Unified Quality Improvement Symposium highlights projects focused on patient experience
The seventh annual Unified Quality Improvement Symposium was held on Feb. 1 at Eastern AHEC, showcasing 30 projects related to quality improvement, patient safety, population health and interprofessional practice at ECU Health.
Nearly 140 participants attended the hybrid symposium, during which academic and community physicians, health professionals, health care teams, residents, fellows and students at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University had the opportunity to present their work in systems improvement and practice redesign to an audience of peers and health system leaders.
Michael Waldrum, CEO of ECU Health and dean of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, speaks with attendees at the Unified Quality Improvement Symposium on Feb. 1 at Eastern AHEC in Greenville. (Photos by Jenni Farrow)
Accepted presentations were divided into three categories: podium, poster and works-in-progress poster presentations.
Awards for podium and poster presentations were given, and included:
Best podium presentation
- First place: Emily Downs, M4, LINC (Leaders in INnovative Care) Scholar, “Increasing Utilization of Mental Health Resources by Adolescents Screening Positive for Depression and Anxiety at the ECU Pediatric Diabetes Clinic”
- Second place: Pranaya Pakala, M2, “Choosing Labs Wisely: Using the EPIDEM Model to Reduce Unnecessary Laboratory Testing at ECU Health System”
- Third place: Nonye Onokalah, M4, LINC Scholar, “Addressing Immunization Gaps: Improving Rates of Immunization Among Adolescents for Routine, Recommended Vaccines”
Best poster presentation
- First place: Serena Mooney, M3, LINC Scholar, “Improving Parental Knowledge of the Status of Medically Complex Neonates through Scheduled Conferences”
- Second place: Atif Mahmood, M4, LINC Scholar, “Improving EMS Handoffs: Using the ‘IMIST-AMBO’ Mnemonic to Provide Standardized Structure and Organization”
- Third place: Taylor Stamey, M2, Service-Learning Scholar, “The Use of Community Ambassadors Increases Covid-19 Vaccination Rates in West Greenville, NC”
Serena Mooney, a third-year student at the Brody School of Medicine, showcases her poster presentation at the Unified Quality Improvement Symposium.
Mooney, a third-year student at Brody, placed first in the poster division and said events like the symposium help shape future providers who are equipped to create systems-level, sustainable change that will positively impact patient care.
“Quality improvement is so important because it lets those who work in the health care system find ways to make it more efficient, safer and ultimately better for patient care,” Mooney said “It is so rewarding to be a part of a positive change and to hear directly from patients about how their care was improved. This event provided a space to learn about QI projects across the ECU Health system and share ideas to better our own projects.”
Jenna Garris, program administrator for the distinction track program and Teachers of Quality Academy program for the Brody School of Medicine, said the symposium provided students an opportunity to explore ways to improve the patient experience.
“Medical students are the physicians of the future,” Garris said. “It is important for them to engage in quality improvement to learn the systems and processes to improve healthcare delivery for the patients they will serve.”
The symposium also offered two concurrent education sessions:
- “Landing the Plane: How to create a Great Pilot!”— Amy Campbell, Ph.D., RN, CPHQ, LSBB/Quality Nurse Specialist III, ECU Health and Mary Catherine Turner, MD, FACP, FAAP, ECU Department of Pediatrics, led participants in an interactive workshop introducing the Model for Improvement, a common framework for quality improvement in health care.
- “Healing for the Healers: Cultivating a Culture of Resiliency” — Rebekah Rogers, Ph.D., part-time Faculty for Leadership Studies Minor, ECU, engaged attendees in a discussion about the importance of wellbeing among health care professionals, providing self-care techniques to limit the risk of burnout and promote resilience.
View the day’s presentations and learn more about the symposium.