Equipping you to lead and participate in quality improvement projects in your organization.

Quality Improvement: A Tool for Transformation

Physicians are critical in leading the transformation of care delivery systems to fulfill the duty to our patients. Many physicians have not received training in medical school on how to lead quality improvement projects. With the right training, physicians can acquire these skills at any career stage and can guide health care organizations to deliver safe and effective care.

How it works

This 14-week hybrid professional development course is designed in partnership with the University of Washington Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety. This course will equip you to lead and participate in quality improvement projects in your organization.

Topics include:

Aim statements
Process maps
Process and outcome measures
Driver diagrams
Equity and disparities in improvement work
Introduction to Lean concepts
Plan-do-study-act cycles
Data in improvement
Change management

Who should attend

Physicians, physician assistants, and advanced care practitioners interested in learning and applying a quality improvement framework into their current workflows.
Non-clinical staff with an interest in quality improvement.

Faculty

Russell Migita, MD, is a practicing physician and the clinical director in the emergency department at Seattle Children's Hospital. Dr. Migita is the co-director of education at the UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care, Quality & Safety, where he co-directs a certificate program in quality and safety. He has trained hundreds of health care staff in the WWAMI region and led dozens of QI efforts using A3 methodology, Six-Sigma tools, Model for Improvement, Lean, and Lean facility design.

Nicholas Meo, MD, is a hospitalist and associate medical director for quality and safety at Harborview Medical Center. As an educator, he has developed curriculum and taught hundreds of medical students, residents, faculty and staff in principles of quality improvement and patient safety.

Guest speaker

Edwin Lindo, JD is a Critical Race Theory Scholar and educator who is faculty within the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine; and Associate Director for Equity and Critical Teaching in the Center for Leadership and Innovation in Medical Education. Edwin teaches, presents, and writes on issues of race and racism within Medicine and society. He is also the creator of The Praxis Podcast.

Register for Quality Improvement: A Tool for Transformation

Register online for Quality Improvement: A Tool for Transformation. Questions? Contact Monica Salgaonkar at 206.956.3641 or monica@wsma.org.

A Message from Dr. Sinanan

Dear Colleagues,

As clinicians, we have an essential leadership role to play in redesigning complex health care delivery. Over the last two decades, both our communities and the medical profession have recognized that the U.S. health care system often falls short in meeting patients' and our own expectations for safety, quality, and efficiency. This disappointing performance persists and has been challenging to solve, despite the best intentions of all parties involved. Quality improvement is hard and complex, but essential. The financial viability and success of hospitals and physician practices will depend on their ability to improve quality, safety, and value to patients and payers.

Physicians must lead the transformation of care delivery systems to fulfill the expectations of our patients. Responsibility for care improvements cannot be delegated to administrators and insurers. Unfortunately, many physicians didn't receive training in medical school on how to lead quality improvement projects. However, with the right training, physicians can acquire these skills at any career stage and can guide health care organizations with the optimal approach to safe and effective care delivery.

At the WSMA, we have been working to address this challenge and I am pleased to announce a new professional development course for physicians, physician assistants, and other members of the health care team. In partnership with the University of Washington Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety, the WSMA has designed a 14-week hybrid course to equip you to lead and participate in quality improvement projects in your organization.

We hope to see you and your colleagues at the course.

Mika Sinanan, MD, PhD
WSMA Executive Committee, 1st Vice President

CME Credit

The WSMA is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

The WSMA designates this other (blended live and online enduring material) activity for a maximum of 14 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

This activity meets the criteria for up to 14 hour(s) of Category I CME credit to satisfy the relicensure requirements of the Washington State Medical Quality Assurance Commission.

Objectives and Agenda

Objectives

Apply fundamental QI tools to lead improvement projects in your clinical setting.
Use a systematic approach to develop QI project ideas.
Outline ways QI efforts can impact equity and approaches to reduce health care disparities.
Overcome barriers to implementation and maximize the impact of interventions.

Agenda

Live session: Sept. 17, 2021 from 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

Works in Progress (WIP) sessions: Two WIP sessions will be held between the first and the last day of the course. This is an opportunity to present the current state of your QI project and get real time feedback from your colleagues and the faculty.

Live session: Dec. 17, 2021 from 8 a.m.–3 p.m.

Day 1

8:00 a.m. - 8:10 a.m.
Welcome

8:10 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Introduction to Quality Improvement

9:00 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.
Break

9:10 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Crafting AIM Statements

9:45 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Process Mapping

10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Developing Measures

11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Lunch

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m
Building a Driver Diagram

1:00 p.m.– 1:30 p.m.
Equity in Improvement

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Introduction to LEAN concepts

2:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Closing and Next Steps

Works in Progress (Week 4 and Week 8)

Scheduled check in with progress report from participants

Final Day

8:00 a.m. - 8:10 a.m.
Welcome

8:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Revisiting Driver Diagrams & Measures

9:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Break

9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Planning a PDSA Cycle – the Iterative Process

11:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m.
Utilizing Data in Improvement

12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Lunch

12:45 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Leading Change

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Disparities & Equity in Medicine (Edwin Lindo)

3:00 p.m. – 3:10 p.m
Closing & Next Steps

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