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Director, Clinical Risk and Patient Safety

Under administrative direction, to plan, coordinate, implement, and monitor compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and reviews, investigates, and responds to unanticipated incidents, unusual occurrences, and adverse and sentinel events to ensure that Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) standards, policies, procedures, and practices are consistent with State and Federal regulations, standardized across organizational sites and facilities, with a goal of preventing harm, mitigating risks and unsafe conditions, and sustaining a culture of safety and high reliability.


The Power of WE:  Together, we can make a greater impact. Bringing better care and expanding healthcare services across the community.

Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) is the second largest public health care system in California and includes three acute care hospitals, 14 clinics and 60+ specialty and sub-specialty services. Our mission is to provide high-quality, accessible healthcare and excellent service to everyone in Santa Clara County.  

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center - SCVMC is a full-service tertiary acute care teaching hospital with 699 licensed beds providing a wide range of specialized services, including Rehabilitation, Burn, Trauma, and NICU. SCVMC was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as #6 Rehabilitation Hospital in the nation and #1 in the West and designated as a 2024 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care, Heart Failure, Stroke, Hip Fracture, and Pneumonia.

O'Connor Hospital - O'Connor Hospital (OCH) is a 358 licensed bed acute care facility offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical and specialty programs to residents of Santa Clara County. It was founded in 1889 as one of the first hospitals in the county. OCH has grown significantly over the past five years in both its inpatient volume and its Emergency Department visits. Along with these volume increases other ancillary and clinical departments like imaging, lab, pharmacy, and respiratory have seen growth as well.

St. Louis Regional Hospital - Since 1989, St. Louise Regional Hospital (SLRH) has been caring for the residents in Santa Clara and San Benito Counties, offering a wide range of inpatient and outpatient medical specialties. SLRH has 93 beds, is a Designated Primary Stroke Center, and is the only acute care hospital in the area. Located in Gilroy, SLRH maintains a CALSTAR 2 emergency helicopter base on the premises.

Regional Medical Center – Regional Medical Center (RMC) is a 258-bed hospital that is the main emergency healthcare provider for East San José, treating a wide range of critical and life-threatening conditions for more than 60 years. Since the SCVH integration of RMC effective 4/1/25, RMC has expanded the critical services including Level II trauma, Thrombectomy capable Stroke Center and STEMI care, and has been seeing an increased number of emergency visits and inpatient volume. 


Requirements

The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.


  • Analyzes Risk Management findings and trends by reviewing current practices and compiling and evaluating data;


  • Reviews and/or revises the Risk Management Plan on an annual basis; 


  • Coordinates risk management activities, including reviews, investigations, interviews, interventions, and audits; 


  • Supervises and directs clinical risk management staff at SCVH hospitals;


  • Collaborates and serves as a liaison with Medical Directors, executive leadership, medical and nursing staff, and executives to plan Risk Management activities; 


  • Serves as a resource to physicians, nursing, and professional support staff for Risk Management issues; 


  • Facilitates and supports resolution of patient issues and complaints;


  • Reviews reports of significant events at SCVH facilities, provides leadership and direction for responses to significant events;


  • Provides operational linkage between Risk Management and County Counsel; 


  • Collaborates with Quality and Safety Departments in the assessment and evaluation of clinical aspects of patient care and safety; 


  • Plans/executes programs designed to enhance physician, nursing, and professional support staff knowledge of Risk Management, high reliability, and patient safety; 


  • Assists with review/preparation of administrative policies and procedures related to Risk Management; 


  • Develops, implements, and evaluates continuing education programs based on Risk Management findings to enhance staff knowledge; 


  • Prepares reports and written responses for administration, the governing board, medical staff, regulatory agencies, and others regarding Risk Management issues; 


  • Maintains competence and knowledge of current Risk Management trends in health/medical care standards by maintaining and participating in continuing education activities; 


  • Ensures that standards, policies, and procedures are consistent with professional, regulatory, and legal standards and requirements as defined by The Joint Commission, and State and Federal regulations; 


  • Leads and/or participates in organizational and departmental committees and task forces related to Risk Management; 


  • Integrates Risk Management priorities with strategic goals and objectives; 


  • Oversees Risk Management standards, policies, and procedures; 


  • Initiates changes in standards, policies, procedures, and practices based on risk management review; 


  • Interprets policies and regulations to medical staff, nursing, and professional support staff; 


  • In collaboration with Accreditation, Regulatory, and Licensing leadership, plans for accreditation and regulatory surveys and prepares responses/reports as required to address deficiencies and findings; 


  • Oversees the use of systems that support Risk Management reporting and information management;


  • Collaborates with Utilization Management, medical staff, nursing, and professional support staff in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Risk Management Program Plan; 


  • Initiates and participates in research related to standards, quality improvement, and risk management; utilizes research to support changes of standards and practice;


  • May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW), as required*;


  • Performs other related duties, as required.

Qualifications

Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks, plus the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities:


Training and Experience Note: The required knowledge and abilities are attained through possession of a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, Health Care, or a closely related field,


and


Six (6) years of full-time legal and/or clinical risk management experience in a healthcare setting, 


and 


Two (2) years of full-time legal and/or clinical risk management experience in an administrative or supervisory, management, and/or director capacity. This experience may be inclusive of the required legal and/or clinical risk management experience in a healthcare setting.


Special Requirements


  • Certificate in Risk Management Education is desirable, but not required.


  • Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work.  If driving, possession of a valid California driver’s license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.


  • *As a condition of employment, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 3100-3109 and Local Ordinance, all County of Santa Clara employees are designated Disaster Service Workers (DSWs), including extra help.  A DSW is required to complete all assigned DSW-related training, and in the event of an emergency, return to work as ordered.


Knowledge of:


  • Principles and practices of health care, clinical systems, safety/risk management, infection control, planning, and implementation in a health care setting;


  • Principles and practices of supervision and management; 


  • Current trends, issues, research in treatment, prevention, and education as they relate to Risk Management in a large medical services system;


  • Program management in a healthcare setting, planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting as required by laws, codes and regulations;


  • Hospital organization, operations, and procedures;


  • Methods, regulations, and procedures for research within a healthcare setting;


  • Regulatory requirements for acute care hospital and ambulatory care settings;


  • Joint Commission Accreditation standards, California Code of Regulations, and Federal regulations;


  • Medical terminology and related levels of care and treatment;


  • Evaluation and assessment techniques;


  • Record keeping and reporting procedures;


  • Risk Management protocol to resolve patient expression of dissatisfaction;


  • Appropriate regulatory agency requirements related to risk management; 


  • English usage, style, grammar, punctuation, and spelling;


  • Common computer systems and applications;



Ability to:


  • Organize, direct, coordinate, and evaluate risk management activities to ensure safety and quality of patient care as well as conformity with prescribed laws, regulations, and standards;


  • Work collaboratively with administration, physicians, and staff to implement changes for risk management;


  • Educate staff in risk management principles and practices;


  • Evaluate and interpret complex medical regimens pertaining to quality of care standards;


  • Plan, develop, and organize work;


  • Develop risk management goals;


  • Plan and implement risk management educational activities for medical staff, nursing, and professional support staff;


  • Maintain current knowledge of trends/practices in the Risk Management field;


  • Read and understand material safety data sheets and other safety communications;  


  • Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing,with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures; 


  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work, at all levels, including colleagues, the public, and representatives of other agencies.
Date Posted
02/12/2026
Job Reference
26-S1W-A
Organization
Santa Clara Valley Health Care - Valley Medical Center, Quality Improvement
Location
Santa Clara, CA 95050
Category
Executive
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