Patient Safety Officer ( Physician Specialist)

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Patient Safety Officer (PSO) is a physician leader responsible for developing, implementing, and sustaining a comprehensive patient safety program at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, an academic, safety-net hospital, part of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS).  Reporting to the Chief Quality Officer, the PSO partners closely with Medical Department Chairs, Nursing, and Risk Management, to foster a culture of safety, learning, and equity.  The PSO is to enhance care processes to prevent harm and advance health equity through safety and addressing social drivers of health.  This role blends continuous improvement, a safe and just culture, and high-reliability principles with Harbor’s mission to provide equitable and exceptional care with respect and compassion.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead the medical center-wide patient safety program
• Assure compliance with regulatory requirements related to patient safety
• Perform Root Cause Analysis of adverse events and develop Plans of Corrective Action based on patient safety principles and guidelines
• Ensure that all patient safety activities explicitly incorporate an equity lens, examining whether harm, errors, or near misses disproportionately affect marginalized populations
• Develop and maintain safety dashboards
• Serve as Co-Chair the Harbor-UCLA Patient Safety Council and related workgroups and serve as a member of the Medical Center’s leadership team
• Represent Harbor on the DHS Patient Safety Committee and participate in the DHS Patient Safety Program
• Devote approximately 20% of time to clinical care as a faculty member based on the applicant’s board-certified or board-eligible specialty, including anticipated faculty appointment at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
• Collaborate with medical education leaders to train faculty and trainees across residency and fellowship programs to promote knowledge of safety science, error prevention, and equity in care delivery
• Develop opportunities for patients and the community to participate in the patient safety program
• Perform related duties as assigned

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Excellent leadership and communication skills
• Additional training and/or experience in management, administration, or leadership 
• Experience in patient safety, quality improvement, or related programs 
• Experience in adult learning and instruction 
• Background working with promoting health in publicly funded populations

Submit resume and letter of interest via email to: 

Ursula Zalewski, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, UZalewski@dhs.lacounty.gov Tel:  424-306-7950 

As the safety net hospital for South Los Angeles County, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center serves many patients who have low income and whose primary language is not English.  In your letter of interest, please describe your understanding of and experience working with these communities and your commitment to achieving outstanding health outcomes.  We welcome reflections on past experiences, initiatives, or values that inform your approach.

Candidates must currently be serving in a full-time DHS position as Physician Specialist or are reachable on the DHS Physician Specialist certification list to be considered this position.  Resumes will be accepted until the organization’s needs are met.

THIS IS NOT A CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION

Equal Opportunity Employer