Hi from the VA! As part of my role as the Chief Resident in Quality and Safety (CRQS), I help to oversee the patient safety and quality improvement (PSQI) rotation at the John Cochran VA. All categorical interns rotate through this two-week rotation. Due to the need for social distancing, much of the rotation is conducted on Zoom. Interns complete the Basic Certificate in Quality and Safety through the IHI Open School which provides a strong foundation of PSQI principles and looks great on your CV! Interactive lecture topics include the Model for Improvement and Just Culture/Patient Safety Event Reporting. Each intern will analyze a QI article as part of our Journal Club and present a case-based patient safety event during our Morbidity and Mortality presentation.
While rotating through VA PSQI, interns will be immersed in one of our three ongoing QI projects under the guidance of the CRQS and faculty mentor Dr. Sara Chen. Our first project, initiated by prior CRQS and current Med Ed fellow Justin Chen, is an effort to improve VA firm handoffs by transitioning from free-text Word documents to a templated Shift Handoff Tool within CPRS. Our second project endeavors to improve the process of Hepatitis B screening prior to initiation of chemotherapy, mitigating the dangerous effects of Hep B reactivation. Our third project aims to increase the rate of Shingrix vaccination in Rheumatology clinic patients, especially those starting immunosuppression. Working on these projects gives our rotators hands-on experience putting QI methodology into practice and collaborating with multiple departments across the hospital.
During your time on the VA PSQI rotation, you will gain the fundamental knowledge needed to make patient care safer and more efficient and will adopt skills to help you grow as a physician – no matter where your career takes you!