El Rio Health

JOB PURPOSE: The Risk Management Consultant, is an integral part of the Compliance team and will work with the El Rio Health staff that provide comprehensive healthcare services that effectively meet the needs of the surrounding community through compassionate and responsible care. The Risk Management Consultant will be part of a team that embraces a positive attitude to excel and to provide the safest and highest quality patient care.

The Risk Management Consultant will need to have experience in developing patient safety initiatives, high reliability concepts, root cause analysis, and safety event classification. Reporting directly to the Director of Risk Management, the Risk Management Consultant will provide technical support to staff about Risk Management and Mitigation principles. The Risk Management Consultant is ideally a Certified Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) or Certified Professional Patient Safety (CPPS). In addition, the Consultant of Risk Management will continuously train staff while leading teams across multi-disciplinary units in compliance and risk management.

Essential Job Functions:

• Coordinates and oversees activities and functions of risk management operations, ensuring that all goals and objectives specified are successfully accomplished in accordance with the established priorities, timelines, assigned budget, and deliverables.
• Completes all assigned projects, administrative, technical, duties, tasks, and assignments supporting risk management and departmental operations within established time frames; meeting established rates of performance for the quality and quantity of work for the position; demonstrating a level of quality, efficiency, and accuracy in the employee’s job performance that ensures the highest standards of excellence.
• In collaboration with the Director of Risk Management, will Identify potential enterprise-wide regulatory risks through ongoing assessments of the El Rio Health business.
• Liaise with departments to identify team specific risks to update the company Enterprise Risk Management assessment.
• Coordinates with the Director of Risk Management and evaluates risks against a variety of information and factors (e.g., documents/statistic/reports/trends) and offers commentary and recommendations on how to mitigate risks.
• Reviews electronic incident reporting system and makes investigation assignments, edits incidents, and offers recommendation on potential safety event review.
• Gathers and collates information for the Director of Risk Management for scheduled and ad hoc reports to various committees and the Board of Directors.
• Coordinates with the Patient Grievance Team to facilitate completion of responses to patient concerns.
• Assists in infection control surveillance as directed by the organization and participates in contact tracing efforts as required.
• Acts as Vice Chairperson for the Enterprise Risk Management Committee (ERMC) in the absence of the Director.
• Collaborates with the Quality Department regarding risks, safety events, and patient grievances and evaluates for potential claims.
• Participates in rounding, tracers, and monitoring of all clinical areas to identify risks and aid in mitigation.
• Researches and recommends educational programs for providers and staff.
• Trains staff on the use of the electronic incident reporting system and assists the Director of Risk Management in the administrative functions of the program.
• Serves as a resource to facility staff on issues related to risk management and patient safety.
• Demonstrates and role models behavior regarding customer satisfaction, conduct, confidentiality, complaint resolution, and problem solving
• Collaborates with the Facilities Manager and Facilities Coordinator to reduce hazards to patients, staff, and visitors.
• Identifies through the review of events, problems, patterns, and trends that reflect opportunities for correction, prevention, and improvement.
• Assists the Director of Risk Management with legal claims filed through the Federal Torts and Claims Act.
• Participates as a member of the Patient Care Review Committee and facilitates follow up and care coordination with providers and staff and the Care Coordination Team. May reach out to insurances to facilitate transfer or coordination of providers for patients as needed.
• Acts in an advisory capacity to all organizational departments in identifying and correcting unsafe conditions and practices.
• Maintains a clean, safe, and hygienic work environment in compliance with all Policies and Procedures including but not limited to work areas, workstations, examination rooms, hand washing, infection prevention and control etc. for this position.
• Demonstrates an understanding of and proficiency with the application of all compliance and reporting requirements respective to Joint Commission Certification (JCC) standards.
• Adheres to El Rio Health organizational and department-specific safety, confidentiality, values, policies, and procedures standards.
• Assists in Emergency Management as needed and collaborates with the Emergency Management Consultant on required actions during a designated emergency state for the health centers.
• Assists in the review and revision of risk management Policies and Procedures as required.
• Prepares activity reports and updates to inform management of the status and implementation and goal achievement related to the Risk Management Plan,
• Handles complaints, settles disputes, and resolves grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiates with others.

Minimum Education and Experience:

• A Degree or Diploma as a Registered Nurse from an accredited school of nursing, college or university.
• Five (5) years’ nursing experience in acute hospital setting or ambulatory care setting.
• Five (5) years’ experience in a leadership role in Risk Management, Quality or Compliance in an inpatient or outpatient healthcare environment with progressive experience in program analysis, program implementation, and reporting.

If applicable, equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered, and must be directly related to the functions and responsibilities of the job.

Required Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations:

• A current Registered Nurse license in good standing from Arizona Board of Nursing.
• A current certification in Basic Life Support (BLS) for health care providers from an approved and accredited training program.
• Level I fingerprint clearance card: current valid and in good standing or have applied for it within seven working days after beginning employment.
• Employees in this position are required to have reliable transportation that can meet any operational reassignments of the organization during the workday. If an employee is driving during work hours, the employee is required to possess a valid driver’s license and must comply with Arizona vehicle insurance requirements.

Preferred Education, Experience, Skills, Abilities:

• Master’s Degree in a related healthcare professional field from an accredited university.
• Certification in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) or Certified Professional Patient Safety (CPPS).
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) with the ability to speak, read and write in both languages.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities; known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; and for sincerely held religious beliefs, observances, and practices to perform the essential functions of the job.

El Rio Health does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job-related factors.

El Rio Health requires all employees to have a Level One Fingerprint Clearance card. A.R.S. 36.425.03. If the prospective employee does not possess this prior to hire, fingerprint application must be completed within 7 days post hire. Level One (1) Non-IVP Fingerprint Clearance card must be received within 30 days after applying for the fingerprint card.

All employees are strongly recommended to obtain COVID 19 and maintain vaccination status (i.e., as recommended by CDC and/or other public health agencies) to include an Influenza vaccination. Personnel who decline to receive COVID 19 and/or flu vaccination per most recent CDC recommendations will be recommended to wear a facemask while in an El Rio Health facility, including both clinical and non-clinical areas from November 1 to April 30 (subject to change depending on viral activity). Subject to exemptions and accommodations when required by law.

All employees are required to undergo drug testing prior to employment and will be subject to post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return to duty and follow up drug and alcohol testing in compliance with Federal and State regulations for alcohol and controlled substance testing. Employees in positions holding responsibility for the safety and welfare of others will also be classified as safety sensitive.

El Rio Health is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and abides by all applicable federal Drug-Free Workplace standards. El Rio Health is an equal opportunity employer.