CQuIPS Opens Registration for 2025-2026 Cohort
Applications for the 2025-2026 CQuIPS Education Programs open this month! The Certificate Course in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety, the Excellence in Quality Improvement Program (EQUIP), the VA Quality Scholars (VAQS) Program, and the Healthcare Improvement Fellowship in partnership with Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC) will begin accepting applications as of February 25, 2025.
As a global leader in QI education, CQuIPS has been equipping healthcare professionals with the skills to design, implement, and evaluate improvement initiatives in clinical settings. The impact of these programs is evident in the career trajectories of alumni, many of whom have secured leadership roles as QI directors, academic faculty, and change agents within hospitals and health systems.
“I really found that [the Certificate Program] was very logical for what we were learning. With quality oftentimes you have to learn several different things at once, and then move altogether to the next step. It’s not really linear, but I think [CQuIPS] did a fantastic job with that.” says Erika Hammer, Quality Lead at Oak Valley Health and Certificate Program alumni, a program which surpassed 400 graduates in June 2024.
One of the defining strengths of CQuIPS’ education programs is the breadth of its faculty who foster a dynamic learning environment that emphasizes real-world application of QI knowledge and skills. Course faculty and mentors are clinicians with a track record of executing successful QI initiatives in complex healthcare settings, participants gain insights from some of the most experienced professionals in the field.
New for 2025-2026: EQUIP Expanding with a New Operational Excellence Stream
The Excellence in Quality Improvement Certificate Program (EQUIP), our premier program for academic faculty, senior trainees and health professional leaders working in academic settings, is making a return to in-person learning for the first time since 2020. The first three days will be delivered in person in Toronto, Canada, followed by monthly virtual sessions and a virtual capstone. Also new for 2025-26, EQUIP is adding an operational excellence theme to its focus on academic skills building and equity. This content is being developed in collaboration with faculty from the Armstrong Institute at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
The VA Quality Scholars (VAQS) program celebrated 25 years in 2024 and is designed as a “hub and spoke” model with a coordinating centre at the Houston Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety (IQuESt) at Houston Veterans Affairs (VA) and Baylor
College of Medicine. The 2-year VAQS Program includes weekly meetings as well as a 4-day intensive Summer Institute that includes an abstract competition for participants to present their projects.
Meanwhile, the Healthcare Improvement Fellowship, delivered in partnership with Choosing Wisely Canada (CWC), is geared towards individuals who have completed an advanced certificate or degree and would like to further develop themselves professionally. Fellows have the opportunity to work on an initiative at CQuIPS or CWC and learn with and from other Fellows in the program. Fellows have maintained their connection with CQuIPS and Choosing Wisely Canada, and taken on major leadership positions in quality improvement. For example, Dr. Billy Silverstein who is now a Clinician in Quality and Innovation at the University of Toronto and Teachable Moments Editor at JAMA Internal Medicine. “The Healthcare Improvement Fellowship through CQuIPS and Choosing Wisely Canada was really valuable for myself as I was looking to hone my expertise in resource stewardship, quality improvement, and patient safety. Becoming embedded in the operations of Choosing Wisely and working closely with national leaders in resource stewardship and quality improvement was an exceptional experience”, says Billy.
As a leader in quality improvement and patient safety, CQuIPS continuously establishes innovative approaches and implements impactful QI education programs that are relevant to the learners and cultivate and nurture a new and diverse generation of QIPS scholars and leaders.
Registration Now Open!
Prospective participants interested in applying for the 2025-2026 program year are encouraged to apply early, as spots in these programs are limited.
For more information or to apply, visit our education program pages or check our Program Comparison Chart here.
By: Camille Borromeo Denbigh