Registered Nurse, Health Care Facility Inspector, West Region

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking a qualified individual dedicated to public health, quality of life and safety to conduct surveys within Massachusetts nursing homes, hospitals and other health care facilities, and review inspection findings. The Health Care Facility Surveyor will play a vital role ensuring our nursing homes, hospitals and other health care facilities comply with all state and federal regulations.

The ideal candidate will have experience working in a health care setting and an understanding of regulations and policies that apply to nursing homes, hospitals and other health care facilities in Massachusetts.

Please Note:

This position surveys facilities statewide, with the majority of the assignments in the West Region. This is a field position, though travel into the Division's main office in Marlborough will be occasionally required. Applicants need access to a reliable vehicle for transportation. This position may be required to work occasional weekends. Employees in this position will be required to perform mandatory overtime.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and are not all inclusive):

* Inspects and surveys departments of health care facilities and services to determine compliance with rules and regulations for certification and licensure.

* Drafts reports on health care facilities and services relative to conformance with federal requirements and state regulations (based on on-site inspections and desk reviews).

* Evaluates plans of correction submitted from health care facilities and conducts follow up visits to determine ongoing compliance with rules and regulations for certification and licensure.

* Participates in the development of methods of evaluating health care facilities, services and related programs, in order to determine the degree of acceptance and utilization of health care, type and breadth of service, characteristics of recipients, extent of involvement of professional workers, operational costs and other related activities.

* Provides consultation, guidance and training to facility's health care professionals and other staff involved in patient care, and direction of programs.

Required Qualifications:

* Knowledge of the principles and practices of health care administration.

* Capacity to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others, including agency officials, staff associates, other employees, providers, vendors and health care administrators.

* Ability to understand, apply and explain the laws, rules, regulations concerning hospital licensure for accreditation.

* Familiarity with the factors, trends and problems in providing health care services to client groups such as the elderly, children, and mentally, physically and/or emotionally disabled.

Preferred Qualifications:

* At least 3-5 years of professional work experience as a Registered Nurse working in a health care facility, preferably nursing homes.

* Proven experience in a health care profession, in addition to basic investigative skills.

* General knowledge of state and federal regulations related to hospitals and nursing homes.

* Skilled in exercising a high degree of initiative, judgment, discretion, confidentiality and decision making to achieve objectives.

* Excellent critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the capacity to demonstrate strong interpersonal, interviewing, teamwork, communication and organizational skills.

* Proficient usage of Microsoft Office products including Excel, Word, and Outlook.

About the Department of Public Health:

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth.

We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states according to comparative analyses, but we face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious disease, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.

DPH coordinates programs and policies to address specific diseases and conditions and offer services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. We also develop, implement, promote, and enforce regulations and policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. We license health professionals, healthcare facilities and a variety of businesses that impact public health.

We operate the state laboratory and four public health hospitals. We monitor health status and manage vital records including births, marriages and deaths. We educate people about public health issues and work closely with local boards of health and community partners to identify and solve public health problems.

More information can be found at:…