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

Quality Improvement: A Tool for Transformation

The 2022 Quality Improvement: A Tool for Transformation course will be held in 2023. Check back here for more details.

The cost of the course is $2,000/WSMA member and $2,500/non-WSMA member.

This 14-week hybrid professional development course is designed in partnership with the UW Medicine Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety. Physicians are critical in leading the transformation of care delivery systems to fulfill the duty to our patients. While leading QI efforts is not a skill learned in medical school, physicians can acquire these skills over time to guide health care organization to deliver safe and effective care.

“I’ve been to many talks that refer to QI strategies, but it seemed too daunting to try to learn on my own. This class was exactly what I was looking for—a solid education on basic QI techniques that is manageable and practical. The instructors catered to physicians and PAs from both large and small organizations. I appreciate the acknowledgment of the barriers we face and the helpful strategies on how to work around them. I would highly recommend this course to other physicians and PAs.”
  – Bridget Sipher, MD, Olympia Pediatrics

Topics include:

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

Who should attend

  • Physicians, physician assistants, and health professionals interested in learning and applying a quality improvement framework into their current workflows.

Faculty

Russell Migita, MD

Russell Migita, MD, is a practicing physician and assistant 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

Nicholas Meo, MD, is a hospitalist and associate medical director for quality and safety at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. 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.

Cancellation policy

Refunds are available for live event registration depending on when the refund is requested in relation to the start of the course.

  • 91 days or more until start of event: a 100% refund less a $100 processing fee per person
  • 61 – 90 days until start of event: a 75% refund
  • 31-60 days until start of event: a 25% refund
  • 30 days or less until start of event: no refund

WSMA reserves the right to cancel the course. If so, preregistered participants will be notified and full refunds provided. No-shows will receive no refund. Registrations may not be transferred to another person at any time. A participant may transfer registration one time to the next available course if space permits. All subsequent transfers of registration will incur a change fee of $250. All refunds will be issued to the original form of payment.

For in-person courses, the WSMA cannot be held responsible for other costs or expenses, including cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines, travel agencies, or hotels.

A Message from Dr. Sinanan

Dear Colleagues,

Mika Sinanan, MD, PhD

As clinicians, we have an essential leadership role to play in redesigning complex healthcare delivery. Over the last two decades, both our communities and the medical profession have recognized that the US healthcare 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 healthcare 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, President

CME Credit

The WSMA is accredited by the 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

  • Apply fundamental QI tools physicians and front-line health care workers can use to lead improvement projects in their 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.
  • Use strategies to overcome barriers to implementation and maximize the impact of interventions.
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