About Emmetsburg:

Emmetsburg is an active community, located in the northwest corner of Iowa. We take pride in our relaxed atmosphere and family oriented lifestyle. Emmetsburg is a small town of approximately 3,800 people. It is small enough that you can get to know your neighbors, but large enough to offer almost everything you want or need. Located at the intersection of Highways 4 & 18 in Palo Alto County, it provides easy access to neighboring cities.

Emmetsburg is well known for its excellent school system and athletic teams, including Emmetsburg Community Schools, Emmetsburg Catholic School, and Iowa Lakes Community College.

Five Island Lake is a popular tourist destination where people can enjoy boating, fishing and swimming. Smith Wellness Center, located at the Iowa Lakes Community College Campus, offers various recreational activities for the young and the old.

Those whom are interested in Emmetsburg, whether it be a short stay or a permanent relocation, will find it to be a warm, inviting community.

About PACHS:

Palo Alto County Health System (PACHS) is a not-for-profit county owned entity that operates for one purpose: to serve your wellness and "Lifecare" needs with respect and compassion. We do this by:

1. Reinvesting our profits back into the communities we serve by improving healthcare services, buying new technologies, upgrading facilities, and making sure that care is available to everyone ' regardless of their ability to pay. Profits are not distributed to shareholders, as they would be in the case of a for-profit hospital.
2. Working to improve the health of our communities. Compassion is the foundation for all that we do. Patients and their families are treated as people first, which means compassion, dignity, and respect are at the core of any treatment program. It also means that when someone is treated at one of our facilities, the needs of the whole person ' body, mind, and spirit ' are what matters >most.
3. Providing a range of special benefits to the community, such as programs to manage care for persons with chronic diseases, health education and disease prevention initiatives, outreach for the elderly, and care for persons who are poor or uninsured.

PACHS provides a full continuum of primary and specialty health care from the birth of a new family member, to end of life care for residents of our communities. The main entities of PACHS include:

• Palo Alto County Hospital- 25 inpatient bed Critical Access Hospital
• Family Practice Clinicsin Emmetsburg, Graettinger and West Bend
• PARC Halla long term care facility
• Willow Ridge, Independent senior living apartments
• Community Health Services
• Home Health Service
• Hospice of Palo Alto County
• Public Health Department for Palo Alto County
• Palo Alto County Emergency Medical Services

PACHS is a member of the MercyOne Network, which offers opportunities for recruitment, training, education and networking and provides our community members a 20,000 person support team. Your Best Life, Our One purpose. The MercyOne Network encircles you with the regions highest-rated services and more locations and personalized care for you and your family. Click Here to learn more about the Power of One within the MercyOne Network https://www.mercyone.org/circle/

Job Summary

Infection Prevention: responsible for overseeing infection prevention policies and instituting recommendations necessary for the prevention, containment and investigation of environmental and infectious disease problems.

Risk Manager: coordinates hospital-wide Risk Management.

Quality Assurance: responsible for coordinating all aspects of the Quality Assurance Program to ensure that each PACHS department is providing quality care and services in a cost-effective manner. Also, responsible for maintaining the records for all areas and ensuring they are accurately and completely documented, readily accessible, and systematically organized.

Infection Prevention:

• Responsible for surveillance and reporting of healthcare associated infections on a systematic and current basis.
• Tracks and trends employee illness and return to work policy adherence.
• Reports all required occurrences of infectious diseases within the Health System to the appropriate authorities and the State Department of Health.
• Responsible for initial infection control/infection prevention orientation of all new health system personnel and annual infection control education.
• Research, prioritize and implement the latest infection prevention initiatives for CAH health systems.
• Utilize resource, guidelines and accrediting agencies such as CMS, CDC, APIC, and NHSN.
• Attend MercyOne Affinity Group for Infection Prevention and Western Iowa APIC (District A) on a regular basis as sources of ongoing education.

Risk Management:

• Alongside the CEO and CNO, coordinates the hospital-wide Risk Management program (includes, but is not limited to, investigating patient, family and provider complaints).
• Incident Report software administrator, timely follow up and root cause analysis completed and documented.
• Provide risk management data to the Board, Senior Leadership, leaders, and designated committees.
• Provide risk management education programs for the staff as needed.
• Provide for the maintenance of confidential, locked storage of risk files.
• Coordination and collaboration with legal representatives to investigate litigation issues.
• Assistance in preparation of staff for highly effective deposition/testimony requirements.
• Will oversee and coordinate the investigation and reporting of all claims. Counsel and advise hospital personnel, leadership and governance of sensitive situations involving actual or potential claims and participate in the claims strategy, and settlement processes.

Quality Assurance:

• Plans and organizes the PACHS Quality Assurance Program, maintaining all related records.
• Conducts bi-monthly and at least quarterly Quality Assurance Committee meetings and records minutes of the same.
• Prepares monthly blood Utilization Review and presents results to Quality Assurance Committee.
• Maintains current and accurate data within the Medical Staff profile to be reviewed as part of the credentialing process.
• Presents quarterly Quality Assurance reports to both the Medical Staff and the Board of Directors.
• Attends regularly scheduled meetings, such as the District A and Iowa Association of Quality Health Care Professionals, and network Quality Affinity Group.
• Reviews and assists with updates of the PACHS Quality Assurance Plan annually.
• Is responsible for seeing that each department submits their own quarterly Quality Assurance report.
• Assists in preparation of annual budget for the department.
• Performs other responsibilities as requested.
• Provides written or verbal notification to the department involved in a problem/complaint, as well as conveying any accolades for services well done and appreciated.
• As the situation indicates, follow through on a problem or complaint until satisfactory resolution can be achieved and maintains a file of the complaint along with intervention taken and resolution.

Education & Work Experience:

• Graduated of an accredited school of nursing
• A current Iowa Nursing License.
• BSN preferred.
• Maintain certifications in BLS, ACLS and PALS
• Certification completion in Quality Residency, CIC, and CPHQ within one year of employment.
• Minimum of three years, five years preferred, of clinical nursing practice. Knowledge of Infection Prevention and Quality Assurance or demonstrates aptitude of working progressively towards maintaining regulations and acquiring certifications of both.

We offer a wide array of benefits to full time staff including, but not limited to the following:

• Company matched IPERS benefits
• Health, dental and vision insurance (employee/employer shared cost)
• Competitive Paid Time Off Plan
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Short-Term and Long Term Disability
• Paid Life Insurance
• Discount Wellness Membership