This is an Independent Contractor role that involves conducting surveys in Texas, adhering to the Texas designation survey guidelines.

The Texas Levels of Maternal Care Independent Contractor surveyor role is responsible for the following:  

• Analysis and Assessment: Apply  sophisticated analysis and inductive reasoning to evaluate health care organizations' degree of compliance with applicable standards and functionality of care delivery systems. Applies their knowledge to assess risk points within organizations.
• Professionalism and Expertise: Possess the credentials, professional demeanor, and expertise to earn the respect of health care organizations' staff and leadership.
• Communication Skills: Utilize advanced communication skills to engage health care organization staff in interactive dialogues on various health care issues, assessing compliance and identifying improvement opportunities.   
• Report Writing: Demonstrate superior written communication skills to prepare detailed, accurate management reports that link individual standards deficiencies with potential system vulnerabilities and related organization risk points.  
• Presentation: Professionally and effectively communicate survey results to health care organization leadership in a constructive and collegial manner.
• Time Management: Efficiently manage time and work collaboratively as a team member.
• Training and Education: Participate in training sessions and ongoing education provided by The Joint Commission and/or Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).

• Analyze and synthesize survey findings to provide conclusions, recommendation and educational opportunities.
• Learn, understand, retain, explain and objectively apply Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) guidelines.
• In response to patient-centered evaluation activities, analyze policies, procedures, meeting minutes,
  • clinical standards, protocols, patient records, employee records, committee reports, to assess the level of
  • compliance implementation of policies, evidence of performance improvement, and quality and safety of care.

• Using the Joint Commission's established survey process, exercise independent judgment and discretion as follows:
  • Participate in and conduct required on-site or virtual activities, including without limitation inspections, required conferences, tours and interviews with staff.
  • Review and interpret all data submitted by the organization.
  • Document observations in a thorough, accurate manner.
  • Provide appropriate documentation to guide health care organization improvement activities, including a comprehensive rationale for any observations.
  • Link each observation to potential system-level vulnerabilities and opportunities for organizational improvements in patient care and safety.
  • Educate the organization during surveys concerning potential risks to patients, staff and/or visitors when identified, clarify opportunities for improvement, and remedial action required.
  • Provide ample opportunity for discussion and clarification of potential findings to allow organizations to provide evidence of compliance or to reach an understanding of the organizational risk.
• As appropriate, offer examples of best practices relating to identified opportunities for improvement, recommend publications and other resources.
• • Report survey findings in a complete, accurate, understandable, and timely manner.

•  Assist the Central Office in responding to questions from the field or follow needed from DSHS. .
• Follow customers' safety policies when on site, including following requested safety measures (e.g., wearing appropriate protective clothing or equipment) provided that such policies are not in conflict with Joint Commission policies.
• Perform other duties as assigned, including, but not limited to:
  • Perform team leader responsibilities when designated as team leader.
  • Serve as a preceptor for independent contractors and adheres to the behavioral objectives in the course agreement.

Texas Levels of Maternal Care Independent Contractor surveyor must have the following essential knowledge, credentials, characteristics, and abilities:

Education:

• Physicians must have a degree of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.).
• Nurses must have graduated from an approved school of nursing and have a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate discipline.

Certification/Licensure:

• Clinicians performing any aspect of accreditation, certification, or verification reviews and surveys must have an active license, registration, and/or certification, as applicable to their role, without any disciplinary action at the time of hire and throughout their employment with The Joint Commission.
• Physicians must be board certified or eligible.

Specialized Knowledge and Experience:

• Must be an active participant in Perinatal Care Region
• Must be active in professional organizations supporting maternal care.
• Must have completed a PIPS/QAPI course in the last 4 years and not received any weakness or requirement not met related to PIPS/QAPO in their facility's site survey.
• Must be active in the management of maternal patients and active in the QAPI plan and process at your facility.
• Surveyors outside of Texas must be from the same or higher level of verified/designated facility or from a state with a certification program or categorization program requiring a survey process, and your facility has had two successful designation surveys.

General Knowledge and Experience:

• Individuals who are employed by a survey organization must have evidence of 10 years of experience in the roles required to be a surveyor prior to employment at the survey organization or maintain associated certifications and 16 hours of CME or CEUs annually specific to the programs they are surveying
• Knowledge of Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) guidelines and experience in leading a facility through a minimum of two successful designation surveys (contingent or probationary designation surveys do not meet this requirement).
• Contemporary knowledge of and experience in health care operations, clinical practice, use of performance improvement methods to assess organizational performance, and current research and trends relative to health care practices.
• Experience in a Joint Commission accredited health care organization is preferred.
• Experience, including direct involvement, in healthcare accreditation, certification or verification surveys preferred.

Physical Abilities:

• Must be able to observe, in real time and without slowing or otherwise interrupting the progress of all applicable types of ongoing health care treatment (e.g., including emergency treatment, treatment during weather and other extreme situations, etc.).
• Standing for long periods of time, walking lengthy distances, lifting, climbing, stooping, pulling, and pushing in order to adequately inspect and observe all medical facilities, equipment and procedures, such as emergency exit procedures, remote storage facilities, any areas where cleanliness may affect the possibility of infection, medical equipment, etc., including the following activities:
  • walking up and down stairways (e.g., to test escape routes, assess safety of emergency exits, regulatory compliance, etc.);
  • removing obstructed covers or impediments to equipment or other mechanical areas;
  • examining small and often dirty printed labels and print on equipment.
• Must be able to engage in extensive travel as set forth above, including driving a car to remote locations, flying on small airplanes and into small airports, traveling in all types of weather conditions, etc.
• Must be able to work in settings in which dust, allergens, and infectious diseases are present.

Availability:

• Participate in all on-line, webinar and face-to-face training including New Field Representative Orientation.
• Completion of one survey with a preceptor in order to demonstrate an understanding of Texas DSHS guidelines and their interpretation, survey processes, survey technologies, presentation techniques, general policies and procedures, and organization structure.
• Must be available to complete a minimum of two site surveys annually.

We offer a comprehensive benefit package for our permanent employees. For a complete overview of our benefits package, please visit our Joint Commission Career Page 

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by an employee assigned to this position. The description is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, knowledge, skills, and abilities, and working conditions associated with this position. All requirements are subject to possible modification and reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.