Quality Improvement and Patient Safety

Our Commitment to Quality Improvement 

Our program is dedicated to integrating quality improvement (QI) into residency training, ensuring that our graduates are not only skilled clinicians but also effective change agents. Throughout your four years, you will learn and apply the fundamentals of QI to improve patient care and health outcomes. We provide hands-on experience, collaborative projects, and access to leading experts in the field. 

Training and Workshops 

QI education begins in the third year with a dedicated half-day workshop. Led by experts from the University of Colorado's Institute for Healthcare Quality, Safety, and Efficiency (IHQSE), this workshop teaches foundational QI principles. Residents apply this knowledge by designing and leading their own small-scale projects within our Med-Peds Clinic, a unique opportunity to implement change and see immediate results. 

We also offer access to a variety of additional workshops and training sessions to deepen your expertise. These opportunities are part of our broader commitment to fostering a culture of continuous improvement. 

Highlighted QI Projects 

Our residents have led impactful QI initiatives, often in partnership with public health agencies, demonstrating our commitment to addressing health disparities and improving community health. Below are some examples of our work: 

Tuberculosis Screening 

2017-Current: In collaboration with Denver Public Health, our residents led a project to increase latent tuberculosis (LTBI) screening in our high-risk clinic population. This initiative earned national recognition, with residents presenting their findings at major conferences and being invited to share their work with the CDC's TB Division. This work has grown into a multi-site CDC grant led by our Program Director, which aims to improve LTBI screening and treatment in primary care settings. 

Adolescent STI Screening 

2018-2020: Residents partnered with the Colorado Department of Public Health to address low adolescent STI screening rates in Denver. They worked with national QI experts to develop new clinic processes and materials, including patient and parent letters that were adopted by all Denver Health Community Health Centers. This effort laid the groundwork for the universal chlamydia screening program at Denver Health. 

Safe Prescribing Practices 

2020-2021: Working with the Certified Addiction Counselor at the Pena Clinic, our residents completed a project to improve safe prescribing habits for opioids among residents and faculty. This project was a direct response to the rise in opioid-related deaths, highlighting our focus on patient safety and substance use disorders. 

Lung Cancer Screening 

2022-2023: Residents secured grant funding from the UC Health IHQSE to improve lung cancer screening for eligible patients at the Pena Clinic. The project targeted a significant health inequity by focusing on non-white, less affluent, and less-educated patient populations. The work involved implementing an EHR 'quality suggestion' to improve smoking history documentation and conducting provider education sessions. 

Hot Spotting Clinic 

2024-Current:Our residents piloted a "hot spotting" clinic to proactively identify and manage care for high-utilization patients. This initiative teaches residents how to use population health data from the electronic medical record (EMR) to improve patient care and outcomes.   

Patient Safety and Professional Development 

In their fourth year, residents receive dedicated time to focus on patient safety and error disclosure. This culminates in a final project where each resident presents a morbidity and mortality case, applying what they've learned in a formal academic setting. 

We also encourage participation in the a GME Quality & Safety Incentive Program, a rewarding opportunity that recognizes residents for their contributions to improving patient care and safety across our health systems. Residents can earn up to $1000 for participation.