Every December, nearly half the people who attend IHI’s National Forum in Orlando, Florida, do so for the very first time. They join with the “regulars” and the “veteran” conference-goers and immerse themselves in intense learning and networking over four packed days. By the time it all winds up, everyone is eager to return to colleagues back home to share new ideas and initiate new improvement strategies. Some of IHI’s best informants wind up being our fellows, most of whom have never attended the Forum before. At the Forum, they fan out to cover as much ground as possible so that they can spread the learning among themselves and beyond.

That’s the spirit behind WIHI’s December 15 program, “Heard at the Forum.” The 2011-2012 IHI Fellows and IHI’s Executive Vice President and COO Jeff Selberg join WIHI host Madge Kaplan to talk about what they learned from IHI’s 23rd Annual National Forum: stand-out results; new improvement strategies; new ideas about leadership; the growth of the quality improvement movement internationally; the necessary and new role patients are taking on in designing better care; new thinking about navigating the complexities of the health care environment in the US; the opportunities embedded in health care reform; and more.

This rich round-up from the Forum will be beneficial for the entire improvement community, whether or not you attened this year’s event. WIHI participants who have their own favorite conference stories, session “take-aways,” and memorable quotes from the keynotes, also add to the discussion for everyone’s benefit.