Are you struggling to get a quality improvement project off the ground?

As healthcare professionals, we don't formally get taught the business and quality improvement skills needed to successfully plan & launch a quality improvement project.

What if you had these?

  • Business Skills

    Making the business case for change. Applying marketing & sales principles to improve project buy-in.

  • Quality Improvement Skills

    Designing & executing a root cause analyses. Rationally discovering, prioritizing, and selecting solutions. Preparing for sustainability.

Let us help you on your journey

At CQUINS, we are obsessed with making, supporting, and promoting excellent quality improvement practitioners. The Quality in Healthcare Consultancy is an innovative partnership between the Schulich School of Medicine and the Ivey School of Business. In our program, you will receive the best teaching that each has to offer.

Why is this our most innovative program?

  • Interdisciplinary

    Speakers from both the business and medical sectors provide teaching grounded in real life experience. Participants from both sectors learn in interdisciplinary groups.

  • World-Class Speakers

    The speaker lineup from each discipline includes world-class experts who are internationally renowned and published for their works.

  • Structured

    A step-by-step project scaffold provides participants with guidance through each step of the QI project process.

Course Format

The course centers around a longitudinal quality improvement project of your choosing. Content is then delivered throughout the year from September to May, with participants applying concepts directly to their project.

  • Six online modules, each consisting of online videos plus 1-2 live webinars

  • A guided project charter to provide structure through the QI project process

  • Each project group consists of regulated health professionals/administrators+ 3-4 Ivey business students

Curriculum Overview

Module 1a: Introduction to Quality Improvement

Module 1b: Project Selection and Problem Definition

Module 2a: Root Cause Analysis – Part 1

Module 2b: Root Cause Analysis – Part 2

Module 3: Solution Generation, Prioritization, and Selection

Module 4a: Improvement Science – Part 1

Module 4b: Improvement Science – Part 2

Module 5a: Measurement for Improvement

Module 6a: Sustainability and Spread – Part 1

Module 6b: Sustainability and Spread – Part 2

Module 6c: Final Capstone Presentations

Time Commitment & Key Dates

Live sessions are  from 6pm to 8pm every other Tuesday on the dates listed above.  In addition are the following key dates:

December 9, 2025: Mock Boardroom Pitch Presentations

March 31, 2026: Capstone Project Presentations 

Instructor(s)

Course Director

Andrea McInerney

Andrea is a skilled healthcare senior leader with more than 20 years of experience in government, primary, community, and acute care sectors. As a results-driven leader, she specializes in driving positive change for staff, patients and families. Andrea serves as the Director of LHSC’s Project Management Office (PMO) where she is responsible for supporting the successful execution and monitoring of LHSC’s highest priority strategic projects. Andrea also leads the Strategic Redevelopment program following her lead role in the development and submission of LHSC’s Master Plan to ensure hospital capacity and infrastructure meets London’s rapidly growing and changing needs. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University; a Master of Science in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety from the University of Toronto’s Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME); her black belt in Lean Six Sigma (LSSBB), and is a Certified Health Executive (CHE) with the Canadian College of Health Leaders. Committed to the development of future health care leaders, Andrea serves as Co-Director for the Schulich Ivey Healthcare Consultancy program within the Centre for Quality, Innovation and Safety (CQuINS) at Western University. Andrea holds an adjunct professorship at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, and is an adjunct lecturer at the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME), at the University of Toronto.

Course Director

Elaine Tang

Elaine Tang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery, Division of General Surgery with cross appointment to the Division of Critical Care Medicine at Western University. She completed medical school and General Surgery residency at Western University, followed by a Critical Care Medicine fellowship at Western University and a Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship at McGill university. She was awarded a MSc in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety from the University of Toronto. Clinically, Elaine has an interest in minimally invasive abdominal wall reconstructions and complex hernia repairs. Her academic interests include end-of-life care and prehabilitation in surgery.