Position Summary: Under the direction of the Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety, the TPC Quality Advisor provides support to partner hospitals by advising on evidence-based best practices to improve tobacco dependence treatment programs and initiatives within their hospital. The TPC Quality Advisor develops and administers the Health Systems Change Partnerships Pilot Program, which concentrates on tobacco dependence treatment and is funded through the grant contract with the Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Commission of the Indiana State Department of Health. If funded, the grant will run through June 2019. Specific responsibilities include 1) manage budget, data interpretation and dissemination, and quality improvement activities; 2) develop educational materials and program procedures to increase referrals to the Indiana Tobacco Quitline and decrease overall tobacco use; 3) engage administration, physicians and hospital teams in the integration of tobacco treatment and policies in behavioral health and health care settings; and 4) plan and coordinate trainings and presentations to provide education and outreach on tobacco cessation and program services. 
 
Specific activities of the role may include development of detailed project plans, convening project teams, ensuring timely execution of project plans, analyzing related data and documenting project results. The advisor provides hospitals with technical and implementation support, including consults and training/education. The advisor interfaces with stakeholders and works closely with the hospital team and maintains collegial relationships with the IHA staff.   
 
The qualifications, duties and responsibilities listed below are those required for the position, but do not encompass all that may be included in the day-to-day performance of this position.
 
Core Responsibilities: Requires extensive interaction with members, topic experts and staff. Includes travel to regional meetings and one-on-one hospital visits. Interacts with executives, physicians, quality and performance improvement professionals, risk managers, human resource professionals and others to provide and obtain both routine and non-routine information as needed. 

• Demonstrates accountability for successful and timely completion and documentation of assignments related to improvement projects.

• Supports hospital staff to develop detailed project plans for implementation of the tobacco dependence treatment programs and initiatives within their organization.

• Monitors projects and adjusts plans over time to meet the overall project objectives.

• Establishes positive relationships with hospital leadership team and staff at member hospitals.

• Engages hospital designees to support compliance with project-specific data reporting requirements.

• Create, develop, implement and evaluate the Health Systems Change Partnerships Pilot Program.

• Educate, counsel and guide pilot program hospital champions in their efforts to improve tobacco dependence treatment programs and initiatives within their organization.

• Develop measureable, timely and specific goals on performance improvement and quality.

• Track patient safety and quality improvement deliverables, send reminders and communicate progress in meeting grant deadlines and deliverables. • Develop financial accounting system to track expenditures for all programs.

• Maintain a mutually beneficial working relationship with communications staff. Contribute to development of collateral materials such as toolkits, press kits, messaging, talking points and FAQs. Provide content and editorial skills to clinically related publications.

• Represent IHA effectively and credibly on tobacco prevention and cessation, patient safety and quality of care in public speaking engagements and in a variety of other forums and venues.

• Oversee and manage expansion of the pilot program as the opportunity arises and as it may be of strategic value to IHA, its membership or its established goals. 
 
Requirements: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
 
Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree in health care field preferred

• Clinical background with recent hospital experience strongly preferred

• Training/certification for quality improvement/patient safety improvement

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience and progressive responsibility in health care including leading teams in quality improvement activities

•  Demonstrated knowledge of quality improvement principles and methods including PDSA and Model for Improvement

 
The Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Quality Advisor will be required to complete the five-day Tobacco Treatment Specialist certification course at the Mayo Clinic upon hire.
 
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Experience and confidence in developing and delivering public presentations as well as leading work groups and task forces

• Knowledge of strategies related to patient safety culture, leadership, communication, teamwork and person/family engagement in hospital setting

• Ability to represent IHA and the Indiana Patient Safety Center with stakeholder organizations and at regional patient safety coalition meetings and to facilitate patient safety/quality improvement projects through effective collaboration

• Excellent project management skills with experience in managing and supervising administrative projects

• Outstanding written and verbal communications skills, including the effective presentation of information to diverse constituencies in high-profile and public settings

• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to make independent decisions when appropriate 

• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills and the ability to work effectively with key stakeholders

• Solid team player, a self-starter, highly motivated and able to take initiative

• Ability to anticipate needs and work independently with little supervision

• Proficient in use of Microsoft Office software including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint; knowledge of Access desirable
 
Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
 
      Normal office environment 

              • The noise level in the environment is moderate.

              • Hours are generally Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. with some flexibility on start and end time. Additional hours may be necessary to                   ​complete job requirements.

              • Travel to IHA-member hospitals, regional meetings and educational programs around the state required. 
 
Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 
 
While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to sit, talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, and use hands to finger, handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.  
 
This job specification should not be construed to imply that these requirements are the exclusive standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform any other related duties as may be required by their supervisor.   
 
Application:  IHA provides a competitive salary with outstanding benefits and a dynamic and professional work environment. If you are interested in this opportunity, please submit your cover letter, resume with references and salary requirements to Karin Kennedy, Vice President, Quality & Patient Safety, at kkennedy@IHAconnect.org​ by February 16, 2018.
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