{"id":24277,"date":"2025-04-03T09:13:39","date_gmt":"2025-04-03T13:13:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/?page_id=24277"},"modified":"2026-01-06T10:57:27","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T15:57:27","slug":"department-of-medicine-quality-and-patient-safety","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/education-2-2\/department-of-medicine-quality-and-patient-safety\/","title":{"rendered":"Department of Medicine Quality and Patient Safety"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Welcome to the Department of Medicine\u2019s (DOM) Quality and Patient Safety (QPS) website!<\/strong> Led by Vice Chair Lisa Caruso MD, MPH, our robust QPS team works closely with Boston Medical Center\u2019s (BMC) Department of QPS to lead initiatives that support high-quality, safe, equitable, efficient patient centered care for our community. \u00a0We aim to follow a \u201cjust culture\u201d that insures faculty, trainees, staff and students feel safe to report and discuss quality and patient safety concerns.\u00a0 We proactively engage in identifying and reporting safety events and contribute to creating a high-reliability organization. \u00a0Our strong educational program and Quality Improvement (QI) mentorship for faculty support QI skill development around the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Model for Improvement used throughout the hospital system in making sustainable change.<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Quality Recognition<\/strong><\/h5>\n<p>Institute of Health Care Improvement designation of Boston Medical Center as an <strong><em>Age Friendly Health System \u2013 Committed to Care Excellence (<\/em><\/strong><em>AFHS highest level of recognition<strong>) <\/strong><\/em>led\u00a0 by the DOM Quality leader &#8211; Lisa Caruso MD, MPH<\/p>\n<h5><strong>Examples of System Wide Quality Initiatives Led by DOM <\/strong><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li>Creation of a Mortality Dashboard to signal opportunities for inpatient care teams with the ability to filter by location, age, gender, race, language, and observed\/expected ratios<\/li>\n<li>Development of EPIC Secure Chat and Paging Guidelines which incorporate escalation pathways to ensure effective clinical communication<\/li>\n<li>Development of a Dobhoff Tube Placement\/Nasogastric Feeding Guideline, training video, order set, and a dashboard for monitoring guideline compliance<\/li>\n<li>Designed and supported a Palliative Care Extender Team to the Emergency Department during BMC\u2019s COVID Response. <em>(<\/em><em>Shankar, KN, J Dugad, S Jaiprasert, L Nentwich, <strong>L Caruso,<\/strong> <strong>D Whalen, <\/strong>A Dobie, P Macip Rodriquez, S Rao, S. Mitchell. Evaluation of an Emergency Department Palliative Care Extender Program on Hospital and Patient Outcomes .West J Emerg Med 2023 May; 24(3):637-643<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Quality and Patient Safety Educational Opportunities in the Department of Medicine\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">BMC Internal Medicine Resident Curriculum<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nBMC Internal Medicine Resident Curriculum<strong>&#8212;<\/strong>Led by Drs. Shaleen Chakyayil and Lisa Caruso, the QPS curriculum spans the PGY1 and PGY2 years introducing patient safety in Year 1 followed by experiential learning using the IHI Model for Improvement and faculty-mentored, resident-driven QI projects in Year 2. Residents can attain BMC QI Hub certification based on the quality of their projects and number of PDSA cycles completed. Projects for AY25 were:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Increasing distribution of naloxone to patients with substance use disorder discharged from BMC<\/li>\n<li>Reducing 24h readmissions to the MICU for patients transferred out to the floor<\/li>\n<li>Improve dosing and timing of diuretic dosing in first 24h or admission in patients with heart failure<\/li>\n<li>Increasing completion of Health Care Proxies in Crosstown Primary Care<\/li>\n<li>Reducing inappropriate antibiotic allergies for patients admitted to General Medicine teams<\/li>\n<li>Improving turn-around-time for venous blood gas testing for floor patients<\/li>\n<li>Increasing Fib-4 screening in patients in Endocrinology Clinic<\/li>\n<li>Increasing referrals to cardiac rehab for patients admitted with heart failure<\/li>\n<li>Increasing screening for microalbuminuria in patients with diabetes in Crosstown Primary Care<\/li>\n<li>Reducing the use of high potassium snacks for patients with hyperkalemia on 7E<\/li>\n<li>Reducing the use of unnecessary telemetry<\/li>\n<li>Reducing C Diff infections using contact precaution education for visitors<\/li>\n<li>Increasing the use of zolendronic acid for patients admitted to medical teams with fragility fractures<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">QIPS Specialty Pathway<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nInternal Medicine residents interested in more intensive QPS training can apply in Year 1 to join the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/im-residency\/categorical-training-program\/pathways\/\" style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (QIPS) specialty pathway<\/span><\/a> coordinated by Drs. Lisa Caruso and Shaleen Chakyayil. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/span><br \/>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Chief Residents Morbidity &amp; Mortality Rounds<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nChief Residents Morbidity and Mortality Rounds is presented monthly to review patient safety events and discuss system changes to prevent similar future events. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Quality Chief Resident Opportunity<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nEach year a BMC Internal Medicine Chief Resident serves as Quality Chief Resident at the Veterans Administration Hospital in West Roxbury to improve care and foster quality improvement opportunities for Internal Medicine Residents during their VA quality and patient safety elective.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Clinician Executive Fellowship in Quality and Patient Safety<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nDirected by Dr. Nicholas Cordella, this program is a 1 year funded post-residency administrative fellowship in QPS. The goal is to train leaders in clinical quality improvement for future operational roles in department or hospital quality. Eligible applicants are current BMC based house staff\/chief residents in their last year of training. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">BMC QI Hub<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nJointly supported by the BMC Department of Quality and Patient Safety and the Boston University Barry M. Manuel Continuing Medical Education Office, the <span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cme.bu.edu\/qihub\" style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\">QI Hub<\/span><\/a> <\/span>is BMC Health System\u2019s educational home for continuing professional development in quality improvement.\u00a0 The QI Hub not only supports BMC\u2019s Improvement Leadership Academy but also provides opportunities for attaining QI certification at four levels of achievement based on participating in or leading QI projects at BMC \u2013 Bronze, Silver, Gold and Diamond. In addition, it provides consultative services to faculty interested in feedback on their QI initiatives. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Improvement Leadership Academy<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nA five-month course led by Natalie Sanfratello and Dr. David Yuh of the QI Hub, this program is open to clinical and non-clinical BMC mid-level leaders to learn the IHI Model for Improvement and apply QI skills to projects designed to close quality gaps in their departments. DOM Faculty include Drs. David Yuh, Lisa Caruso, Nick Cordella, and Shaleen Chakyayil.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Patient Safety Grants<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><br \/>\nEach year the BMC Department of QPS awards several Patient Safety Grants of up to $25,000 open to all BMC staff for well-developed QI projects aligned with BMC priorities. Each grant cycle is for one calendar year beginning October 1, 2025. Applications are due September 20, 2025. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Chobanian &amp; Avedisian School of Medicine Student Opportunities<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dr. Lisa Caruso supports selected second year student LEADS curriculum projects with QI methodology.<\/li>\n<li>Drs. Lisa Caruso, Nicholas Cordella, David Yuh, Charlie Williams, Cheryl McSweeney and Ms. Emily Jansen teach the pre-third year \u201cboot camp\u201d patient safety module focusing on hospital quality goals and creating a \u201cjust culture\u201d in medicine.<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Lisa Caruso is the faculty director of the popular Quality Improvement 1 and 2 electives for fourth-year medical students.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<br \/>\n<div class=\"bu_collapsible_container \" aria-live=\"polite\" data-customize-animation=\"false\"><h4 class=\"bu_collapsible\" aria-expanded=\"false\"tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\">Opportunities to Showcase Quality Work<\/h4><div class=\"bu_collapsible_section\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>PGY2 End of Year QI Presentations<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/research\/evans-dept-of-medicine-research-days\/\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\">Evans Research Day<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li>BMC\u2019s Patient Safety Week<\/li>\n<li>National Meetings such as IHI Forum<\/li>\n<li>Submission to quality journals<br \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><span style=\"color: #008000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol><\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Key Faculty Members<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"120\" class=\" wp-image-24398 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-550x550.png 550w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-710x710.png 710w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Caruso.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.bu.edu\/Lisa.Caruso\"><strong>Lisa Caruso, MD, MPH<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nClinical Associate Professor<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"120\" class=\" wp-image-24404 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-550x550.png 550w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-710x710.png 710w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Whalen.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.bu.edu\/Deborah.Whalen\"><strong>Deborah Whalen, MS<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nClinical Associate Professor<\/p>\n<p><span><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"120\" class=\" wp-image-24401 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-550x550.png 550w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-710x710.png 710w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Cordella.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px\" \/><\/strong><\/span><span><strong><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.bu.edu\/Nicholas.Cordella\"><strong>Nicholas Cordella, MD, MSc<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<\/span>Assistant Professor<\/p>\n<p><span><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"120\" class=\" wp-image-24399 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-550x550.png 550w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-710x710.png 710w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Chakyayil.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px\" \/><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.bu.edu\/Shaleen.Chakyayil\"><strong>Shaleen Chakyayil, MD<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n<\/span>Assistant Professor<\/p>\n<p><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"120\" height=\"120\" class=\" wp-image-24405 alignleft\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-550x550.png 550w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-710x710.png 710w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/files\/2025\/04\/Yuh.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 120px) 100vw, 120px\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/profiles.bu.edu\/David.Yuh\"><strong>David Yuh, MD<\/strong><\/a><br \/>\nAssistant Professor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome to the Department of Medicine\u2019s (DOM) Quality and Patient Safety (QPS) website! Led by Vice Chair Lisa Caruso MD, MPH, our robust QPS team works closely with Boston Medical Center\u2019s (BMC) Department of QPS to lead initiatives that support high-quality, safe, equitable, efficient patient centered care for our community. \u00a0We aim to follow a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20392,"featured_media":0,"parent":9124,"menu_order":12,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20392"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24277"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24388,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24277\/revisions\/24388"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/medicine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}