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University of Washington

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What is IHI Open School?

IHI (Institute for Healthcare Improvement) Open School is a free, multidisciplinary school to advance skills in patient safety and quality improvement, open to students from all health-related professional disciplines. 

University of Washington Chapter

The IHI Open School UW Chapter is a student organization on the University of Washington campus. It seeks to promote ways to improve patient safety and quality of care, to recognize the importance of interprofessional collaboration in both education and practice, and to provide a venue for networking. 

How will participation benefit me?

  • Boost your skills in patient safety and quality improvement through free classes, clinical simulations and shadowing experience with like-minded students, faculty, and employers.
  • Partner with local healthcare organizations that work with underserved populations on patient safety and quality improvement projects.
  • Get a full or partial scholarship to attend IHI’s annual National Forum, where you’ll network with nearly 7,000 movers and shakers in health care improvement — including 200 students like you (scholarships are available on a first-come first-serve basis).
  • Access IHI Open School’s monthly On Call audio conferences and web-based events featuring the best minds in health care.
  • Publish work in peer-reviewed journals and on IHI’s website.

Our Faculty Advisors

Past Activities

  • A Patient Safety & Clinical Quality Panel Discussion (Video)
    featuring John Nance
  • 2010 IHI Advanced Case Competition (Case and Presentations)
    by Erin Abu-Rish, Lapio Choe, Betty Harrill, Jessica Mosely, Joanna Preker and Tracy Yep 
  • 2010 IHI National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care (Poster)
    by Erin Abu-Rish
  • In Pursuit of Perfection: The Virginia Mason Story (Video)
    by  Gary Kaplan and Charlene Tachibana
  • Pharmacy Student Panel (Presentation)
    by Nicole Campbell, Karen Craddick, Steve Erickson and Tracy Yep

Current Activity

  • Project CHANCE (Chapters Helping Advocate for Needy Communities Everywhere)
    Interprofessional health science students from the University of Washington were awarded $10,000 from the American Pharmaceutical Association’s Project CHANCE (Chapters Helping Advocate for Needy Communities Everywhere) in April 2011 for their proposal to work with Seattle’s Pioneer Square Clinic. The Pioneer Square Clinic is an urban Seattle clinic serving low- to no-income adult patients who may be homeless. Clinic services include: acute and primary care, referrals to specialty services, psychiatric care, podiatry, and nutrition services. Disease states commonly encountered are hypertension, diabetes, COPD and asthma, substance abuse, and mental illnesses. By using a multi-tiered approach composed of patient education, community resource referral, and point-of-care problem-solving (e.g.,providing medication reconciliation, medication procurement, helping address vision challenges in administering insulin, etc.), the student group  is working to optimize patient outcomes and prevent future adverse events.