Quality Improvement, Patient Safety & Leadership

The Quality Improvement, Patient Safety, and Leadership Distinction Pathway aims to provide a focused and hands-on experience to internal medicine residents to help them (1) understand the practical application of improvement science in health care, (2) engage in safety event reporting and analysis and 3) learn to lead teams through change effectively. This skill building is accomplished through interactive educational sessions, participation in a mentored longitudinal quality improvement project, and independent self-study.

QI and patient safety skills are highly sought-after in healthcare. The ability to execute successful change initiatives, lead teams, understand and improve from adverse events or patient safety concerns are desirable and translatable skills that can be applied across a career. These skills are valuable whether they are utilized at the bedside or in any number of leadership positions. During residency , there is often limited structured time for longitudinal training in quality improvement (QI) and patient safety. It can therefore be challenging to independently navigate QI opportunities to find projects of interest or pursue well-thought-out project ideas that are designed for successful launch and navigation. Similarly, limited opportunities to consistently engage residents in safety event reporting and analysis can contribute to limited skills in this important area of education. Furthermore, there is often a lack of structured mentorship in process improvement, which may increase frustration, and reduce engagement with QI activities.

This distinction pathway is hence designed to improve access to effective and experiential learning needed to grow a trainee’s skills in QI and patient safety. Participants will become part of an inclusive, supportive community that is reflective of the environment in which QI is practiced. The goal is for QIPSL pathway graduates to feel confident in their abilities to lead effective teams and change initiatives at any level, from a single site to the entire health system. Residents are encouraged to apply during PGY-1 and PGY-2 years.

Distinction Domains

Education

QI education sets the knowledge base for a practical journey in health system improvement science. The residents participate in an annual GME Health Equity, Patient Safety, and Quality Improvement (HEPSQI) Boot Camp and QIPSL distinction-specific monthly evening educational sessions that are offered in-person and through virtual formats. The HEPSQI Boot Camp covers the foundational concepts in process improvement while the distinction specific educational sessions provide additional skill building opportunities in the realm of QI, safety, and team leadership. All monthly educational events include structured time for 2-4 residents to briefly present their QI work in progress using visual abstracts and receive feedback. Roster of presenting residents is determined at the start of each academic year starting with senior PGY-3 residents. Additionally, there are makeup options for asynchronous self-study of Boot Camp sessions and assigned modules from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School in the event where attendance at a live session is not feasible.

Engagement in QI Activities

In this experiential educational component of the distinction, residents apply the improvement methodology they learned by participating in a mentored long term QI project during the residency. Frequent mentor check-ins and project feedback in real-time help solidify the key principles of implementing change.

Requirements

Requirements for this distinction fall under two categories.

Education in QI/Patient Safety and Leadership:

Participation in the HEPSQI, 5-session fall QI Boot Camp hosted by Yale GME office, which runs annually between fall-winter. Asynchronous Self-study options offer an alternative for make up when attendance at the live session is not feasible.

Participation in the monthly evening distinction specific educational sessions

Submission of patient safety events through the health systems reporting process.

Participation in a simulated or actual safety event review.

The fall HEPSQI Boot Camp and asynchronous and didactic content together set the knowledge foundation for the residents to start their longitudinal QI work. The evening sessions provide additional knowledge that they can apply to their QI project and develop skills in safety event reporting and analysis. Residents have the option to log their distinction requirements in shared online folders.

Longitudinal QI Project

This constitutes the experiential part of the distinction in which residents learn to select and progress through a mentored QI project using a combination of IHI and Lean methodology. While the applications to the distinction are accepted on a rolling basis, residents are expected to explore potential projects and mentors by the fall of PGY-2 year to allow them sufficient time to launch their project by late winter-early spring of the PGY-2 year and conduct tests of change. Residents receive guidance to help them reach their project milestones and stay on track.

PGY-3 residents are expected to submit their QI project as an abstract to the annual spring GME-wide QI night and any other health system wide process improvement conference. Presentation at local, regional, or national meetings or manuscript writing is encouraged but not required.

Additional Skill Building Opportunities

Residents interested in additional QI and patient safety activities beyond the QIPSL distinction requirements are encouraged to reach out to their QIPSL faculty advisor. These activities may include, for example, participation in health system committees or work groups, shadowing health system leaders, or other opportunities of interest.

Resources

All resources, including project work templates, QI tools, PowerPoint presentations, and other helpful tools, are shared via online folders.

Calendar of Events (AY 2026-2027)

Monthly Evening Sessions, Exact Dates TBD

August 2026: In-person Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: Medical Economics, Guest Speaker

September 2026: In-person Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: New Resident Welcome, Review of Distinction, Project Scoping, QI Surveys, QIPSL Leadership Team

October 2026: Virtual Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: HEPSQI Boot Camp 1, HEPSQI Faculty

November 2026: Virtual Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: HEPSQI Boot Camp 2, HEPSQI Faculty

December 2026: Virtual Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: HEPSQI Boot Camp 3, HEPSQI Faculty

January 2027: Virtual Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: HEPSQI Boot Camp 4, HEPSQI Faculty

February 2027: In-person Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: Clinical Team Training, QIPSL Faculty

March 2027: Virtual Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: Accessing Health Systems Data for QI: JDAT, Slicer Dicer, VA systems and Beyond, YNHH and VA Faculty and Staff

April 2027: In-person Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: Using Human Factors Engineering Principles in QI, QIPSL Faculty

May 2027: Virtual Session
Resident Work in Progress Presentations
Featured Topic: Using Just Culture, Systems and Human Factors Principles to Analyze Patient Safety Events, CRQS and QIPSL Faculty

June 2027: In-person Session
Featured Topic: Final presentations by Graduating Residents and Graduation Ceremony

Local and Regional Conferences to Submit QI work, AY 2026-2027

Connecticut Chapter ACP
American College of Physicians
October 23, 2026
Aqua Turf Club, Southington, CT
Abstract Submission deadline , August 21, 2026

Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) New England Regional Meeting
November 7, 2026
New Haven, CT
Call for Submissions Opens: June 5, 2026
Call for Submissions Closes: July 22, 2026

National Conferences to Submit QIPS Work, AY 2026-2027

Innovations in Medical Education Conference
TBD likely in May 2027
Virtual Conference

National ACP Annual Conference
American College of Physicians
April 15-17, 2027
Submissions deadline: TBD Nov 2026
Los Angeles, CA

National SGIM
Society of General Internal Medicine
May 5-8, 2027
Submissions deadline: TBD likely in early 2027
Seattle, WA

Resident Testimonials

“Being part of the QIPSL pathway has been a highlight of my training. The monthly meetings have genuinely supportive energy. Everyone engages with each other's projects, and you always leave feeling motivated. The didactics are thought-provoking in the best way, pushing you to question assumptions and think more critically. And the mentorship is invaluable when it comes to getting your own project off the ground. I'd recommend QIPSL to anyone looking to grow as part of a community that truly invests in your development”.

Bahar Ardestani, MD, current PGY-3

"The QIPSL Distinction provided me with QI methodology training, mentorship, and research opportunities, allowing me to approach process improvement with confidence and grow into leadership roles as I progress in my career."

Maha Inam, MD, current PGY-3

“Through the QI Distinction Pathway, I learned a framework for turning clinical challenges into opportunities for meaningful improvement. The mentorship and community of residents passionate about improving patient care gave me the support to create sustainable, systems-level change. This experience has shaped the way I approach medicine, and I will continue to build on these lessons throughout my career”.

Casey Wizner, MD, recent PGY-3 graduate, 2026

"Participating in the QIPSL distinction pathway was a meaningful part of my residency experience. Though all residents get a primer in QI methodology, the members of QIPSL graduate with an impressively mature understanding of QI science and Patient Safety. QIPSL hosts well-attended and lively sessions with experts in the health system and in the field and closely supports residents in their individual QI projects. There were ample opportunities to receive feedback on our QI work in informal and formal settings. If I could do residency again, I would pick QIPSL!"

Cecily Mcintyre, MD, recent PGY-3 graduate, 2026

“I chose the QIPSL distinction pathway to learn more about how to make change possible at a systems level. The distinction showed me a structured way to approach problems starting with asking, “Is this actually a problem?” and ending with figuring out a way to make our efforts last. I had the opportunity to learn alongside like-minded individuals and see what we were all about to accomplish."

Christina A Cotte, MD, recent PGY-3 graduate 2026 and current Chief Resident, VA Center of Education

“Participating in the Quality Improvement, Patient Safety, and Leadership pathway has been one of the most impactful parts of my residency training. The program provided me with the knowledge, mentorship, and practical experience to approach clinical challenges through the lens of quality improvement and systems thinking, fundamentally changing the way I practice medicine. It helped me discover that improving the systems in which we deliver care is one of the aspects of medicine I value most and has shaped my long-term career goals in quality and patient safety. The skills I developed through the pathway prepared me to step confidently into my role as Chief Resident for Quality and Patient Safety, where I continue to build on the foundation established by the program. Most importantly, I know naturally incorporate quality improvement principles into my framework whenever I encounter problems in clinical practice, viewing them as opportunities to improve processes, enhance patient care, and create more reliable systems for both patients and healthcare teams."

Rose Gedeon MD, recent PGY-3 graduate 2026 and current Chief Resident in QI and Patient Safety

"The QIPS Resident Distinction Pathway transformed the way I think about healthcare improvement. My project focused on improving Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) data collection at the VA, which highlighted the importance of health equity and high-quality data in patient care. Through mentorship, structured learning, and hands-on project work, I learned how to identify system-level challenges, engage stakeholders, and implement meaningful changes that continue to influence my work today. I would highly recommend the program to any residents interested in making a meaningful impact on patient care and healthcare systems."

Bill Hines, recent PGY-3 graduate, 2025 and immediate past Chief Resident in QI and Patient Safety

Distinction Leadership

Faculty Leads
Naseema Merchant, MD, FACP
Michelle Hughes, MD

Resident Leads
Bahar Ardestani, MD
Maha Inam, MD

Chief Resident Lead
Rose Gedeon, MD