Clinical Fellowships

Significant changes in delivery and financing of health care present both a challenge and an opportunity to improve patient care. The Yale Department of Anesthesiology Quality and Safety Fellowship provides opportunities for the fellow to rapidly acquire a comprehensive understanding of quality and safety and to apply this knowledge by creating practical solutions to real-world problems. Because teams of providers must work within a health care system, the core curriculum includes a systems-based approach to healthcare delivery and patient safety.

The fellow will be integrated into ongoing safety programs and will simultaneously be encouraged to acquire theoretical understanding through independent study and auditing relevant courses within the university. It is anticipated that after completing the fellowship, the individual will assume a leadership role as a patient safety officer or quality manager and make continuing intellectual contributions to the field.

Although a safety fellowship is not yet recognized by the ACGME, the curriculum is structured to meet ACGME core competencies. The fellow will be expected to work clinically in the operating room one day per week, and will be permitted to take a limited number of “incentive” shifts to supplement his or her income. The curriculum will be tailored to the individual needs and interests of the fellow, but will include the science and structure of error analysis, quality, metrics and data analysis, and the design and implementation of systematic data driven performance improvement.

One third to one half of the fellow’s time will be focused on learning and teaching safety concepts during scheduled meetings, seminars, and workgroups. The fellow is expected to facilitate healthcare improvement through interaction with the existing multidisciplinary quality management infrastructure of the Yale New Haven Health System. The fellow will be given the option of taking two years to complete the program, in which case he or she will be expected to complete the Yale University coursework necessary for a Masters in Health Science degree.

In addition to the required coursework, the candidate for the masters degree will be asked to defend a thesis of original work in the broad field of quality and safety. Past fellows have contributed new knowledge to the areas of safety education, judging competence and prevention of medication errors.

Fellowship Specifics

• Duration of Fellowship:
• Number of Fellows:

More Information

If you are interested in learning more about the Anesthesiology Quality and Safety Fellowship, please contact the Program Director:

Fellowship Coordinator
Email: Anesthesiafellowship@yale.edu

Robert Lagasse, MD
Email: robert.lagasse@yale.edu