Operations Manager Pharmacy Services

At Houston Methodist, the Manager Pharmacy Services position is responsible for providing and assuring quality pharmaceutical care in accordance with accepted ethical and professional practices and all legal and regulatory requirements. This position organizes, manages, controls, monitors, and evaluates pharmacy services that promote desirable patient outcomes through the use of safe, sufficient, and cost-effective drug therapies.

The manager position responsibilities include managing the daily work activities of the work unit/department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency while assisting management in accomplishing strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position provides guidance to staff and is responsible for staffing, budget compliance, contributing to staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work related performance, and assisting in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also implements training, monitoring and operations initiatives that secure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/ government regulations.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Performs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees in the department. Provides development and mentoring of staff. Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover. Develops direct reports to perform these same functions

• Provides fair and consistent leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem

• Facilitates and promotes effective team dynamics and teambuilding strategies within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed

• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators: action readiness score, tier level

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Plans and organizes day-to-day department operations, schedule and activities. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction

• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the department

• Serves as a liaison between medical, nursing and allied health staff and the department of pharmacy for operational issues

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines, including infection control principles. Monitors and confirms staff maintain their required credentials that demonstrate competency per accrediting agency or department guidelines as applicable

• Uses and optimizes information systems to enhance operations; supports entity-specific performance improvement and data management/analysis functions

• Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes by monitoring and improving the department workflow, using peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses and/or adverse events immediately and identifying solutions via collaboration. Adopts lean principles in driving process improvements. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety

• Monitors self and employee compliance with policies, procedures, and System HR Standards of Practice and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., focal point review requirements, disaster plan, inservices, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.)

• Assists the Director in maintaining integration of pharmacy services throughout the entity to ensure compliance with legal requirements set by federal, state, and local agencies as well as rules and regulations of other accreditation/regulatory agencies that govern the practice of pharmacy

• Promotes positive patient outcomes and experiences through the appropriate use of pharmaceuticals within areas of oversight

• Provides leadership and expertise in the medication management process and integrates most effective use of people and technology within areas of oversight

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists in the development of department budget and ensures that the department operates in a cost effective manner. Manages/audits department expenses within approved budget parameters, ensuring that the department meets the budgeted/flex revenue and/or expense targets on a monthly and annual basis. Develops staffing plans and schedules to meet department/patient care needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness

• Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, developing others to do the same, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications

• Maintains cost effective inventory levels in pharmacy areas and follows formulary guidelines

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department operations or other department-specific measures by leading unit projects and/or other department/system directed shared governance activities. Supports change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures

• Proactively evaluates processes; recommends and implements action plan(s) for change; follows through to ensure effective, sustainable change. Participates in the development and implementation of new procedures and the review and revision of existing procedures

• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals

• Seeks opportunities to identify developmental needs of self and staff and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates the individual development plan (IDP) on an on-going basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development and IDP

• Maintains active involvement in professional organizations to stay abreast of current trends and to contribute to the growth of the pharmacy profession

• Participates in the Education and Research programs of the hospital, including preceptorship with accredited residencies and undergraduate pharmacy programs

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Graduate of education program approved by the credentialing body for the required credential(s) indicated below in the Certifications, Licenses and Registrations section

• An advanced degree (i.e., master's degree or Pharm.D) preferred

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Must have one of the following:
•       ◊ Successful completion of an ASHP-accredited post-graduate year one (PGY1) and year two (PGY2) residency training program
•       ◊ Successful completion of an ASHP-accredited fellowship program
•       ◊ Six years of hospital pharmacy experience

• Prior experience in a lead role, or HM experience and performance that demonstrates leadership abilities

• Prefer experience with computerized drug distribution/pharmacy management systems, drug preparation and drug use control systems, drug product selection, purchasing, inventory control, clinical, ambulatory pharmacy services, specialized drug delivery devices, and teaching

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• PHRM - Pharmacist - State Licensure within 90 days AND
• PPC- Pharmacist Preceptor Cert - State Licensure AND
• BLS - Basic Life Support (AHA) AND
• ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support (AHA) -- If applicable to primary work assignment AND
• IV Certification - Intravenous certification (ACPE) -- If applicable to primary work assignment within 6 months

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - PREFERRED

• Board of Pharmacy Certification, if applicable to primary work assignment

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate through a variety of channels with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles; engages the recipient(s) and helps them understand and retain the message

• Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization

• Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one's own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved

• Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills

• Ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences

• Ability to work effectively in a fast paced environment

• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace

• Must be familiar with clinical, administrative, educational, and research activities in contemporary hospital pharmacy practice

• Working knowledge of sterilization and aseptic techniques

• Ability and willingness to contribute to the pharmaceutical literature

• Understanding of the basic principles of rational drug therapy and ability to train others in providing rational drug therapy

• Knowledge and ability to fiscally manage a hospital pharmacy division

• Basic background knowledge of biostatistical techniques and research methodology in drug evaluation techniques

• Professional knowledge, database, and judgment to accurately dispense medications and appropriately intervene in monitoring drug therapy for patient age groups, neonate to geriatric

• Proficiency in word processing and spreadsheet development with the personal computer

• Professional and technical competence in the critical selection, evaluation, and utilization of the pharmaceutical, medical, and scientific literature

• Ability to integrate distributive, supportive, and clinical activities within the respective areas of responsibility

• Ability to monitor compliance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations pertaining to drugs and drug delivery devices in the respective work areas

• Knowledge and ability to apply continuous quality improvement (CQI) principles to the provision of pharmacy services (i.e., PDSA, Six-Sigma, Lean, FMEA, etc.)

• Competence in research in an area related to the practice of pharmacy and maintains active credentialing with HM Research Institute as applicable to primary work assignment (refer to manager for details)

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs Yes
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) No

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital, located 35 miles east of Houston, is the area's only full-service hospital offering specialized medical care for patients at every stage in life. This 230-licensed bed hospital with 15 operating rooms and over 1,700 employees, brings Medical Center excellence and quality care close to East Harris and surrounding counties.