Population Health Improvement Partners
Quality Improvement 101 Program
“Learning, Experiencing, and Doing Quality Improvement”
PROGRAM OVERIVEW
The Quality Improvement 101 (QI 101) program was pilot tested and adapted from the well established NC Area Health Education Centers' (AHEC) QI
101 that was jointly developed by the NC AHEC and the NC Hospital Association. QI 101 is an interactive learning program for local health departments
interested in improving the quality of the services they provide. Participants learn about QI methods and tools and apply what they are learning to
specific local projects. The overall objectives of the program are to help participants:
 Understand, select, and use QI methods and tools in their daily activities to improve the efficiency of services within their agency as well as
health outcomes
 Coach others within their local setting to use QI methods and tools
 Develop a plan to incorporate QI methods and tools within their local agency so that it becomes “the way we do business”
November
December 2015
January – February 2016
March 2016
March – April 2016
May – June 2016
2015
Intro Call
Kickoff Mtg.
Local
health
directors
and QI
team leads
attend a
call to
learn about
the course
and ask
questions.
Local health
directors and QI
team leads come
together for a
half day face-toface session.
Intro Call:
November 5th
@ 2pm
They learn about
program
expectations and
the important
role of leadership
in creating a
culture of
continuous QI
(CQI).
Kickoff Mtg.
December 18th
Team Lead Call
QI team leads attend a webinar to learn
about their role and begin discussing
project and team building.
Pre-Work
Local agency teams participate in three
webinars.
They develop a project aim and learn to
use QI tools to understand
the specific
th
Team Lead
Call:
issue
theyMay
aim8to @9:30
improve.
Team Lead Call:
January 7th @ 2pm
Webinar 1:
January 19th @ 2pm
Webinar 2:
February 4th @ 2pm
Webinar 3:
February 18th @ 2pm
Workshop 1
Action Period
Workshop 2
Teams come
together for a
two-day face-toface workshop.
Teams implement their QI
plan, participate in an onsite rapid improvement
event (Lean Kaizen), and use
QI tools to improve their
chosen process.
Teams attend a final
two-day face-to-face
workshop to
celebrate and share
their successes and
lessons learned.
They share their progress
with other teams and
receive coaching from
faculty via monthly
conference calls, webinars,
and the on-site
improvement event.
They develop a plan
to spread and
sustain the
improvements
made.
They continue to
learn QI methods
and tools and
develop a plan to
apply the tools in
their local setting.
WKSP 1:
March 9th – 11th
HD Call:
March 15th @ 10am
AP Call 1: March 31st @ 2pm
AP Call 2: April 14th @ 2pm
AP Call 3: April 28th @ 2pm
The QI 101 course is based on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Breakthrough Series
and was adapted from the NC Area Health Education Center’s QI 101 course.
WKSP 2:
May 11th – 13th
HD Call:
May 17th @ 10am
Follow-Up Call:
June 16th @ 2pm
PROGRAM DATES
Below is a list of important dates for the QI 101 program. Please hold these on your calendar. We will
send meeting agendas and materials for each activity as the event gets closer.
INTRODUCTORY CALL: November 5th @ 2pm
Target Audience: Health Director, QI Project Team lead, and staff interested in QI
Call Objectives:
• Provide an overview of the QI 101 program and upcoming activities
• Discuss program expectations
• Answer questions and provide additional information
KICKOFF MEETING: December 18th (all day)
Location: Raleigh, NC
Target Audience: Health Director, QI Project Team lead, Internal QI Coach (IQIC), and DPH
nurse/program consultants
Meeting Objectives
• Define quality improvement and discuss why it is important in public health
• Share success stories from local public health agencies in NC
• Provide strategies to select a QI project and team
• Understand how to support and motivate QI team
• Build relationship with QI 101 faculty and QI coach
TEAM LEAD ORIENTATION WEBINAR: January 7th @ 2pm
Target Audience: QI Team Lead
Call Objectives:
• Provide an overview of the team lead role and responsibilities
• Discuss program expectations
• Discuss project and team selection
• Answer questions and provide additional information
PRE-WORK ACTIVITES (3 webinars)
Target Audience: Health Director, QI Project Team lead, IQIC, DPH nurse/program consultants, and
other staff interested in learning more about QI
a) Webinar 1: Intro to QI and the PH QI 101 Program: January 19th @ 2pm
Objectives:
 Get to know your colleagues and the QI 101 faculty
 Define QI and its importance in public health
 Provide an overview of the QI 101 program and the QI methods used
b) Webinar 2: What are We Trying to Accomplish?: February 4th @ 2pm
Objectives:
 Describe the components of an aim statement
 Discuss example project aim statements
 Develop a project aim statement for QI project
c) Webinar 3: Using QI Tools to Understand What Changes We Can Make: February 18th
@2pm
Objectives:
 Discuss the importance of going and seeing the process that is to be improved


Conduct an observation walk and develop a map to better understand the target
area of improvement
Discuss logistics for Workshop 1
WORKSHOP 1: March 9th – 11th
Location: Raleigh, NC
Target Audience: QI Project Team (Optional Attendance: IQIC and Health Director)
Workshop Objectives
 Continue to learn and apply QI methods and tools
 Develop an action plan to test multiple change ideas in local agencies
 Discuss strategies for creating a culture of continuous QI within local agencies
 Discuss strategies and tips for building effective teamwork and communication within and
between local agencies
HEALTH DIRECTOR CALL: March 15th @ 10am
Target Audience: Health Director
Call Objectives: Discuss team progress and how to support your team moving forward
ACTION PERIOD CALLS
Three monthly webinars to hear progress and discuss issues
Target Audience: Health Director, QI Project Team lead, IQIC, DPH nurse/program consultants , and
team members
AP Call 1: March 31st @ 2pm
AP Call 2: April 14th @ 2pm
AP Call 3: April 28th @ 2pm
WORKSHOP 2: May 11th – 13th
Location: Raleigh, NC
Target Audience: (Optional Attendance: IQIC and Health Director)
Workshop Objectives:
 Reflect on experience, celebrate successes, and share lessons learned
 Gain a deeper understanding of how to use QI tools
 Describe the components of sustainability and spread and develop a plan to sustain and
spread improvements throughout agency
 Reflect on the experience in the QI 101 program and provide ideas for improvement
HEALTH DIRECTOR CALL: May 17th @ 10am
Target Audience: Health Director
Call Objectives: Discuss team progress and how to support your team moving forward
FOLLOW-UP CALL: June 16th @ 2pm
Target Audience: Health Director and QI Project Team
Call Objectives:
 Reflect on progress post-workshop 2
 Discuss sustainability/spread plans
 Discuss and problem solve barriers
ACTION PERIOD
Quality Improvement 101
On-Site Lean Kaizen Event (Rapid Improvement Event)
4 Day Event
Location: Local Health Department
Kaizen Events
Kaizen improvement events are one of the tools used in Lean to create and implement change. They are
about empowering and unleashing the creative power of people on the front-line, who are the ones that
actually perform the work, to create a more effective and efficient process. By focusing on creating the
right process, one will achieve the right results. Kaizens are formalized, focused rapid improvement
events conducted over a fixed duration (usually two, three, or four days) that organizations use to
achieve dramatic improvements and progressively shift their culture. Cross-functional teams are formed
and trained to indentify waste and “see the flow” of a process. The teams learn to make improvement
in a methodical way as they design, test, and implement solutions, monitor improvements, and then
make adjustments as needed. By empowering those who know the work intimately to design the new
process, the process becomes highly efficient, with excellent buy-in and ownership from staff. Elevated
employee morale is most often a by-product of a Kaizen, as many times the new processes eliminate
activities that often frustrate those who perform the work. After an event, the success becomes
infectious as employees share their excitement with others in the organization thereby establishing a
pool of ambassadors creating a shift in culture. The Kaizen Event activities include:
Day 1 (9:00 am-4:00pm)
 Map the current process (Value Stream Map)
 Prioritize waste observations for improvement
 Create sub-teams to address top waste issues (minimum 2-3 people per team)
 Divide and Conquer
Day 2, 3 (9:00-am-4:00pm)
 Plan-Do-Study-Act Process (each waste activity)
 Make changes to process
 Perform pilots or tests of change
 Evaluate/verify the change and make corrections as needed
 Quantify the results
 Repeat the above cycle until the team meets goals
 Daily: meet with sponsor(s) and stakeholders to review progress, share next day’s plan, seek
guidance
Final Day (9:00-noon)
 Wrap up team activity
 Document the “after” state with photos
 Finalize kaizen newspaper (action list)
 Team members develop presentation for report out session
 Conduct management report out session
 Set follow-up ground rules (e.g., team meetings, responsibilities)
 Celebrate team accomplishment
Figure 2: Lean Kaizen Event Overview
FIRST DAY
KICK-OFF:
We get these
PD/GOALS
Goal
s
We measure progress
Driver
with these
/Event
Measures
DAYS 2, 3 OR 4
MAKE CHANGE
LAST DAY
MAKE CHANGE
Ojectives
We do these
Countermeas
(LM
ures
Tools)
REFRESHER
TRAINING
REVIEWPROGRESS
TO-DOLIST
MAKE THIS THE NEW
STANDARD
REVIEWPROGRESS
TO-DOLIST
SUMMARIZE AND
CELLEBRATE
EVENT SUMMARY
GOALSANDRESULTS
DOCUMENT
REALITY
VERIFY CHANGE
MAKE CHANGE
QUANTIFY
RESULTS
ID THE
WASTE
TO-DOLIST
PLAN
COUNTER
MEASURES
TOOLS
S
R DRIVERMEASURE/
E COUNTERMEASURE
V
IR
MATRIX
D
TEAM
LEADER
MEETING WITH
CONSULTANT
TO-DOLIST
TEAM
LEADER
MEETING WITH
CONSULTANT
DO IT AGAIN!
Table 1: Summary of Methods and Tools Taught in the QI 101 Program






















Model for Improvement (method)
Lean principles (method)
Aim statements and SMART goals/objectives
Project Charters
Measurement plan and data collection tools (e.g. time studies, surveys, checksheets, etc.)
Visual display of data (bar charts, pareto diagrams, run charts)
Gemba Walk
8 Types of Waste
Value Stream Map
Fishbone Diagram
5 Whys
Brainstorming
Qualitative data (focus groups, surveys, etc.)
General Change Concepts
Impact Matrix
Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles
Functional Flow Diagrams
Spaghetti Diagram
Standard Work
5S-Workplace Organization
QI Spread and Sustainability plans
QI Culture and Infrastructure Components (based on Kotter’s 8 Steps of Change Model)