Improvement Science Education

In the Anderson Center, we are developing a system of improvement science education that supports the transformation of the organization and catalyzes the cultural shift necessary to be a leader in improving child health. Our approach is to provide educational offerings across multiple levels of content and skill, providing faculty and staff the ability to incorporate improvement into their strategic priorities and daily work, allowing them to fulfill their roles.

Improvement science is incorporated into our performance management system, which requires a competency around continuous improvement. Staff members are required to build improvement capability in themselves and others by improving processes and services with an emphasis on measurable results, including use of prediction and testing changes, as a vehicle for learning and improvement.

Below you will find a description of our improvement science offerings. All leaders in the healthcare industry are eligible to apply for the Intermediate Improvement Science Series and Advanced Improvement Methods. Only Cincinnati Children’s faculty and staff may apply for the Basic Online Modules and Rapid Cycle Improvement Collaborative.

Basic Online Modules
Purpose	Structure
To familiarize faculty and staff with concepts of quality improvement and measurement and enable them to be effective QI team members.	Self-paced online module available through Cincinnati Children's e-learning system
Rapid Cycle Improvement Collaborative (RCIC)
Purpose	Structure
Aimed at small teams who are recommended and sponsored by their leadership. RCIC is designed to achieve a measurable improvement in a focused, narrow-scoped project in 120 days by a team. The RCIC develops the team leader’s ability to lead a narrow-scoped improvement project using the Model for Improvement and builds team members’ capability in using the model and basic QI tools.	For entire team including leaders; approximately six half-day sessions
	Team leaders only; in addition to the six half-day sessions with the team, there is a one-day orientation on leading teams and an additional four half days of training
	Sessions include instruction, application examples and time to work on team project
> See an example of how we advertise this course within Cincinnati Children’s.
Intermediate Improvement Science Series (I2S2)
Purpose	Structure
Cincinnati Children’s employees: Course is intended for leaders including physicians, nurses, allied health and nonclinical leaders, at the director level or above. Your supervisor will nominate you for the course. Leaders outside of Cincinnati Children’s: We now welcome leaders from other healthcare systems to apply for the Intermediate Improvement Science Series (I2S2). Learn more about how the program would benefit you and find an application for admission. The aim of I2S2 is to build a broader and deeper network of improvement leaders, bring about continued cultural transformation and develop skill and experience with all aspects of Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge. It includes understanding variation, appreciation of the system, theory of knowledge / action-learning and psychology / change management. > See a sample course plan. > See an I2S2 key driver diagram. > Download the I2S2 program brochure.	Six two-day sessions off-site over a six-month period
	Work on a project between sessions with a coach
	Extensive readings
	Content
	Issues in healthcare quality including the business case for quality
	Systems thinking, understanding variation, the model for improvement, leading change
	QI tools and methods
	Chronic care improvement
	Patient safety and reliability science
Advanced Improvement Methods (AIM)
Purpose	Structure
To train faculty in the advanced methods of quality improvement such as factorial design, advanced control charts and segmentation that allow them to publish rigorous quality-improvement projects in refereed journals and conduct quality-improvement research.	Four two-day sessions
	Five 90-minute webinars
	Work on project and readings between sessions
	Lecture, case studies, simulation exercises
Target Audience	How May I Participate?
Cincinnati Children’s faculty and faculty from other academic medical centers.	Download application that includes information about 2013-14 dates for workshops and conference calls, application deadline and fee, expectations of participants, selection criteria and our faculty. > See a sample course plan.
For More Information
Contact AIM_Communications@cchmc.org, or Holly Arnold, project specialist.