Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Track

At Rush, we aim to provide the highest quality, most efficient, safest, cost-conscious care possible. We continually evaluate and re-evaluate our processes of care, including transitions of care, handoffs, algorithms, use of pharmaceuticals, hospital-acquired conditions, safety events, workplace safety, inter-disciplinary communications systems, and many other aspects of healthcare.

Through the Rush Pediatric Residency 2-year Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Track, participating residents will have special guidance on a specific project of their choosing from mentors who are enthusiastic and who have access to resources, data, and statistical help. The track spans the PGY-2 and PGY-3 years of residency. Applications are submitted towards the end of PGY-1 year.

Residents in the track are required to complete the following:

Develop and implement a QI/PS project under faculty supervision designed to directly improve patient care, satisfy the ACGME residency program requirement for academic productivity, and ideally lead to nationally presented abstracts and publication in peer reviewed journals.
Earn the IHI Basic Certificate in Quality and Safety (asynchronous online modules).
Lead one Pediatric Residency M&M conference
Participate in a one month “QI/PS Elective” where they will have the opportunity to work alongside hospital patient safety leadership at various QI/PS committee meetings (institution, department, and/or division level), participate in real-time event reviews, and have time to work on their projects.
Serve as the resident representative on a Pediatric Safety committee that aligns with their clinical interests and career goals throughout the 2 year track.
Collaborate with residents in other Departments on the QI/PS track in the Rush Housestaff Quality Committee.

2022-2023 is the inaugural year for the Pediatric track, however this track has been well established in Internal Medicine. Examples from Internal Medicine QI/PS projects on various subjects, including:

transfusion reduction and blood utilization optimization
improving After Visit Summary discharge communication
improving night float handoff process
reduction of daily lab draws

Many of these projects have resulted in significant cost savings, improvements in patient safety/flow, and also have been presented in local/regional forums, as well as at national conferences. We look forward to the future projects from our pediatric residents!

To see an example of our application, please click here. If you have questions about this track, please contact Program Coordinator, Mohammad Yassin at Mohammad_O_Yassin@rush.edu