The Centre for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (CQuIPS)
is a joint partnership between the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine and three of its major teaching hospitals, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, the Hospital for Sick Children (‘SickKids’) and Women’s College Hospital. The University constituted CQuIPS as an extra-departmental unit (‘EDU’), defined as a flexible, multidisciplinary entity organized around emerging areas of research and teaching that span traditional disciplines.
Our vision
Everyone striving for better health outcomes for all
Our mission
To accelerate and deepen the work of people and organizations that are passionate about enhancing quality and patient safety
Leadership team
Our team of clinicians, researchers and other professionals work together to run the Centre’s many activities and manage relationships with our partners, learners and members.
Core members
CQuIPS core members are University of Toronto faculty members with research or educational activities that align with the mission of the Centre. Core members are participate in Centre educational and research activities in a consistent and robust manner. They frequently lead and/or teach for CQuIPS education programs, present at symposia and/or collaborate on research projects with other members of the Centre. They may also supervise CQuIPS education program participants.
Affiliated members
CQuIPS affiliate members are University of Toronto faculty members with research or educational activities that align with the mission of the Centre. They help advance the mission of the Centre through research or education when opportunities arise, but their collaboration in research or educational activities with the Centre is more ad hoc. Affiliate members often attend CQuIPS events and may occasionally be asked to collaborate on a research project, provide a lecture in one of the Centre’s education programs or present at rounds or symposia.
Membership
General membership is offered to anyone who has demonstrated interest in quality improvement or patient safety. General members are included on the CQuIPS mailing list and invited to CQuIPS events.
External reviews and progress reports
As an extra-departmental unit (EDU) of the University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, CQuIPS has engaged in both a five-year and a ten-year standard external review process. Both reviews were extremely positive demonstrating the exceptional progress of the Centre. Over its first 10 years, CQuIPS demonstrated phenomenal productivity in terms of the number and diversity of QI trained health professionals from multiple disciplines and scholarly output. The Centre has moved beyond the proof of concept phase since its value has been clearly established in terms of contributing to continuing professional development in quality and safety along the continuum of health professions education.
Organizational structure
CQuIPS is an extra-departmental unit (EDU), defined by the University as a flexible, multidisciplinary entity organized around emerging research and teaching areas that cut across traditional disciplines and departments. The University constituted CQuIPS as an EDU:C, meaning that we do not appoint faculty members or admit students. Consistent with the model for other multi-departmental academic units at the University of Toronto, the governance of the Centre for Patient Safety consists of an executive committee and an advisory council.