Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Specialist

Company Description

UHN is Canada’s #1 hospital and the world’s #1 publicly funded hospital. With 10 sites and more than 44,000 TeamUHN members, UHN consists of Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, The Michener Institute of Education and West Park Healthcare Centre. As Canada's top research hospital, the scope of biomedical research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. UHN has the largest hospital-based research program in Canada, with major research in neurosciences, cardiology, transplantation, oncology, surgical innovation, infectious diseases, genomic medicine and rehabilitation medicine. UHN is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto.

UHN’s vision is to build A Healthier World and it’s only because of the talented and dedicated people who work here that we are continually bringing that vision closer to reality.

Job Description

Union: Non-Union

Number of vacancies: 1

Site: Princess Margaret Cancer Centre

Department: Quality, Safety and Clinical Adoption

Reports to: Manager

Hours: 37.5 per week

Status: Temporary Full-Time, until August 2026

Closing Date: September 17, 2025

Position Summary

University Health Network (UHN) is looking for an experienced professional to fill the key role of Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Specialist in our Quality, Safety & Clinical Adoption Department.

University Health Network (UHN) aims to improve patient experiences and outcomes by collectively designing, implementing, and evaluating the safest and highest quality systems and care.

As member of the UHN Quality, Safety & Clinical Adoption team, the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Specialist will be the ambassador for patient safety and quality improvement and will be the pivotal lead for the following accountabilities.

Duties

• Advance patient safety and quality in the organization through consultation and education on quality methods and patient safety to the organization through knowledge of clinical best practices, legislative requirements and policies related to quality and patient safety.
• Ensure safety culture and systems thinking is integrated into all quality and safety processes.
• Manage the initiation, planning, execution and sustainability of projects and initiatives designed to promote patient safety and quality improvement on a corporate-wide, program-wide and local, patient care unit scale using improvement science, High Reliability Organization principles and a Whole System Quality approach.
• Manage patient safety events through investigation, engaging interprofessional teams, facilitating case reviews, and providing continuous organizational learning using the Canadian Incident Analysis Framework.
• Assist in the co-development and analysis of quality-related performance indicators to monitor organizational, program, and/or unit level performance to ensure alignment with strategic direction.
• Lead and support the implementation of UHN’s Quality and Safety Strategic Plan.
• Collaborate closely with leaders / committees with oversight on quality and safety.
• Develop and deliver patient safety and quality improvement related curriculum to employees, physicians, learners and volunteers.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and planning for quality and patient safety initiatives through advocating for clinical standardization through quality improvement initiatives and document preparation

Qualifications

• Completed or in the process of completing a Masters degree in Quality Improvement, Patient Safety or Health Quality, or equivalent, required. 
• Being a member of a regulated healthcare professional is strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 6-8 years practical and related experience in the healthcare field.
• Experience in quality improvement and patient safety methods (e.g., root cause analysis, high reliability, Whole System Quality, model for improvement, Canadian Incident Analysis framework), change management, patient safety related legislation and standards (e.g. QCIPA and Accreditation Canada ROPs) and leading Patient Safety & Quality Improvement initiatives within healthcare is required.
• Experience collaborating with physicians, healthcare leaders and other healthcare professionals is required.
• Demonstrated experience in facilitating a major change initiative in a healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated change management skills (consulting, negotiating, influencing).
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple competing priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Analytical ability with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in use of Microsoft Office applications required.
• Knowledge of hospital organizational structure and processes preferred.
• Experience with collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data is an asset.
• Previous experience with Epic preferred.
• Project management experience preferred:
  • Project planning
  • Implementation
  • Evaluation
  • Sustainment

Additional Information

Why join UHN?

In addition to working alongside some of the most talented and inspiring healthcare professionals in the world, UHN offers a wide range of benefits, programs and perks. It is the comprehensiveness of these offerings that makes it a differentiating factor, allowing you to find value where it matters most to you, now and throughout your career at UHN.

• Competitive offer packages
• Government organization and a member of the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP )
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service
• A flexible work environment
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization
• Additional perks (multiple corporate discounts including: travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.)

Current UHN employees must have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN's attendance management program, to be eligible for consideration.

All applications must be submitted before the posting close date.

UHN uses email to communicate with selected candidates. Please ensure you check your email regularly.

Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any information provided by a candidate be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, UHN reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of their application.

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process. Applicants need to make their requirements known.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.