Quality Improvement Led by the director of Inpatient Quality Improvement for the Department of Medicine and the Division of Hospital Medicine, the quality improvement efforts have led to positive changes throughout the health system. Our hospitalists lead projects to improve delivery of care, participate in committees to reduce hospital-acquired conditions, and champion efforts to improve measures like length of stay and readmissions. We also lead hospital-wide efforts to improve transitions of care and transfers from other health system locations and are involved in departmental and hospital-wide peer review committees. Multiple hospitalists have participated in year-long internal and external quality improvement fellowships with associated projects. Hospitalists also teach quality improvement to medical students and residents and administer the Department of Medicine’s Excellence in Quality Improvement Grant for trainees. Our physicians publish on informatics research and lead national quality improvement groups such as the Society of Hospital Medicine’s Quality Improvement Special Interest Group. Examples of Quality Improvement Projects led by Hospital Medicine Include: Improving glycemic control among hospitalized patients Decreasing wait times for transfers into Montefiore Medical Center Improving length of stay Decreasing unexpected operating room cancellations Decreasing wait times for insurance acceptance into nursing facilities Increasing appropriate thiamine usage among patients who use alcohol Decreasing inappropriate C. difficile tests Improving communication with consulting services Enhancing appropriate billing & feedback Optimizing venous thromboembolism prophylaxis on internal medicine services
