The California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) has selected Healthforce Center at UCSF to serve as the program office for the California Improvement Network (CIN). Established in 2005, CIN is a project of CHCF and is committed to spreading better ideas for care delivery. Its unique community of health leaders from commercial and safety net provider organizations, health plans and quality improvement instructional hubs work to improve the patient experience and the health of populations, while lowering the cost of care. In the role of CIN program office, Healthforce will provide strategic and operational support for CIN, including implementation of technical assistance initiatives and grant-making. One of Healthforce Center’s core beliefs is that when connections are made, people can solve some of the toughest problems in health care together. With more than a decade of experience leading and improving engagement among networks of heath care leaders including commercial and safety net providers, clinic consortia, and health plans, we are excited to join efforts that will advance quality improvement in the state.
What is Quality Improvement (QI) in Health Care?
Health care QI can be defined as “the combined and unceasing efforts of everyone — health care professionals, patients and their families, researchers, payers, planners and educators — to make the changes that will lead to better patient outcomes (health), better system performance (care) and better professional development.” QI employs various methodologies to drive changes in health care. The Model for Improvement, endorsed by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, and developed by Associates in Process Improvement, is one of the primary methods. It utilizes the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework that requires health leaders to answer the following three questions:
- What are we trying to accomplish?
- How will we know that a change is an improvement?
- What change can we make that will result in an improvement?
This video provides a good overview on QI in health care:
Why Does the California Improvement Network Matter?
To provide better care and improve health there is a need for learning networks that spark new ideas, build skills, and inspire and connect groups doing similar work. CIN is the only community in California that brings together commercial and safety-net provider organizations, health plans, and quality improvement (QI) instructional hubs. It provides high-quality resources and capacity building supports — technical assistance, grants, convenings, reports and knowledge-sharing — that accelerate the spread of QI practices throughout the state. Due to policy uncertainty, the growth of digital health, the aging population and the changing economy, health care is undergoing rapid change. CIN pushes the health care system to do more, be better, improve the patient experience and lower the cost of care. These health leaders are not satisfied by the status quo.
CHCF and Healthforce Center
CHCF and Healthforce Center have a decades-long history together. The CHCF Health Care Leadership Program, sponsored by CHCF and administered by Healthforce Center, prepares clinicians to lead California’s health care organizations and has created a network of almost 500 change agents throughout the state. CHCF also supports Healthforce’s influential workforce research including the Community Paramedicine Pilot Project, California Physician Participation in Medicaid, Minimum Nurse Staffing Ratios in California Hospitals, and more.
Join Us
- For additional Healthforce Center updates sign up to learn about the latest health workforce leadership and research opportunities.
- To learn more and stay apprised of quality improvement resources offered through CIN sign up at http://www.chcf.org/cin