Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program

To effectively meet the demands of the job, Improvement Advisors (IAs) need a solid foundation, advanced knowledge and skills in the art and science of improvement. They also need the ability to work with and coach front-line teams in achieving and maintaining successful changes. IAs communicate effectively with senior management to summarize progress on improvement projects and clearly articulate needed sponsorship and support when projects stall.

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) offers the Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program to help individuals in this critical role build and hone such skills. This richly-packed, 10-month program is an “all teach, all learn” experience that offers:

• The advanced knowledge and skills you need to excel in the art and science
  of improvement
• Instruction on how to use a framework comprising practical skills and
  theory to drive whole system changes
• A collaborative learning environment and actionable ideas that will help you
  achieve maximum results

Each participant is required to direct one or more improvement projects (connected to her or his organization’s business plan) during the program. The project provides a double benefit — a chance to achieve results in an active improvement project and a living laboratory to apply learning. The improvement project may be in any one of three categories:

• Improving quality of care and services
• Reducing costs while maintaining or improving quality
• Expanding patient or customer satisfaction with the development of new
  services or innovative ways of providing existing services

The design of this program allows participants to achieve maximum results by immediately applying the skills they learn to everyday work situations.
It is this combination of theory applied to daily work that makes the Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program unique and provides a foundation for making improvements long after the program is completed.

Health care professionals who are currently regarded as leaders of improvement efforts within the organization and want to deepen their knowledge and enhance their effectiveness in this role should attend this program. Often these individuals hold titles such as:

David M. Williams, PhD, Improvement Advisor, DMW/Austin, is a scholar-practitioner in the science of improvement. He supports individuals and teams in learning the theories and methods of the science of improvement to enhance processes and systems. He works with leaders pursuing Quality as an Organizational Strategy (QOS). He supports IHI’s work as an improvement advisor and is faculty for the IHI Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program. Previously, he was Senior Lead in Improvement Science and Methods at IHI and developed the IHI Chief Quality Officer Professional Development Program. A paramedic by background, Dr. Williams practiced in urban EMS systems for many years and is an expert on paramedic care and emergency medical services systems. 

Rebecca Steinfield, MA, Senior Director and Improvement Advisor, has been with IHI since 1996.  She currently serves as Director of IHI’s Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program, teaches IHI courses on improvement methods, and mentors “improvers-in-training.” Rebecca sits on IHI’s Improvement Science and Methods team and serves as an Improvement Advisor on results-oriented work.

Jane Taylor, EdD, Improvement Advisor and Learning Designer, supports learning collaboratives and innovation projects by providing expertise in improvement approaches and measurement. She has advised collaboratives for both adult and pediatric populations. She is interested in the integration of transformative learning, improvement science, and clinical improvement as well as engaging persons in their care. Jane has an EdD from Columbia University, Teachers College in Adult Learning and Leadership. In her spare time, she plays the violin and is a competitive amateur ballroom dancer. Jane is a trusted friend and colleague to many; a sister, wife and aunt.

Brandon Bennett, MPH, Advisor, Improvement Science Consulting. After serving in Uganda as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer, where he directed a micro-finance program, targeting people living with HIV, Brandon created the Asaph Children Education Fund. This non-profit organization is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to children, helping them to break the cycle of poverty in Uganda. He also spent 5 years as an Improvement Advisor with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), helping to lead their efforts to improve care in low and middle income countries. Since leaving IHI, Brandon continues to serve as a faculty Improvement Advisor on many of IHI’s global initiatives and remains faculty for IHI’s Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program. He has co-authored papers related to quality improvement in low resource environments, and has given numerous presentations on Quality Improvement at conferences around the world.

​Due to the intensity of this program and the work on real improvement projects for the client organizations, the class size is limited.

Registration and pre-program assessments are currently being accepted on a rolling admission. This program usually fills up fast, we, therefore, encourage interested participants to register and send in their pre-program assessments as soon as possible. ​

• IA Application
• IA Knowledge Self-Assessment Form​

Please refer to the Glossary of Terms to complete the self-assessment and read the Improvement Project Selection Guide​ for more information on appropriate project criteria and guidelines.

Please email the completed IA Application and the IA Knowledge and Self-Assessment Form to:​

Elena Origlio, Senior Project Manager
Email: improvementprograms@ihi.org​
Phone: +1 617-391-9946