Health System Transformation and Leadership

Overview

Purpose

The Health System Transformation and Leadership Distinction Track prepares students with advanced expertise in patient safety, quality improvement, interprofessional team-based care and population health, with emphasis on leadership and developing skills in change management through enhanced training and applied experiences at the clinical systems level.

Participants in the LINC Scholars program will graduate with a distinction in Health System Transformation and Leadership. For more information on the LINC Scholars program, click here.

Objectives

1. Demonstrate Patient Safety/Quality Improvement principles and practices through participation on PS/QI committees/taskforces and mentored experiential learning projects.
2. Conduct an analysis and critique of health systems and apply quality improvement change principles to individual and populations health needs during small change projects at the clinical systems level.
3. Apply innovative health systems leadership principles to population health and patient care as patients move from community to acute care to maintenance care (acute care hospital setting, ambulatory practice/medical home, long-term care, mental health care, etc.).
4. Demonstrate interprofessional core competencies including team science and collaborative practice skills to the health care environment.

Overarching Distinction Track Leadership Objectives

1. Identify how your core values impact your leadership style and philosophy
2. Engage in purposeful self-improvement
3. Build and lead a team toward achieving a common goal
4. Demonstrate effective change management skills to help lead needed improvements in an organization or community
5. Model how to communicate professionally as a physician-leader

Required Activities

M1 Year

Jan-May

1. Apply and interview for Distinction Track program
2. Attend orientation for summer immersion

June-July

1. Participate in a summer immersion program in the summer following the M1 year
   1. Participate in a combination of didactic, online, and experiential learning experiences during an 8-week summer program. This experience includes clinical practice exposure to provide the context for discussions about clinical quality improvement and patient safety.
   2. Partner with an assigned faculty mentor to begin to design and participate in a health care quality improvement project to be completed during the M2-M4 years.
   3. Submit an abstract and create a poster to present at Brody School of Medicine Medical Student Scholarship Forum.

M2 and M3 Years

1. Participate in LINC Scholars longitudinal learning activities (Includes online, independent, and face to face components; includes approximately 6 formal LINC sessions per year)
2. Meet with faculty mentor and participate in longitudinal quality improvement project
3. Complete and submit all assignments and progress reports on-time.

M4 Year

1. Participate in LINC Scholars longitudinal learning activities (Includes online, independent, and face to face components; approximately 6 formal LINC sessions per year)
2. If not complete, continue ongoing PS/QI activities as the project extends throughout the M4 year.
3. Complete and submit assignments and progress reports on-time.
4. Complete a required, two-week M4 Health System Transformation and Leadership Capstone Elective.
   1. Students will work with their LINC Scholars Mentor to finalize the capstone project. Approval is required from the Health System Transformation and Leadership Track Evaluation Committee. The student will be expected to continue with ongoing activities such as literature review, manuscript, and additional data collection, as well as working to sustain and spread of improvement project within clinical setting.
   2. Participate in the didactic, online, independent, and face to face activities required as part of the Capstone course.
5. Complete a manuscript describing your QI project that is of quality suitable for publication according to guidelines for QI reports
   1. Submit your project to the Unified Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Symposium.

Completion of Requirements

Students must complete all requirements listed above prior to graduation. Final approval by the Health System Transformation and Leadership Track Evaluation Track Committee is required for graduation with distinction. Track participation is contingent upon maintenance of good academic standing.

Presentation of Longitudinal Quality Project

1. The student will be required to submit the project for presentation.
2. Students are encouraged to submit their work for presentation at local/state/national meetings with the approval of the mentor. Financial travel support will be provided through an application process when available.
3. Prepare the results of QI project according to publication guidelines for QI reports

Acknowledgement of track participation is contained in the MSPE letter and noted on the student’s transcript, contingent upon demonstration of acceptable progress towards program requirements. The MSPE letter concerning student’s track participation will contain a description of completed, current, and expected requirements. Successful completion of the track requirements will be noted on the student’s transcript and will be recognized during the senior awards and graduation programs.

Application Process

1. Students submit an application that identifies their interests and goals.
2. Students must be in good academic standing in order to apply for the track.
3. Selections will be based on application and interviews.