quality considerations are central to all hospital operations.
• Provide solutions and services to the business that retain and increase a competitive advantage within the sector.
• Evaluate, select, and implement new technology/systems needed to support the organization in reaching its strategic objectives.

Confidentiality:

• The post holder must be aware that Confidential Information and data to which the post holder will have knowledge and access to in the course of their employment with the AMCE is to be kept confidential, and this confidentiality is a condition of employment. The duty to maintain confidentiality continues even when the post holder is no longer employed.
• This information is not to be shared with anyone outside of the AMCE under any circumstances, except to the extent necessary to fulfil any duties and responsibilities required within the role. Furthermore, upon termination with the AMCE Abuja, the post holder will return to the AMCE all confidential information held.

General:

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and well-being and that of work colleagues, visitors, and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures, and standards of AMCE together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients, staff, and visitors.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.
• All employees must hold an AMCE email account, which will be the AMCE's formal route for email communication. You are therefore required to check this regularly and to deal with such communication promptly.

Infection Control Statement:

• The post holder has an important responsibility for and contribution to make to infection control and must be familiar with the infection control and hygiene requirements of this role.
• These requirements are set out in the AMCE Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local policies and procedures, which will be made clear during your induction and subsequent refresher training. These standards must be strictly complied with at all times.
  
  

Essential Requirements: