Center for Patient Safety Science

Quality and Patient Safety Academy

Quality and Patient Safety Academy 2026

This 9-month program delivers high quality performance improvement education. Sponsored by NYP and the Center for Patient Safety Science at Columbia, the Academy teaches healthcare professionals the necessary skills to lead health system QI and patient safety initiatives. Participants learn a variety of tools and strategies to become the next generation of clinical quality leaders.

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Who is this for?

  • Any healthcare professional interested in learning about quality and patient safety and applying learned skills to the clinical settings in which they are currently employed
  • Clinical and departmental leaders interested in developing as quality leaders and educators
  • Can attend all program sessions, complete assignments, and develop and complete a QI project

Course Schedule   Sep sessions, 9-11 AM and 12–2 PM: QI Tool Intensive for project initiation;  Oct-May sessions: 3–5 PM

Topic
Date

1  Model for Improvement and PDSAs

2  Driver and Fishbone Diagrams

Sep 14, 2026

3  Process and Value Stream Maps

4  Pareto Charts, Stakeholder Assessment, and 5 Whys

Sep 17, 2026

5  Tool and Project Review

Oct 8, 2026

6  Run and Control Charts

Oct 29, 2026

7  6S and 8 Wastes

Nov 12, 2026

8  Sustainability

Dec 17, 2026

9  Leadership and Teamwork in QI

Jan 14, 2027

10  Equity

Feb 11, 2027

11  Project Presentation Preparation

Mar 11, 2027

12  Patient Safety and Just Culture

Apr 8, 2027

13  Final Project Presentations

May 13, 2027

Course Requirements

Participants will complete a QI project

  • Projects should be a priority area for NYP/CU and the participant’s clinical setting
  • Meet regularly with a course mentor
  • Regularly present project outcomes/updates to your work areas and the Academy
  • Final projects will be presented in May 2027

Participants must attend 12 two-hour course sessions plus a final presentation

  • Except for the Fall Intensive, classes will be held Thursdays from 3–5 PM at CUIMC
  • All sessions must be attended in-person, and missing 2 or more sessions may require the participant to drop out of the course

Participants will complete the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) online Basic Certificate in Quality and Safety

Curriculum

  • Each session will teach new QI concepts and tools through hands-on interactive classes and reinforce these learnings using online IHI modules.
  • Participants will be asked to actively engage in each session and regularly submit deliverables based on course learnings.
  • Receive feedback from the course instructor, mentor, and classmates.

Time Commitment

  • Pre-course: Includes the completion of 5 online IHI modules introducing you to the Model for Improvement and meeting with course mentors who will help you develop the basic components of a QI project including a revised aim statement, project measures, stakeholder team, baseline data, and proposed interventions.
  • Course: Requires at least 15–20 hours/month, especially in the first 3 months of the course, given in-class meetings, on-line IHI modules, submitting deliverables before each session, meeting monthly with course mentors, and completing a QI project.

Faculty and Staff

Instructors: Madeline Kaufman, MD and Pooja Reddy Spector, MD, MS
Directors: Jason Adelman, MD, MS;  Maureen Kelly, MD;  Tony Lin, MD
Executive Sponsors: Baruch Fertel, MD;  Ali Gharavi, MD;  Julia Iyasere, MD

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