Institute for Healthcare Improvement: From the Top: The Role of the Board in Quality and Safety

Program Overview

The May 2008 program is now full. If you would like to be placed on an interest list for future offerings, please contact our customer service department at (617) 301-4800 or by email at info@ihi.org.

Does your board do a better job overseeing finances than quality and safety?

Could your board send a stronger signal to the organization that it is really serious about achieving quality and safety aims?
Is your board overwhelmed by quality data and unable to determine what to do with it?
How can your board more effectively engage with physicians in your quality and safety agenda?
How will your board handle a sentinel event?

To achieve system-level performance improvement, hospitals and systems must have capable, committed leadership in both the executive office and the board room.

Meaningful and sustainable quality improvement cannot occur in any organization without the full support and engagement of the organization’s trustees. Yet, most boards are not comfortable taking responsibility for quality of care. Even those that are focused on quality need practical guidance in how to lead their organization’s quality agenda.

To help address this need, IHI is pleased to offer From the Top: The Role of the Board in Quality and Safety. Led by national experts in governance and quality, this program will improve the capability of your organization’s board to oversee quality and safety endeavors. Participants will be equipped with the practical tools and skills to take responsibility for the quality performance of the organization.

This program is ideal for forward-thinking organizations that already have quality as a prominent focal point. Ideal participants will have had some initial success building the “will” for change within their system and are now ready for the most effective tools to implement the quality and safety agenda.

Listen to a recording of the June 27, 2007, informational call with program faculty.

Download the brochure

What You'll Learn

The program will teach practical tools for leading quality and patient safety endeavors in your organization.

Participants will learn how to:

Renew and sustain their board’s engagement and commitment to quality and safety
Improve their board’s ability to oversee quality and safety
Govern participation in the 5 Million Lives Campaign
Effectively integrate quality into the routine board agenda

Who Should Attend

Leaders — formal and informal — who are responsible for driving quality and patient safety endeavors, including:

Board Chair and Vice Chair
Chair of Board Quality Committee
Quality Committee members
Chief Executive Officer
Any board member interested in quality improvement
Chief Medical Officer
Chief Nursing Officer
Chief Operating Officer

Continued Support

After the program, participants are welcome to participate in conference calls with fellow participants and faculty. The calls will be strategically scheduled three, four, and five months after the program, allowing time for participants to gain experience with the tools and to participate in a board meeting at their organization.

The conference calls are a benefit for program participants, but are not mandatory. They provide an excellent opportunity to share experiences and to get additional support from faculty.