Khara Davis
Albuquerque,NM
Summary
High-performing professional with substantial experience developing and implementing safety and health programs. Creates safety protocols, conducts hazard assessments and provides education. Strong knowledge of AAAHC safety and emergency management regulations as well as quality improvement methods
Overview
24
24
years of professional experience
Work History
Safety & Occupational Health Specialist
Santa Fe Indian Health Service Unit
09.2020 - Current
- Responsible for managing a comprehensive occupational safety and health management program for Santa Fe Indian Health Service Unit
- The service unit is comprised of four ambulatory health clinics-Santa Fe Indian Health Center, Santa Clara Health Center, San Felipe Health Clinic and Cochiti Health Clinic
- As an executive committee member, strategizes with administrative colleagues to provide leadership and guidance for all aspects of the service unit
- Prepares and completes all safety requirements for AAAHC accreditation surveys
- Last AAAHC survey conducted on 9/30/21-10/1/21, the safety, infection control and emergency management sections were all in full compliance
- Prepares safety training curriculum and delivers training to approximately 170 employees
- Conducts life safety drills and emergency management exercises as scheduled and provides recommendations to the environment of care committee (EOC) for improvement
- Leads monthly multidisciplinary EOC team meetings to address safety issues and conducts EOC rounds at clinics for safety and compliance with accreditation standards
- Monitor's worker exposure to hazardous substances, implementing appropriate controls to protect employee health.
- Collaborates with internal and external (including tribal) stakeholders to address deficient safety practices and provides training to improve these practices
- Reviews data for occupational injuries via a web-based incident reporting and risk management system(I-STAR), investigates accidents and incidents entered into I-STAR, extracts reports, recommends improvements and documents actions taken to close out incidents
- Completes risk assessments to ensure a safe environment for patients and staff, makes recommendations to department supervisors for improvements in areas of need
- Demonstrates project management skills by coordinating work with contractors/vendors to ensure completion of various projects
- As Incident Commander, gives overall direction for clinical operations and if needed to authorize evacuation
- Collaborates with multi-disciplinary team members, tribal stakeholders, BIA police officers, and state emergency management personnel to ensure a safe environment for patients, visitors, and staff at all of our clinics
- Completes monthly, quarterly, and as needed reports for CEO, SFSU executive committee, and for Albuquerque Area IHS Office.
Project Manager
Comagine Health
01.2016 - 01.2020
- Developed national scope of work for Partnership to Advance Tribal Health (PATH) project
- Project funded by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service for $22 million over the course of three years to strengthen Indian Health Service (IHS) capacity to deliver quality health care to American Indian and Alaska Native patients
- Provided consultation for quality improvement and patient safety processes including planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of quality assurance improvement activities for 26 Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals across seven states
- Developed strategies to engage IHS hospital staff to participate in PATH project
- Collaborated with G&G a national Native American owned advertising, marketing and communication company to develop resources and outreach materials for recruitment and engagement of hospitals in the PATH project
- Directly responsible for recruiting 14 IHS hospitals in the southwest area to participate in PATH project
- Created relationships with IHS hospital administration staff, IHS area staff, tribal leaders and tribal health staff serviced by IHS hospitals
- Prepared IHS hospitals for continuous readiness for compliance with regulatory and accreditation programs such as Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Monitored and tracked quality improvement data measures
- Strategized with c-suite leadership of IHS hospitals to improve their quality metrics
- Developed training materials and resources for learning and action network (LAN) that supported IHS hospitals with quality improvement
- Reviewed hospital policies and provided feedback for improvement
- Shared best practices on success stories and assisted other IHS hospitals with implementation of best practices
- Created community resource guides for tribal communities in New Mexico that IHS hospitals served
- Initiated a coalition to address falls in the elderly in one New Mexico tribal community
- Introduced health resources to tribal health and IHS hospitals that promoted improvement in healthcare
- Conducted quarterly collaborative partnership meetings that included effective health partners that included IHS hospital staff, IHS environmental health officer, Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center, a nearby hospital, tribal council and tribal elder center program staff
- Conducted a presentation on an IHS hospital best practice to a large audience at the 2019 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) annual quality conference
- Submitted deliverables to CMS on time, within budget and passed scope of work.
Project Manager
HealthInsight New Mexico
01.2006 - 01.2016
- Managed an internal interdisciplinary team, with analytic, clinical, and communications expertise, that developed, implemented, and evaluated interventions and programs to improve healthcare outcomes in New Mexico healthcare organizations
- Successfully recruited 100% of health care providers and organizations to participate in a patient safety collaborative
- Strategized with internal and external stakeholders on best practices on engaging healthcare providers/organizations with quality improvement initiatives
- Analyzed quality data to determine high risk areas that could potentially have a negative impact on patients in skilled nursing facilities
- Provided training on quality assurance and risk management best practices that improved clinical and life-safety measures
- Developed a Quality Assurance Performance Improvement (QAPI) binder for New Mexico skilled nursing facilities to utilize as a guide to implement QAPI in skilled nursing facilities
- Conducted on-site visits to assist skilled nursing facility staff with conducting mock surveys to prepare for annual survey and accreditation
- Reviewed governing policies and procedures related to QA and risk management and made recommendations for improvement
- Received national recognition from CMS in 2016 for providing technical assistance to a skilled nursing facility for improving their patient safety goals
- Presented on various quality improvement topics at statewide and national professional conferences
- Prepared monthly reports to CMS on status of all projects
- Successfully passed all scopes of work.
Administrator
Integrated Health Services
01.2000 - 10.2001
- Managed daily operations of a Medicare/Medicaid certified skilled nursing facility
- Provided direct leadership to admissions, activity, business office, dietary, housekeeping, maintenance, medical records, and nursing departments to deliver quality care to residents
- Responsible for all human resource functions-recruitment & retention activities that included: classification of positions, setting pay scales, reviewing applications, interviewing staff, on-boarding of new employees, conducting employee annual reviews and determining course of action if staff found negligent in their job performance
- Improved company morale by fostering an environment based on teamwork, recognizing quality care, quality services, shared results with staff, celebrated successes, and improvements
- Analyzed resident clinical care during weekly standards of care meetings, if deficient practices were discovered then conducted root cause analysis
- Rectified deficient practices by putting improvement processes in place by adhering to PDSA model to ensure improvement
- Conducted mock surveys throughout the facility on a bi-annual basis to prepare for annual accreditation and to determine potential risk hazards to residents, family members, and staff
- Prepared and provided staff with compliance training on clinical and life safety regulations in preparation state annual surveys
- Managed the utilization review meetings to determine resident’s Medicare skilled length of stay
- Led quality assurance meetings on a quarterly basis to review quality clinical and life safety measures resulting in making changes to policy and procedures to ensure quality of care
- Managed and completed $3.0 million facility upgrade and renovation
- Acted as the ‘face’ of the organization to the governing board, the public, residents’ families, and as a liaison between staff, residents, and families
- Advocated to New Mexico state legislature to improve Medicaid funding and on other various nursing home topics
- Developed yearly $1.3 million budget for facility with regional vice president of operations
- Prepared monthly, quarterly and as needed reports for organization.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Recreation And Leisure Services
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, ND08.1997
Skills
- Hazard Identification
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Accident investigation
- Record Keeping and Reporting
Timeline
Safety & Occupational Health Specialist
Santa Fe Indian Health Service Unit
09.2020 - Current
Project Manager
Comagine Health
01.2016 - 01.2020
Project Manager
HealthInsight New Mexico
01.2006 - 01.2016
Administrator
Integrated Health Services
01.2000 - 10.2001
Bachelor of Science - Recreation And Leisure Services
University of North Dakota
Similar Profiles
Evangeline Ann SanchezEvangeline Ann Sanchez
Civilian Pay Technician at Indian Health Service, Santa Fe Service UnitCivilian Pay Technician at Indian Health Service, Santa Fe Service Unit
JACQUELINE THOMASJACQUELINE THOMAS
Administrative Officer at Santa Fe National Forest Service Santa FEAdministrative Officer at Santa Fe National Forest Service Santa FE
Rosa RodriguezRosa Rodriguez
Student Intern at Santa Fe Indian SchoolStudent Intern at Santa Fe Indian School