Berkshire Health Systems has exclusively retained AMN Healthcare to lead a national search to recruit the next Vice President of Quality for the health system located in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
The Opportunity:
Berkshire Health Systems (BHS) is seeking an accomplished, results-oriented healthcare leader to serve as Vice President of Quality for the system. This is an exciting opportunity to lead clinical quality, working with key constituencies and in collaboration with the executive team. The VP is responsible for setting the strategic direction and management of clinical excellence, regulatory compliance and accreditation, clinical analytics and outcomes, medical staff services, clinical documentation, patient safety, infection prevention and control, patient experience and ACO performance. It is also an opportunity to help ensure the residents of Pittsfield and across the Berkshire area continue to receive high quality care from the local health system and to ensure goals and initiatives are aligned throughout the enterprise.
Reporting to the Chief Medical Officer/Chief Quality Officer of Berkshire Health Systems, the VP is responsible for integration of all components of organizational and medical staff quality and safety across the healthcare system. The VP of Quality will take an active system leadership role in defining and integrating performance standards in support of organizational values, vision, mission, goals, and objectives. The leader will support improvement system performance to achieve overall quality of care and zero harm goals and partner with clinical and operational leaders to deliver high reliability of care across the enterprise. Direct reports will include 5 Directors, 3 Managers, a Clinical Decision Support Specialist and 6 Clinical Documentation Nurses.
The Organization:
Berkshire Health Systems is an independent, non-profit, community-based health system. Located in the heart of the beautiful Berkshires of western Massachusetts, approximately 3 hours north of New York City and 2 ½ hours west of Boston, BHS is the major nonprofit health system dedicated to providing accessible, high quality, high value healthcare services to the 160,000 residents of the Berkshire region. With approximately 4,200 employees (3,600 FTEs), BHS is also the largest employer in the Berkshires and benefits from a highly loyal workforce committed to the organization’s mission and the communities it serves. The culture at BHS is a special one, grounded in servant leadership and caring for others. BHS serves the Berkshire region through a network of affiliates: Berkshire Medical Center, Fairview Hospital, North Adams Regional Hospital, Berkshire Visiting Nurse Association, Berkshire Faculty Services and BHS Management Services.
The Region:
Pittsfield enjoys the distinction as the “City of Festivals.” Perfectly placed in the heart of the Berkshires, it’s the largest city in the area bustling with cultural and recreational amenities. Pittsfield offers many concert series, art, culture, nightlife, fine and fun dining, charming lodging, a professional baseball team and a multitude of parks. Additionally, it offers four-season outdoor fun from hiking, skiing, swimming, boating to mountain biking and more. The Berkshires has several ski resorts, rivers and lakes for other outdoor activities. Permanent housing options in the Berkshires are diverse and surprising affordable relative to the more urban/suburban regions of New England and greater New York area. A variety of excellent public and private schools are available in the region.
The Ideal Candidate:
A minimum of ten years of progressive quality experience in an acute care setting with a proven track record in performance improvement, patient experience, and patient safety.
Five plus years in leading quality initiatives across multiple hospitals or within a system is preferred.
A master’s degree in healthcare administration, Business Administration, Nursing, or a related field is required.
Currently licensed as a registered nurse within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the need to quickly obtain it is preferred.
A certification in healthcare quality (CPHQ) is preferred.
Six Sigma certification preferred and will be expected within 2 years of employment.
Current knowledge of regulations and standards as related to The Joint Commission, CMS, Leapfrog, and the Department of Public Health.
Demonstrated success in monitoring, evaluating, and improving quality and patient safety at the institutional level, having had a significant impact on quality.
Experience leading both inpatient and ambulatory quality preferred.