Training

Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program

Improvement Advisor US

Format:

In-Person & Online

When:

Feb. 08, 2024 - Jan. 09, 2025

Where:

Boston, MA, USA

Format:

Three In-Person Workshops, Monthly Zoom Calls

Fee:

$16,400 per person

Groups of 3 or more:

$13,940 per person

Join an Informational Call with program faculty:

January 4th, 2024
3:00 PM ET

Build Advanced Knowledge and Skills to Excel in the Science of Improvement

The Improvement Advisor (IA) is devoted to helping identify, plan, and execute improvement projects throughout an organization, deliver successful results, and spread changes across the entire system. Organizations that achieve multiple and sustained improvements usually have the invaluable leadership of an IA at the helm of their improvement initiatives.

Who Should Attend

Health care professionals who are currently regarded as leaders of improvement efforts within the organization and want to deepen their knowledge and enhance their effectiveness in this role should attend this program. Often these individuals hold titles such as:

Director or Vice President of Quality Improvement
Quality Coach/Facilitator
Chief Quality Officer
Quality Improvement Specialist
Physicians

Others who would benefit from this program include clinical leaders (physicians, nurses, allied health professionals) who want to make substantial improvements in the care of individuals and the health of populations while reducing health care costs.

How to Participate

Due to the intensity of this program and the work on real improvement projects for the client organizations, the class size is limited.

Registration and pre-program assessments are currently being accepted on a rolling admission. This program usually fills up fast, we, therefore, encourage interested participants to register and send in their pre-program assessments as soon as possible.

Pre-Program Assessments:

Please refer to the Glossary of Terms to complete the self-assessment and read the Improvement Project Selection Guide for more information on appropriate project criteria and guidelines.

Please email the completed IA Application and the IA Knowledge and Self-Assessment Form to:

Elena Origlio, Associate Project Manager
Email: improvementprograms@ihi.org
Phone: +1 617-391-9946

Program Design and Focus

Each participant is required to direct one or more improvement projects (connected to her or his organization’s business plan) during the program. The project provides a double benefit — a chance to achieve results in an active improvement project and a living laboratory to apply learning. The improvement project may be in any one of three categories:

Improving quality of care and services
Reducing costs while maintaining or improving quality
Expanding patient or customer satisfaction with the development of new
services or innovative ways of providing existing services

The design of this program allows participants to achieve maximum results by immediately applying the skills they learn to everyday work situations.
It is this combination of theory applied to daily work that makes the Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program unique and provides a foundation for making improvements long after the program is completed.

Expert Faculty

David M. Williams, PhD, Improvement Advisor, DMW Austin, is a scholar-practitioner in the science of improvement. He serves as Improvement Advisor for large Breakthrough Series Collaboratives, and large national and health care system-wide improvement initiatives worldwide. A paramedic by background, Dr. Williams practiced in urban EMS systems for many years and is an international expert on paramedic care and emergency medical services systems. He is a 2013 alumni of the Leadership Austin Essentials program and served as Vice Chairman of the Board for CommUnityCare in Austin, Texas, one of the largest federally qualified health centers in the US. Prior to joining IHI, he led a consulting practice focused on improvement science and expert consulting in education, public safety, and health care.

Rebecca Steinfield, MA, Improvement Advisor (IA), Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), currently serves as an IA for a variety of internal and external IHI projects. She has been with IHI since 1996 and teaches IHI courses on improvement methods.

Karen Baldoza, MSW Executive Director, Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), is co-lead of IHI's Improvement Science and Methods portfolio of work and teaches in IHI's programs aimed at building individual and organizational capability for improvement. As a trained Improvement Advisor and Lean Facilitator, she also leads and coaches staff in improvement within IHI. Previously, Ms. Baldoza was the Continuum of Care Portfolio Operations Director overseeing IHI's work that addresses the patient journey in health and chronic disease care outside of acute care settings. She also managed relationships with strategic partners and several large strategic initiatives, such as Pursuing Perfection. Prior to joining IHI in 2000, she worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an assistant director in the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, and in public health prevention and policy efforts. She received her Master of Social Work degree from Boston College, focusing on community organizing, social policy and planning, and not-for-profit administration.

Lloyd P. Provost, Statistician and Senior Improvement Advisor at Associates in Process Improvement, helps individuals and organizations learn the science of improvement to enhance their processes and systems. Mr. Provost's experience is in applications of statistical process control and in designing research and quality improvement studies. For the past 16 years, he has worked as an IHI Senior Fellow as an improvement advisor. He also serves on the IHI faculty for the Improvement Advisor Development Program, provides improvement advisor support for IHI's developing countries programs, and coordinates the development and work of other improvement advisors that support IHI. He provides support for the QI curriculum for the IHI Open School. Mr. Provost co-authored the books Quality Improvement Through Planned Experimentation, The Improvement Guide, and The Health Care Data Guide.

Most health care organizations turn to internal resources for improvement leadership, but in many cases, there is no one with the required training, expertise, and support to perform this role. In fact, individuals with the necessary skills to serve as IAs are relatively rare. To effectively meet the demands of the job, Improvement Advisors (IAs) need more than just an interest in improvement work. They need a solid foundation, advanced knowledge and skills in the art and science of improvement, plus the ability to work with and coach front-line teams in achieving and maintaining successful changes. IAs must also be able to communicate effectively with senior management to summarize progress on improvement projects and clearly articulate needed sponsorship and support when projects stall.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), in conjunction with Associates in
Process Improvement (API), offers the long-running Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program to help individuals in this critical role build and hone such skills. This richly-packed, 10-month program is an “all teach, all learn” experience that offers:

The advanced knowledge and skills you need to excel in the art and science
of improvement
Instruction on how to use a framework comprising practical skills and
theory to drive whole system changes
A collaborative learning environment and actionable ideas that will help you
achieve maximum results

Session Agenda

This 10-month professional development program includes three four-day in-person workshops in Boston, MA, and a series of web-based sessions in the months between meetings. The workshops provide an opportunity for participants to receive feedback on their projects from the faculty and fellow participants.

Download the Spring 2024 Agenda

Some schedule elements are subject to change. Any questions or concerns about the schedule, please email: improvementprograms@ihi.org

Continuing Education

In support of improving patient care, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the health care team.

Continuing Education credits for the Spring 2024 Improvement Advisor Program are being finalized.

As a result of this program, attendees will be able to:

Lead improvement efforts in your organization
Use the system of profound knowledge to guide your work -
Use Shewhart charts to understand variation -
Develop projects informed by Planned Experimentation to understand the cause-and-effect system producing the outcomes.

Fees & Scholarships

Due to the intensity of this program and the work on real improvement projects for the client organizations, the class size is limited.

This program usually fills up fast, we therefore encourage interested participants to register and send in their pre-program assessments as soon as possible.

Pre-Program Assessments:

Please refer to the Glossary of Terms to complete the self-assessment and read the Improvement Project Selection Guide for more information on appropriate project criteria and guidelines.

Please email the completed IA Application and the IA Knowledge and Self-Assessment Form to:

Elena Origlio, Project Manager
Email: improvementprograms@ihi.org
Phone: +1 617-391-9946

Enrollment Fee

Regular Rate: $16,400 per participant

This fee includes:

All program materials, tools, and literature
Monthly webinars and coaching
A community site and listserv to connect participants throughout the program and encourage active collaboration, facilitated by IHI faculty

Group Rate: $13,940 per participant

Organizations sending three or more people are eligible to receive a 15% Group Discount. Please fill out the Group Enrollment form to register a team at the Group Rate.

Scholarships Available

IHI is pleased to offer a limited amount of funding for scholarships. Please note that scholarships are available to assist with program enrollment costs ONLY and are not applicable for travel, food, or accommodation costs associated with attending the program. To apply for scholarships and special discounts, complete the online Scholarship Application.

Please note:

If you are eligible for a discount — because you qualify for a membership discount or you have received a need-based scholarship — it will be automatically applied to your registration. 
After checkout, you will receive a confirmation of purchase. You can also print an invoice from your online profile 24 hours after your purchase.

Payment and Cancellation Policy

Payments: Full payment is due 60 days before the start of the program. If payment in full is not received within 60 days before the program start date, IHI will notify you and cancel your registration.
- Credit card payments: Enter your credit card information online during registration or call the IHI Customer Experience Department to process payment over the phone.
- Check payments: Please mail a copy of the invoice with your payable check to IHI.
Cancellations: For cancellations made within 45 days before the start of a program, Registration fees are fully refundable if a written request is received by info@ihi.org on or before 45 days before the start of the program.
Refunds: IHI will issue all refunds in the original payment type (credit card or check) within 30 days. Registrations received after 45 days or less before the start of the program are not refundable.
Substitutions: One attendee may be substituted for another at any time by calling the IHI Customer Experience Department or emailing info@ihi.org.

Logistics

The Improvement Advisor program three four-day in-person workshops will held at:

Institute for Healthcare Improvement
53 State Street, 18th Floor
Boston, MA 02109
United States

Meals: Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided on all workshop days. Participants will be responsible for their own dinners.
Dress Code: Please dress business casual. You may wish to bring a sweater or jacket since the meeting rooms are cold at times.

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