Kevin Weiss, MD MPH Co-Director, Graduate Programs in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety President and CEO American Board of Medical Specialties Professor of Clinical Medicine Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University Donna Woods, EdM, PhD Co-Director, Graduate Programs in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety Assistant Professor Feinberg School of Medicine Northwestern University "Following the release of the Institute of Medicine's reports, "To Err is Human" and "Crossing the Quality Chasm," there has been a tremendous increase in interest in healthcare quality and patient safety. These reports also resulted in increases in the breadth and complexity of information related to the sciences of managing healthcare quality and patient safety." “There are many problems with the US healthcare system. Only ~50% of patients receive recommended treatments based on the best evidence and deaths due of medical errors related to flaws in the healthcare systems are now the 5th – 8th leading cause of death in the US. There is a growing need for healthcare professionals of all disciplines to master the theory and methods essential for improving quality and patient safety of our US healthcare system"

The Institute for Healthcare Studies, through the Northwestern University Graduate School, offers the following graduate level programs in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety:

Master of Science degree in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety: This program is designed for clinical and non-clinical professionals who want to focus their career development on these important areas in health care. The program is designed for both early and mid-career learners who want to advance their knowledge while continuing to work in the health care system. Graduates from this program will be prepared for leadership positions in healthcare quality and patient safety. This is an 18-month, part-time program.

Faculty Development Program in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety: This program addresses the growing need for healthcare quality and patient safety content to be incorporated into medical education.  The program presents emerging content and skills clinicians need to become effective healthcare quality and patient safety thinkers, practitioners, and innovators.  This program provides a context for faculty to explore and develop the educational tools, methods, and curricular approaches for integrating healthcare quality and patient safety into the medical education curricula. This is a 12-month, part-time program.

Certificate in Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety: Less intensive than the Master's Program, the Certificate Program is designed for both clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals who want to gain a deeper understanding of these important areas. It is ideal for the learner who wants to advance his or her knowledge in these fields without committing to the longer period of study that is required for a Master’s Program. This is a 12-month, part-time program. This certificate can be obtained while living outside the Chicago area