This Month’s “Ask the Expert”
Q: Why is the infant mortality rate in the US so high?
A: There’s no simple answer — but social and economic inequity is a big part of the problem.
Donald Berwick, MD, MPP
Institute for Healthcare Improvement
President and CEO
Submit your question
Ask the Expert Archive
Listen to a Recording of the November 10 Campaign LIVE!
November 10, 2008 — Campaign LIVE
The Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers (AIAMC) work to help medical residents deliver better patient care
January 27, 4-5 pm Eastern Time – On Call with Patrick Lee
Are you interested in developing countries? Join us for the next On Call with Dr. Patrick Lee, a volunteer clinical mentor for Partners in Health, and find out how you can make a difference in resource-poor settings.
When Lee showed up in Kirehe, Rwanda, last year, the staff at the local hospital was taking vital signs properly only 48% of the time. Today, the staff does that task properly 95% of the time. Simple interventions of this kind have dramatically improved staff morale and the quality of care in Kirehe.
Registration information for On Call coming soon.
New Resources
Case Study: Code Blue – Where To?
A code blue is called in an inpatient psychiatry facility. But the code team doesn’t know how to get there.
Article: A New Professional: The Aims of Education Revisited
Do you “go with the flow” at your institution because it’s the easy thing to do – even when it doesn’t feel right?
Attend IHI’s National Forum
Scholarships are now available on a first-come, first-served basis for the 20th Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care on December 8-11, 2008, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Network with nearly 7,000 other people who care deeply about health care improvement — including 200 students. Gain valuable contacts with mentors who can help guide your career. Attend seminars that will enrich your knowledge and skill.
Here are just a few of the brand-spanking-new benefits you’ll get only if you’re a student:
- Compete in the National Forum Clarion Case Study Competition and win prizes
- Reference the “Student Track” to get session recommendations designed expressly for students
- Get matched with a mentor who’ll help you get the most out of the Forum
Read what students at Clemson University School of Nursing said about last year’s Forum:
“Reflecting on the conference as I returned home…There really is hope for changing the system…and I can make a difference!”
“The National Forum was invigorating and empowering. This year was very special because I participated in the poster presentations and volunteered as a moderator for a mini-course. As a student, these opportunities allowed me an invaluable experience that I will have with me forever.”
“It was really exciting to go and sit with persons from all levels in healthcare. At any given time I might have been sitting next to a CEO or a staff nurse or another student from anywhere in the world. It was so interesting to see that often we were tackling the same issues and problems at the different facilities we represented … I had a terrific time.”
Click here for more details on student events at the National Forum.
Register on the IHI Open School Website
It takes less than a minute to register! We’ll send you notifications about our latest events, contests, and courses. You’ll also have access to great resources, including videos, case studies, online courses, discussion groups, and more.
Not affiliated with a school? In addition to registering, email us and we’ll add you to an interest list to keep you posted on School activities.
Friend Us
Our Facebook group has hundreds of members and it’s growing every day. Join us to get up-to-the-minute notifications about new IHI Open School events, interviews, courses, and other useful info.
Get Certified
Enhance your skills and your resume without changing out of your pajamas. Take an online course in patient safety or quality improvement — and get a head start on an IHI Open School certification.
Join a Chapter
Want to meet other students who are mad about improving health care? Check out our list of local campus Chapters.
Read the Blog
“I've never met so many positive Pollyannas in my life … It was an awesome, motivational point in life, but perhaps not an accurate portrayal of the care environment.” — Recent public health school alumna
Students and IHI staff post their thoughts on school, everyday life, and current events in health care.
Join a Discussion
What did you think of the movie “Sicko”? What do you make of Atul Gawande’s book “Better: A Surgeon’s Notes on Performance”? And what should Dennis Quaid do to keep other people’s kids from overdosing on heparin?
Comments, reviews, questions, gripes — post ’em all on the IHI Open School discussion boards.
