Certificate Program

Leaders in healthcare quality along with patient safety scientists and policymakers will introduce students to the history, theory, and methodology of quality and safety in healthcare settings. Through readings, interactive exercises, and discussion, students will learn about the challenges of behavior change, public policy drivers of quality improvement, high-risk contexts for error occurrence, methods for risk assessment, and other key areas in improving quality and safety. Students will also analyze the roles of varied healthcare stakeholders in building a safer healthcare system.

This course analyzes the important stakeholders in the United States health industry, how they interact with one another, and how managers can successfully create and deliver value to key stakeholders. It presents and integrates analyses of patients (and those who advocate for them), providers, pharmaceutical and device manufacturers, government, and payers. Under instruction by Joel Shalowitz, MD, MBA, the author of The U.S. Healthcare System: Origins, Organization, and Opportunities, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the industry as it stands today and how it came to be. 

Students will engage in critical thinking focused on advancing public policy, quality improvement strategies, and medical delivery models that improve the quality of healthcare. Leading national patient safety scientists will offer instruction in advanced theory, content, and skills to develop a level of mastery in the field of patient safety. Course readings and discussions will reflect a deep understanding of metrics for quality and safety and how to implement major improvement strategies. Students will be able to work with simulation tools to develop and run scenarios with safety theory and skills in various healthcare settings and within the context of communication across transitions.