We are no longer accepting new teams in this Community. If you have questions, please contact impact@ihi.org.

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The Challenge
Every day, in every hospital, critically ill and high-risk patients count on their health care providers for care that is reliable, timely, and error free. Their chances of recovery depend on it. They rely on their medical caregivers to communicate effectively with one another and with them and their families, to respect their wishes and meet their needs with compassion. Unfortunately, current care often falls short of these expectations. In its landmark 2001 report "Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century," the Institute of Medicine describes serious quality gaps in US health care. The report highlights the need for new delivery system designs to enhance system performance.

The Solution
The Improving Outcomes for High-Risk and Critically Ill Patients Learning and Innovation Community is designed to close the gap between what is known and what is practiced, and to establish new systems of care throughout the hospital aimed specifically to provide better support to the most vulnerable patients.

With mounting evidence that reliable, timely and compassionate care for high-risk and critically ill people is achievable, more and more hospitals are seeing the opportunity for fewer deaths, fewer complications, and shorter patient stays. These achievements will bring improved patient well-being, cost savings, and increased pride and hope to the workforce. Several hospitals working with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement through the IMPACT network and the 100,000 Lives Campaign have demonstrated that achieving these aims for high-risk and critically ill patients is within reach. There is tremendous opportunity for hospitals to make these improvements by focusing on specific units in the hospital and also addressing the entire system of care for high-risk and critically ill patients in the hospital.