Graduates and alumni from the Physician Led Quality Improvement (PLQI) program came together last month for a momentous event celebrating five years.
The event celebrated the graduation of the Third and Fourth PLQI Cohorts who, amidst a pandemic, spent 10 months learning quality improvement tools to affect positive change in real-world scenarios.
Senior operational and medical leaders from across VCH and PHC also attended the evening of shared recognition, which was held at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre.
Over the past five years, more than 100 physicians have completed the intensive 10-month quality improvement (QI) training, and have undertaken projects to improve patient care.
Acknowledging the members’ hard work and ingenuity
The evening’s host was Dr. Kelly Mayson, PLQI Chair, and there were several key speakers, including Vivian Eliopoulos, VCH President and CEO, who praised the PLQI members for their dedication and achievements.
“I am a firm believer in continuous quality improvement, and the impact it has on the quality of care for patients and residents across the board,” said Vivian. “As I look around the room, I know without question that your enthusiasm for quality improvement will inspire others, and for that I am truly grateful.”
Fiona Dalton, PHC President and CEO, also had kind and inspiring words for the PLQI graduates and alumni. “The range of quality improvement projects we have seen – from diabetes, to telehealth, to cardiac surgery – is truly inspiring,” said Fiona. “I really hope you all take a moment to reflect during this pandemic; you have all put an amazing effort into improving care for your patients, and I hope you feel proud about that.”
Additional speakers included Dr. Matthew Chow (President, Doctors of BC), Dr. Ahmer Karimuddin (Co-chair, Specialist Services Committee), Dr. Chad Kim Sing (Associate Vice President of Medicine, Quality & Safety at VCH), and Dr. Janet Kow (Interim Vice President for Pandemic Response and Senior Medical Director, Quality & Safety at PHC).
Small changes lead to amazing results
Three physicians presented their QI projects, and shared their lessons learned from working on various QI initiatives. They demonstrated that QI is often complex, and more importantly, that it cannot be done alone; having clear goals and the support of a team to work through changes together can result in impactful improvements.
Presenters included:
Dr. Tasleem Rajan, Richmond Hospital – End PJ Paralysis
Encouraging patients to wear everyday clothes and participate in mobility and functional activities in an effort to improve their physical and mental well-being.
Dr. Stephanie Chartier-Plante, Vancouver General Hospital – Early Extubation in Liver Transplant Recipients
Improving post-operative care for liver transplant recipients to reduce ICU length of stay.
Dr. Tony Wan, St. Paul’s Hospital – Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) Pathway
Developing a standardized pathway that directs DVT patients from emergency and radiology departments to the Thrombosis Clinic, to reduce the number of visits to emergency.
Interested in QI? Here’s how to get involved
Applications for Cohort 6 training are open now, until February 14, 2022. Funding is provided for in-depth learning about QI methodology, as well as support to assist with applied learning throughout the development of QI projects. Visit our website to learn more about PLQI, past QI projects, and to apply for the upcoming Advanced Cohort Training.
The Physician-Led Quality Improvement (PLQI) program at VCH and PHC is a province-wide initiative, and is a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health, Providence Health Care, and the Specialist Services Committee (SSC). It is designed to address gaps in quality structures relating to physician participation in QI activities.
