Quality Academy
Quality Academy
At the core of advancing quality is ensuring that there is a broad base of individuals who have both the capacity and capability to lead improvement. Twice per year we run the Quality Academy – a professional development program that equips participants to effectively lead quality and safety initiatives within their organizations.
Delivered over a six-month period, the Quality Academy consists of five in-person residency sessions. To support participant learning and work, the Quality Academy provides access to an expert faculty at all residency sessions, assigned mentors and regular webinar sessions.
During their time in the Quality Academy, participants apply their new skills and knowledge by leading improvement projects within their own organizations. We support them along the way by providing individual coaching and support.
Each project must address one or more dimensions of quality, based on the Health Quality Matrix. These projects, and their creators are having an impact across British Columbia’s health care system.
What You Need to Know
- Review the Quality Academy Program Guide. Work with your Direct Supervisor to identify an appropriate Executive Sponsor and begin initial exploration of your quality project ideas with them.
- Download the Quality Academy Executive Sponsor Form. Please ensure that both your Executive Sponsor and Direct Supervisor review and sign the form. Once completed, save a copy to be attached to your application form.
- Complete the Quality Academy Application Form online. You will need to attach your completed Executive Sponsor Form to your online application. Please note that you are able to save and continue your application at a later date.
- Once your Quality Academy Application Form and Executive Sponsor Form have been submitted, you will receive an email receipt and with your completed application attached. Applications will not be considered until both forms have been received.
If you have any questions about the application process, please contact learning@bcpsqc.ca.
Participants build their knowledge, skills and confidence around the core components of quality improvement, including:
- Improving quality and safety;
- Process and systems thinking;
- Engaging others;
- Leading change;
- Measurement and using data; and
- Innovation, spread and sustainability.
Curriculum is learner-centred and aligned with principles of adult learning so that participants can navigate the content in ways that are most meaningful for them. Participants learn from a variety of leading experts and are exposed to a diverse collection of tools, techniques, and frameworks for quality improvement. They are provided with opportunities to not only develop skills and knowledge of various quality improvement tools and methods, but also to develop critical thinking and leadership skills to examine how to strategically use opportunities and tools to improve the quality of care. We also support them to teach and advise others on quality improvement work.
Key areas addressed throughout the curriculum include:
- Quality and Safety Culture
- Model for Improvement
- Lean
- Positive Deviance
- Statistical Process Control
- Measurement Strategies for Quality Improvement
- Demand and Capacity Analysis
- Human Factors
- Resilience and Reliability Science
- Understanding and Reducing Variation
- Complexity and Systems Process/Theory
- Spread and Sustainability
- Social Movement and Large-Scale Change
- Culture of Innovation and Thinking Differently
- Teamwork and Communication
- Strategies for Engaging Patients and Families
- Group Facilitation, Conflict Resolution and Leadership Skills
- Coaching and Mentoring for Improvement Skills
- Link Between Cost and Quality
- High Performing Healthcare Systems
Participants completing the Quality Academy will receive a certificate of participation from the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council. Participants are expected to meet the following requirements to complete the program:
- attendance at all residency sessions and webinars;
- demonstration of progress and application of concepts covered through work on a quality improvement project within their organization;
- submission of monthly quality project summaries to be shared with their faculty mentor and executive sponsor;
- completion of assignments and tasks related to the development of their project as assigned by Quality Academy faculty;
- participation in the evaluation of the Quality Academy program.
Quality Project
A key component of the Quality Academy is the leading of a quality project that enables participants to apply the concepts, skills and knowledge gained throughout the program with support from an assigned faculty mentor. Participants are encouraged to begin exploring potential topic areas with their organization during the application process. Projects will be required to meet the following criteria:
- explicitly address one or more dimension of quality, based upon the BC Health Quality Matrix;
- relates to the strategic or business plan of the organization;
- supported by an organizational Executive Sponsor;
- has a measurable aim statement;
- progress toward the aim can be made within six months;
- has the support of a clinical champion (where the project occurs in a clinical area);
- incorporates the patient perspective; and
- baseline data is available or can be obtained for the outcome measure
Time to Participate
Participants must attend all residency sessions in order to complete the Quality Academy. During residency sessions, it is expected that participants will be free from official duties to maximize their learning opportunity. As well, participants will require adequate time and support during the 6 month program to dedicate to their quality project. This time will vary depending on the scope of the project chosen; however, experience suggests this is at least one day per week.
In the case of extraordinary circumstances, such as illness or family emergency, Quality Academy faculty will work individually with participants to cover the missed material to complete the program. Faculty will not be available to cover material missed for work related reasons.
Supports for Participants
We are committed to providing participants with a positive learning experience, both during residency sessions and when at home. To ensure participants are successful in both the residency sessions and in leading their quality project, the Quality Academy will offer a series of supports to all participants.
- A series of educational webinars will be held between residency sessions to continue the dialogue from residencies and provide additional learning.
- Each participant will have a mentor to support their learning and project progress. Participants and their mentor will connect regularly during the program through progress reports, written feedback and bi-weekly teleconference calls.
- A dedicated website for the Quality Academy will provide an additional forum for resources support. All course materials will be available on the website including additional readings, templates, contact information and a calendar of events.
- One of the most valuable resources is the combined experiences of the Quality Academy group forming a valuable network of expertise. Participants will be encouraged to connect with each other and core faculty members both during and outside of the residency sessions.
Tuition
The BC Patient Safety & Quality Council provides significant funding to support the program as part of its mandate to support education and capacity building for quality across the province. However, a registration fee of $2,500 plus taxes will be charged for all program participants.
Participants will be responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs for the residency sessions.