What are the responsibilities and job description for the Safety Emergency Preparedness Manager position at Northwestern Medical Center?
Safety Emergency Preparedness Manager
JOB SUMMARY:
This position provides leadership and guidance to assure organizational emergency and disaster preparedness, environmental safety, security compliance, and regulatory adherence to federal, state, and accrediting agency requirements.
PRE-REQUISITES:
Education: Associate's degree required.
Experience: Experience in either organizational safety or emergency preparedness/response activities required, prefer experience in both areas.
Other Skills: Must have strong people/communication skills and have the ability to work cooperatively with a wide variety of people in various capacities in routine and emergent situations. Must have strong computer skills with the ability to use computer applications for communications, committee organizational materials, reporting documents, tracking of equipment requisitions, etc. Strong organizational skills with the ability to organize agendas, track agenda action items, and maintain up-to-date communications with various private, local and state agencies, etc. Must have strong reading comprehension and analytical skills to understand safety regulations and other technical text.
Certifications: N/A
RELATIONSHIPS:
Reports To: Director of Facilities - Support Services
Supervises: Contracted security guards
Other Contacts: Employees, public, patients, community stakeholders. Hospital committees, managers, physicians, vendors, local/state/regulatory and health agencies.
SCOPE:
Machinery or Equipment Used: computer, phone, fax, copier, personal protective equipment
Physical Demands: Some sedentary work; light physical effort; continuous walking, standing, stooping, and climbing. Ability to move freely about building and grounds to conduct inspections. Occasional prolonged standing/walking.
Working Conditions: Subject to many interruptions; subject to pressure due to multiple calls and inquiries. Subject to varying and unpredictable situations; handles emergency or crisis situations; occasionally subjected to irregular hours.
Required Protective Equipment: Eye protection, face protection, mask, gown, lab coat, or apron, non-sterile medical gloves, sterile medical gloves, utility gloves, ear protection, and hard hat. Other protective equipment necessary to respond to situations as they occur.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
1. Serves as the Safety Officer for the organization, including oversight for the hospital safety program, environmentally safe practices and the hazardous waste program.
2. Develops, plans, and coordinates action plans to address needs, including process improvement and staff education.
3. Coordinates training and provides in-service when appropriate on topics such as de-escalation and active shooter response.
4. Authors and reviews policies related to Security, Emergency Preparedness, Safety, and Environmental Safety.
5. Integral member of the Emergency Preparedness and Environment of Care committees.
6. Prepares action plans for Safety, Environmental, Security and Emergency events as needed.
7. Provides guidance and oversight for Hospital Emergency Preparedness activities, including departmental emergency/disaster contingency plans, organizational preparedness drills and education, and assessment management and interventional efforts to improve coordination in emergency situations, including facilitating the Decontamination Team. Maintain and keep up to date records on these activities for review when requested.
8. Facilitates the Security Response team and personally manages security incident response when on site
9. Maintains an up-to-date knowledge of regulatory reporting requirements from government and other agencies. Prepares, submits manages and tracks reports and permits to appropriate agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services among others, regarding Emergency Preparedness, Hazardous Materials, Safety, Environmental Safety and others.
10. Fosters external state and local agency relationships, including but not limited to local police and other emergency responders.
11. Coordinates and assures compliance with environmental assessments according to regulatory agency standards.
12. Works closely with Facilities to meet safety agency standards and data monitoring requirements and to maintain regulatory readiness.
13. Provides coordination and oversight to security operations and activities including planning, assessing, and directing security resources throughout institution.
14. Author, manage and oversee the Safety Management Plan, Security Management Plan, and Hazardous Waste Management plan.
MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS:
1. Effectively Manages Change
Provides an active support mechanism during times of change including but not limited to reaffirming goals/values, considering concerns as they arise, and an open door policy
Detects and resolves team/individual isolation and other breakdowns resulting from change
Communicates excessively to quell rumors and work through barriers to change
Remains flexible and responsive to new information during change
2. Manages and Improves Processes
Analyzes service and quality metrics to identify areas where corrective action can be taken within the department.
Questions the status quo to seek more efficient ways to accomplish department functions
Seeks out industry benchmarks and stays aware of emerging technology and best practices to exceed quality standards
Actively seeks opportunities to improve own leadership skills through education and job shadowing.
3. Understands the Financial Impact of their Department
Proficient in interpreting the meaning of various organizational financial reports and able to communicate this meaning appropriately with staff
Demonstrates an understanding of the components of productivity and expense management that pertain to their department
Proactively identifies opportunities for market share enhancements, expense reductions, and outcome improvements
Exhibits ability to assess the risks, effort, benefits, impact, results, and costs involved in any proposed new course of action or current activity
4. Builds Effective Networks
Demonstrates a willingness to create win-win situations with other departments
Seeks and is open to others’ viewpoints
Establishes rapport with other NMC connections without motive
Rounds on important internal customers with regularity
5. Drives Operational and Service Excellence
Sets and communicates clear, legitimate standards of performance with credible metrics
Prioritizes the department’s activities to achieve long and short term organizational goals; clearly communicating goals so employees understand what they are working toward achieving
Committed to NMC Service Standards; holding self, team, and colleagues accountable for AIDET and other must-haves
Willing to reorganize roles and responsibilities to align with strategy, including cross training when appropriate and allowed
