The old adage, “form follows function” describes considering the importance of what you are trying to accomplish before you decide how to get there. It is important to remember that you have to have the will to improve, ideas about alternatives to the status quo, and make it real—execute (Nolan, 2007).

In this Discussion, you will describe strategic health care quality initiatives in two organizations attempting to accomplish their goals and objectives in quality improvement. You will also examine the purpose of the initiatives(s) and share the issues and opportunities for improvement, as well as address any elements crucial to improving quality in your health care organization or one you are familiar with.

To prepare:

Read and review the resources in the Learning Resources section as they relate to initiatives in strategic health care organizations.

Select ONE organization from each of the TWO groups listed:

Group I:

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
• Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)

Group II:

• Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
• The Leapfrog Group

The Assignment:

In a 3- to 4-page paper (excluding title page and references):

• Describe strategic health care quality initiatives in two of the organizations. Compare and contrast the purposes of the initiatives.
• Analyze strategic quality issues and opportunities for improvement within the two organizations.
• Evaluate which elements of the initiatives are crucial to the quality-improvement opportunities of your health care organization or an organization with which you are familiar.

Note: Your Assignment must be written in standard edited English. Be sure to support your work with at least five high-quality references, including two from peer-reviewed journals. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Walden Students to ensure that your in-text citations and reference list are correct. This Assignment will be graded using this rubric: Week 4 Assignment Rubric (PDF). Your Assignment should show effective application of triangulation of content and resources in your conclusion and recommendations.

20% plagiarism or lower

Resources:

https://www.nist.gov/baldrige

http://www.ihi.org/resources/pages/ihiwhitepapers/highimpactleadership.aspx

http://www.ihi.org/Pages/default.aspx

http://www.leapfroggroup.org/

http://www.ismp.org/

https://www.ahrq.gov/

Joshi, M. S., Ransom, E. R., Nash, D. B., & Ransom, S. B. (Eds.). (2014). The healthcare quality book: Vision, strategy, and tools (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
Chapter 4, “Quality Improvement: The Foundation, Process, Tools, and Knowledge Transfer Techniques” (pp. 83–107)

Griffith, J. R. (2015). Understanding high-reliability organizations: Are Baldrige recipients models? Journal of Healthcare Management, 60(1), 44–61.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

May, E. L. (2013). The power of zero: Steps toward high reliability healthcare. Healthcare Executive, 28(2), 16–18, 20, 22.

Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.