VP Quality and Patient Safety

Job description

Provides executive leadership for enterprise quality, patient safety, performance improvement, infection prevention, peer review, service excellence, and evidence-based practice across Valleywise Health. Establishes system wide strategy, governance, measurement, and accountability to improve patient outcomes, strengthen high-reliability practices, and align clinical and operational performance with regulatory requirements and organizational priorities.
Annual Salary Range: $182,104.00 - $291,366.40
Essential Functions
• Establishes and executes the enterprise quality and patient safety strategy, including annual priorities, performance targets, governance, and accountability mechanisms that advance reliable care and measurable outcomes.
• Leads systemwide quality improvement, patient safety, infection prevention, medical staff peer review, nursing peer review, service excellence, and evidence-based practice programs across acute, ambulatory, family health, and behavioral health settings.
• Directs the development, implementation, and evaluation of the organization’s performance improvement plan, using research, national quality databases, benchmarking, and validated data definitions to drive sustained improvement.
• Oversees enterprise quality measurement, data integrity, reporting, and visibility, ensuring leaders and governing bodies receive accurate information for decision-making, goal setting, and regulatory oversight.
• Partners with clinical, medical staff, nursing, operational, and administrative leaders to integrate quality and patient safety priorities into workflows, policies, care delivery models, and strategic initiatives.
• Ensures quality and patient safety programs align with applicable regulatory, accreditation, public reporting, and value-based purchasing requirements in coordination with regulatory and compliance leaders.
• Advises executive leadership and the governing board on quality, patient safety, performance improvement, and emerging risks, translating complex findings into clear priorities and corrective actions.
• Builds and sustains a culture of patient safety and high reliability through leader engagement, education, change management, and implementation of evidence-based practices across the health system.
• Directs departmental operations, workforce planning, talent development, budgets, technology enablement, and resource allocation to achieve quality and patient safety objectives efficiently.
• Performs other duties as assigned to support and ensure efficient operations.

Qualifications
Education:
• Requires a master’s degree in nursing, Healthcare Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Doctor in Nursing (DNP or PhD), Healthcare Administration, Public Health, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.

Experience:
• Requires at least ten (10) years of progressively responsible healthcare quality and patient safety management experience, including leadership of staff, budgeting, and multiple quality or patient safety functions within a complex healthcare organization.
• Executive leadership experience in a large academic, public, or integrated health system preferred.
• Knowledge/training in EPIC EMR or related systems and HRP (Press Ganey) preferred.
• Reporting writer experience preferred.

Certification/Licensure:
• Requires Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (e.g. CPHQ) certification or must be obtained within twelve (12) months of hire.
• Current Registered Nurse licensure in the State of Arizona preferred.
• Lean Six Sigma certification preferred.

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