Successful leaders in quality must do three things.  First, and most importantly, they must have sound leadership skills to drive change and inspire others.  Second, they must be adept at leading process improvements. Finally, they must have a deep understanding of quality, safety, and regulatory affairs. Put another way, quality leaders need to be able to lead people, projects, and programs. 

Leading People: 
The fellowship commences with the Foundations in Healthcare Leadership (FHL) program, a 4-day, in-person course. FHL introduces 14 core leadership competencies, which are augmented by 12 months of longitudinal 1-on-1 coaching to ensure graduates have the skills to expertly lead others. 

Leading Projects: 
Next, fellows participate in the 2-day, in-person, Improvement Academy (IA), which guides them through the completion of a significant quality improvement (QI) project. IA introduces the novel IHQSE Model for Change, which combines the technical, adaptive and implementation skills necessary to successfully execute and sustain a QI project. The program includes 6 months of post-course 1-on-1, virtual coaching focused on successful implementation of the model at the fellow’s home institution. 

Leading Programs: 
Finally, the fellows complete the Quality Systems Leadership (QSL) program, a bi-monthly live, interactive, virtual series introducing the necessary knowledge and skills to build and lead quality programs. Topics include how to build a quality infrastructure, public reporting, value-based payment, regulatory affairs, data analytics, interacting with executive leaders, and understanding the internal and external drivers for quality and safety. This series will equip participants with the knowledge and skills to align their quality and safety work with larger organizational strategic priorities. 

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Program Details & Application

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Ideal Candidates
Any physician, advanced practice provider, nurse, administrator or other healthcare professional who is looking to grow their knowledge, skills and expertise in quality, safety, and healthcare leadership.  

2026 Dates

The 2026 cohort runs from October 2025 to September 2026 and includes the following sessions. 

Quality Systems Leadership
October 2025 -  June 2026 (virtual, 3 hours every other month)
QSL will occur in October, December, February, April, June & September

Foundations in Healthcare Leadership
October 14 - 17, 2025 (in-person)
Includes one year of 1-on-1 virtual coaching

Improvement Academy
January 21 - 22, 2026 (in-person)
Includes six months of 1-on-1 virtual coaching

In-person sessions will be held on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Denver

Price
$7,999

Questions? Please don't hesitate to reach out to us! ihqse@cuanschutz.edu