Co-hosted with AMDIS: Differentiation based on Quality: the DeKalb Institute Model

Steve Meurer, MBA/MHS, PhD, Executive Director, DeKalb Quality Institute, and Cynthia Adgate Davis, CIO, DeKalb Regional Healthcare System, Decatur, GA. This presentation will argue that improvements driven by many quality departments are rare and the structure of our quality departments in healthcare is directly responsible. Structuring a hospital or health system for improvements using a Quality Institute model will be illustrated as an effective method for supporting innovation and improvements. A historical perspective on common elements of hospital Performance Improvement Departments will be contrasted with those of the DeKalb Quality Institute. A list of recommendations will be made to assist administrators and healthcare quality personnel in cultivating a Quality Institute. Additionally, the key roles of Information Technology, board level understanding and physician relationships will be reinforced through descriptions of their interfaces with the DeKalb Quality Institute.