Healthcare Quality Improvement and Patient Safety Certificate

Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety Certificate

STEPHEN C. BURROWS, DPM, MBA, CPHIMS, FHIMSS
Chair, Healthcare Informatics & Administration
Program Director, Healthcare Informatics
Program Director, Master of Health Administration
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: [e-mail]

Faculty

Rev. Danny Schieffler Jr. PhD, MSW, ThM
Clinical Assistant Professor

Program Description

The postbaccalaureate certificate in Healthcare Quality Improvement & Patient Safety has been developed to provide the knowledge and skills required for healthcare professionals to meet quality-related goals such increasing clinical quality, increasing patient and staff satisfaction, and gaining third party quality recognition.

Coursework is designed to prepare working clinicians and administrative support staff in health care organizations to implement quality improvement initiatives and to manage populations of patients to optimize efficiency and effectiveness of care and services. Graduates will be prepared for quality and patient safety leadership, management, and research positions within health care organizations or policy agencies, and be able to:

• Develop, implement, and evaluate quality and patient safety improvement initiatives
• Develop strategies to lead organizational change toward a quality-focused culture
• Translate national quality expectations into daily operations
• Apply processes and tools to measure, analyze, and interpret quality improvement data
• Design and implement information technology systems to support quality assurance
• Understand and apply research to drive clinical and operational decision-making

Admission Requirements

Students will apply through the Graduate Admissions Office of the University and are admitted to the upon review and recommendation of the Admissions Committee based on the academic, course prerequisite, and professional requirements listed below.

Admission criteria include:

• A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0 and official transcripts from all institutions attended.
• Curriculum vitae or resume résumé highlighting relevant experience

Degree Requirements

• A total of 12 credit hours of graduate coursework are necessary for completion

Required Courses (12 Credits)

QI 501	Introduction to Healthcare Quality	3
QI 550	Methods, Measurement, & Tools for QI	3
QI 601	Using Evidence & Data to Drive Change	3
QI 620	Approaches to Quant Data Analytics	3

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Describe several frameworks and theories for assessing and improving the quality of medical care
2. Understand how to develop a workable quality improvement and evaluation plan
3. Describe the role of various systems and factors in creating safety and in causing errors and adverse events
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the basics of conducting an incident investigation and disclosing an adverse event
5. Design solutions to improve patient safety
6. Understand the role of patient-centered outcomes research in improving health, including its place in the U.S. research portfolio; the importance of stakeholders in the research process, and policy implications related to implementation