Director, Clinical Informatics, Quality, Practice and Clinical Informatics

Job Summary:

In accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.
The Director, Clinical Informatics, reports to the Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) and is accountable to provide leadership and guidance in the evaluation, selection and implementation of clinical informatics initiatives across PHSA programs and services in alignment with PHSA’s strategic vision and priorities. Provides collaborative support to VCH and PHC initiatives as required. The Director is responsible for development of policy and procedure as well as identifying and leading business change solutions that ensure continuity and a consistent approach to clinical informatics site wide. Standardization will beis a primary focus of this role. The Director is responsible for collaborating with IMITS in furthering the direction of the provincial eHealth initiatives. Directs groups of diverse senior level stakeholders through various decision-making processes relating to Clinical Informatics. Facilitates consensus on a formal basis and negotiates contracts with vendors and ancillary suppliers. The Director holds the responsibility to manage and guide assigned staff and to develop, monitor and maintain an operating budget for assigned services.

Duties/Accountabilities:

• Leads and manages long-term strategic plans, goals, and objectives of Clinical Information Systems (CIS) across VPP (VCH, PHC, PHSA) and PHSA’s programs and services. Provides strategic leadership to ensure inter-professional models of practice are advanced, integrated, and supported in the design of clinical information systems.
• Combines knowledge of patient care, informatics concepts, and change management to effectively address the information and knowledge needs of clinicians and patients to promote safe, effective, and efficient use of clinical informatics.
• Translates and bridges technological understanding for a variety of diverse stakeholders to create consensus.
• Applies an understanding of the broader health system, clinical workflows, processes and decision support needs as well as an understanding of clinical and other IT systems use and capabilities.
• Leads and directs diverse senior leadership teams, clinical leaders, information technology, financial services and quality/regulatory/risk management amongst others in the development of high quality and innovative clinical information systems that assist the clinician in their delivery of care.
• Collaborates with senior site leadership and IMITS project leadership on all Clinical Informatics system related initiatives such as Clinical Systems Transformation (CST) to ensure the organization’s long-range strategic plans, annual objectives, and work plans to guide the implementation and sustainment of Clinical Information Systems. Represents PHSA at the VPP governance decision bodies and working groups for Clinical Informatics.
• Provides expert advice to executive committees in determining the clinical informatics roadmap for the organization. Develops and implements appropriate service delivery in collaboration with IT leadership in defining, delivering, and improving services for the enterprise and its customers.
• Develops clinical systems strategies in collaboration with other senior nursing/clinical and medical informatics and operational leaders within PHSA and other Health Authorities in the lower mainland.
• Considers and translates informatics elements such as clinical data sets, structured versus unstructured data and human interface requirements to the clinical setting.
• Ensures clinical practice standard and corresponding policies and procedures related to clinical informatics follow appropriate Professional Practice legislation and other applicable regulations and standards.
• Acts as a change agent in the identification, development, planning, implementation, and value measurement of informatics strategies to support quality patient care and professional practice.
• Identifies and evaluates clinical practice, patient safety risks and internal controls for new CIS initiatives and identifies partnership opportunities.
• Promotes the use of clinical informatics to improve patient safety by designing, developing, implementing, and educating on decision support tools.
• Advances systems reporting to evaluate patient outcomes and support research across the continuum of care ensuring quality improvement efforts are consistent with informatics research and best practices.
• Continuously collects, analyzes, and reports data in collaboration with quality on patient safety issues and outcomes.
• Establishes effective relationships across the organization, professional associations, academic programs, regulatory bodies and others to create partnerships and positively influence professional and clinical informatics competencies, research, practice, teaching and learning opportunities for students and staff.
• Maintains full accountability for all personnel including hiring, termination and performance management. Provides supervisory guidance and direction to team members utilizing effective management techniques (e.g., coaching, mentoring, skill and leadership development, decision making, and coalition building) that support the achievement of required outcomes.
• Leads the development and monitoring of own operating budgets and contributes to the overall budget within the context of operational demands and environmental and resource constraints and uses best utilization methods to thoroughly track, allocate and adhere to allocated budgets.

Qualifications:

A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Master’s Degree in Nursing, Allied Health, Health Administration, Business or Public Administration and at least ten (10) years’ recent, related experience in a progressively more senior management/leadership role, including direct supervisory experience. Previous experience in leading and executing CIS related projects is preferred.
Knowledgeable and experienced in current quality and safety literature, programs and tools specific to the health care industry that is supported by an ongoing commitment to innovation and continuous quality improvement. Knowledge and expertise in Quality Management, Performance Improvement, Safety and Accreditation standards. Solid understanding of the Diagnostic Accreditation Program and of laboratory information systems and laboratory technology and equipment. Familiarity with regulatory bodies and policies/procedures relevant to laboratory diagnostic services in Canada.
Demonstrated team-building, facilitation and presentation skills and proven ability to work collaboratively across functional areas and in a matrix organization to achieve common goals. Ability to guide, coach, teach and promote a learning environment with a focus on continuous quality improvement. Highly skilled communicator, possess excellent interpersonal skills coupled with a demonstrated ability to promote an environment that motivates others, maximizes the potential of individuals, and negotiates effectively to resolve conflict. Ability to lead and supervise staff. Ability to develop and manage an operating budget.