Director, Patient Safety - Ambulatory

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Duke Health Integrated Practice

Duke Health Integrated Practice comprises more than 110 primary and specialty outpatient clinics, extending the reach of the Duke Health mission across the state of North Carolina.

JOB LOCATION

DHIP Administrative Offices RTP - 4825 Creekstone Dr

JOB SUMMARY

The Ambulatory Director of Safety provides strategic leadership, accountability, and direction for the patient safety program across ambulatory care settings. This role is responsible for developing and implementing a culture of safety, identifying opportunities for improvement, and leading initiatives that enhance patient safety throughout ambulatory spaces. The Director collaborates with executive leadership, clinical teams, and administrative staff to proactively address patient safety issues, analyze data and trends, and drive measurable improvements in care delivery with a goal of eliminating patient and staff harm. The position requires a visionary approach to continuous improvement, learning, and operational excellence, ensuring the organization remains innovative and compliant with all regulatory and safety standards. 

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish and manage the overall ambulatory patient safety program and infrastructure, including appropriate committees, to support provider and clinic engagement in patient safety initiatives across ambulatory care settings.
• Provide direction to ensure clinical services meet quality and safety standards established by federal and state agencies and accreditation bodies (e.g., Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals).
• Lead the development and deployment of a flexible culture of continuous safety improvement using systematic performance improvement methodologies.
• Initiate and oversee comprehensive safety improvement programs, including risk assessment, policy and procedure development, and compliance with regulatory and safety standards.
• In collaboration with other areas such as Legal, Risk, and Compliance, evaluate and investigate all RCA, FMEA, LFD’S and other organizational risks to ensure peer protection.
• Manage the Safety Event Reporting system and structure includes monitoring events and implementing programs by analyzing and trending safety data from safety reporting systems (e.g., RL-6) and sharing information with executive and local leaders.
• Serve as a liaison to system-wide safety committees and initiatives to implement and monitor safety measures across ambulatory spaces.

JOB ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Work requires organizational, clinical, analytical, communication skills acquired through the completion of a bachelor’s degree program nursing or other applicable healthcare-related field. A master’s degree in nursing or business is strongly preferred.
• A minimum of five years of healthcare management experience in healthcare or other applicable experience directly related to patient safety.
• Strong Leadership presence and skills and proven capabilities in building and leading teams.
• Ability to work with others in a cooperative, collaborative manner.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong clinical background and ability to digest large amounts of data and translate information into meaningful plans.
• Detailed understanding of physician practice management including quality, patient satisfaction, human resource management and financials.

JOB HOURS

The schedule for this position is day shifts, Monday-Friday, with no weekends or holidays.