Teachers of Quality Academy 5.0

On May 13, 2021, the Teachers of Quality Academy (TQA) program welcomed their fifth cohort of 28 scholars from ECU and Vidant Health. TQA is led by Dr. Timothy Reeder, Department of Emergency Medicine, and is jointly sponsored by Vidant Health with Vice President of Community Hospitals Lou Reida serving as the executive sponsor for the program. The program, which began in 2014, is a professional development program designed to provide health professions clinicians and educators with the skills necessary to practice, model and teach the new competencies of Health Systems Science: patient safety, quality improvement, systems thinking, population health and team-based care. Participants in TQA are selected based on their potential to become change agents in these competencies. TQA provides advanced training toward achieving a greater capacity to design and implement quality improvement activities and to apply these skills across the health system. Additional training in leadership of self and others, and leading change are included so participants can continue to advance the culture change needed to transform the delivery system.
The fifth iteration of the program required a slight adjustment in the structure and delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than hosting six full-day, in-person sessions, the sessions have been increased to 12 half-day sessions delivered virtually with the intent to transition to in-person when safe to do so. The curriculum delivers concepts of Health Systems Science taught in an authentic setting using an experiential design. By designing experiences that span the continuum of professional development in the context of clinical microsystems with other health care professionals, learning is augmented, and participants are better prepared to meet real-world challenges. “We are excited to launch the next cohort of the Teachers of Quality Academy. Building on the foundation of the prior 114 graduates, these outstanding participant with help transform our health system and learning environment,” Reeder said. “With the training from TQA, they will be empowered to lead ECU and Vidant Health into the future.”

TQA 5.0 Quality Improvement Projects

Participants	Quality Improvement Project
Doug Schiller & Jackie Keesee	Critical Care Fast Pass - Reducing time from the ED to the ICU
Leslie Peedin & Lindsey Gieselman	Stop the Bleed
Juan Guillen-Hernandez, Ann Sanderson, Mathew Johnason	Optimizing the timing and collection of the State Mandated Newborn Screen in the NICU
Michelle Brownstein, Kenji Leonard, & Lindsey House	Alphabet Rounds in SICU: ABCDEF Bundle Phase One
Kim Alford & Allison Schiller	Team Science in the EM Clerkship
Nicole Toney & Nick Theodoseau	Using Standardized Workflow in Triage to Improve Urine Collection Times on Patients with Urinary Symptoms
Matthew Chovaz & Tyler Dunmire	Team Member Satisfaction
Lee Johnson & Koai Martin	To decrease the number of patients with a HGBA1c >9% by 10% in one year in VPG Internal Medicine Kinston.
Marsha Moore & Aparna Thombare	Decrease Red Blood Cell, Plasma and Platelets wastage by 75 % in the cardiovascular(CV) operating rooms due to improper storage
Beatriz Ramirez & Michelle Herrmann	Hypoglycemia Blood Glucose Recheck Compliance at ECU Health
Jonathon Firnhaber & Amy Sachs	Improving hypertension management in the population served by ECU Family Medicine
Sarah Leonard & Chelsea Rivenbark	Use of Pain Action Plans for Adolescents and Young Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

2022 TQA 5.0 Recognition Ceremony