Learning Opportunities

The Island Health PQI team offers Quality Improvement (QI) education, introductory workshops and a comprehensive Cohort training program to all community-based and facility-based Medical Staff, including licensed Specialists, Family Physicians, Midwives and Nurse Practitioners (Island Health privileges are not required). It is the only QI education program that offers: 

• CPD/CME accreditation and up to $26,700 in funding for community or facility-based physicians licensed in B.C. (158 hours at JCC-rate)
• Engaging virtual and in-person workshops led by an expert faculty team of Alumni physicians and PQI staff
• The opportunity to practice the QI methodology by leading a learning project with a team to address a gap in care in your area – with the support of experienced physician mentors, staff coordinators, graphic designers and data analysts!
• Ability to apply as a group to co-lead a project with a physician, midwife, or NP on your team, or another team that is impacted by the gap in care you’d like to address

Applications for Cohort 9 are now open. Join us for an awesome opportunity to connect with colleagues and learn QI at in-person and virtual workshops across Vancouver Island, starting in September 2024 –  Applications must be submitted online before March 15^th at 4:00pm.

Application package: 

• Cohort 9 Program Overview (including workshop dates and locations)
• Cohort 9 Application Questions Summary - General
•  Cohort 9 Application Questions Summary - Community Based Specialists without Island Health Privileges 

Want to develop skills for improving care quality and provider experience but can't take on a full Cohort project this year? Consider registering for our two-day in-person PQI Fundamentals workshop September 12^th & 13^th at the Tigh-Na-Mara Resort in Parksville. Register before May 31^st by email to PQI@islandhealth.ca. Limited spaces available.

If you have any questions or would like more information please reach out to PQI@islandhealth.ca, we are happy to help!

Introduction to Healthcare Improvement (Self-paced Online Learning)

Interested in learning about QI at your own pace from a world-class institution? We offer free access to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Open School and sessional payments for physicians’ time (five hours online):

1. QI 101: Introduction to Health Care Improvement

2. QI 102: How to Improve with the Model for Improvement

3. QI 103: Testing and Measuring Changes with PDSA Cycles

4. Dr Don Berwick presentation – Overview of QI in Healthcare for BC

Email PQI@islandhealth.ca to request the access to the PQI Group Subscription and for information on the sessional payments for physicians.

 

Quality Improvement Fundamentals (Two-Day In-Person Workshop)

 

Would you like to get involved in improving the quality of care in your area but are not sure how to get started? Have you heard of Quality Improvement but get lost in the jargon? Learn valuable skills and tools designed to empower you and your team to improve job satisfaction and patient care, while connecting with colleagues from across the Island and multiple specialties!

Fundamentals training is CME accredited with JCC-rate sessional funding for fully licensed FPs/SPs. Registration is open to all community-based and facility-based physicians, nurse practitioners, and midwives. Island Health privileges are not required.
 

Please email PQI@islandhealth.ca to be notified about upcoming sessions.  

 

Cohort Certificate Program (Virtual and In-Person Workshops)

 

Are you a member of the Medical Staff with a growth mindset who is passionate about improvement? Would you like to work with a team to address a gap in care in your area? Do you enjoy participating in fun, educational workshops with colleagues from across the island that will give you tools you can apply in real time? Then this is the place for you!   

The Cohort training program is a professional development and education program for community-based and facility-based family physicians, specialists, nurse practitioners and midwives, that pairs medical staff with expert faculty, coaches, and data analysts to learn QI by leading an improvement project (Island Health privileges are not required). It is the only Quality Improvement education program that offers:

• CME accreditation and scholarships of approx. $27,000 in funding (158 hours at JCC-rate) for physicians licensed in B.C.
• Virtual and in-person workshops across Vancouver Island
• The opportunity to lead your own Quality Improvement project with the support of experienced physician mentors, staff coordinators, graphic designers, and data analysts 
• Ability to apply as a group to co-lead a project with a physician, midwife, or NP on your team, or another team that is impacted by the gap in care you’d like to address

 

This Certificate Program runs yearly starting in September. Application submissions for Cohort 9 are due March 15^th, 2024, at 4:00pm. For more information, including workshop dates and locations, check out the Cohort Program Overview

 

Applications can be submitted online here. If you have any questions or would like to talk to someone about the program before you apply, please reach out to PQI@islandhealth.ca, we are here to help!

If you would like to be notified when the next Cohort intake is open or have any questions, please reach out to PQI@islandhealth.ca, we are here to help!   ​

Build Connections with peers across Vancouver Island – a huge part of quality improvement centers around the team. We like to say that QI is a team sport and our program not only allows you to build stronger connections with your local team, but also with your peers across the health authority and the province.

To celebrate the successes from the cohort program, graduates get an opportunity to share their experiences. Expand the headings below and listen to what some had to say:

Cohort 3 – Graduation 2019

Cohort 4 – Graduation 2020

Cohort 5 – Graduation 2021

Cohort 7 – Graduation 2023

Cohort 7 - Graduation Song by Dr. Alex Hoechsmann

Quotes:

“Quality Improvement = Life changing”
- Dr. Marie-Noelle Trottier-Boucher, Pediatrician

“This PQI project was very impactful for many of us at Comox Valley Hospital; the confidence of an entire hospital team grew over the course of the study”
- Dr. Albert Houlgrave, Emergency Physician

For general inquiries, please contact us at PQI@IslandHealth.ca 

Click here to return to the main PQI Page Click here to access the Current Cohort Page Click here to check out another Medical Staff QI opportunity - Good Call Action Series