The Clinician Fellowship in Health Care Quality program supports the development of clinician leaders as part of our mandate to build capability and expertise for patient safety and quality within BC’s health-care system. It develops the leadership skills required to improve the quality of care while fostering a growing network of leaders to further promote a culture of improvement throughout the system.
About the Fellowship
The Clinician Fellowship in Health Care Quality offers an integrated learning experience for physicians and nurse practitioners. Fellows will bring forward an improvement project related to one of our Health Quality BC priority areas and will take part in activities to advance their project aims. This includes attending stakeholder meetings; supporting the dissemination and publication of key findings; contributing their clinical and academic expertise and learning from a dynamic team with diverse backgrounds.
Fellows also receive mentorship from experienced clinical and administrative leaders who have led large-scale improvement efforts in the health-care system. Fellows are embedded in our team for a full year, working alongside our staff and clinical leads on initiatives focused on health-care quality. They take part in decision-making processes and strategies while gaining exposure to different aspects of health-care administration, improvement science, and stakeholder engagement.
Framed within a customized learning plan, fellows will engage in a mix of formal and informal activities to build their network of scholars, researchers, and senior leaders in the health system. In doing so, fellows will build improvement skills as well as leadership, change management and organizational awareness that are important to implementing sustainable change.
The Fellowship Experience
Objectives
The fellowship supports physicians and nurse practitioners to build knowledge, skills and confidence to:
Fellowship Activities
Deliverables
Areas of Focus
A key part of matching potential applicants to fellowship opportunities is identifying initiatives that are aligned with our strategic objectives. For 2024-25, these include the following:
Effective Mental Health and Substance Use Care
We are supporting efforts to increase access to effective care for opioid use disorder in primary and acute care settings, focusing on increased initiation and maintenance of appropriate treatment and support in communities across BC.
Reduce potentially inappropriate use of antipsychotics in long-term care
In collaboration with health system partners, we have focussed efforts to promote evidence-based, person-centered care in long-term care homes across BC, focusing on minimizing the use of antipsychotic medications where they may not be necessary or appropriate.
Advance a culture of safety and learning for patient safety
We are interested in using a data-driven approach to better define safe care, and understand where there are gaps in patient safety across the province. Then, in collaboration with subject matter experts, we will identify promising techniques to address them.
Integrate restorative approaches to care for all patients and families
We are dedicated to fostering a culture of healing, learning and accountability within our healthcare system. Our initiative aims to support and empower healthcare leaders to embed and use restorative strategies and processes, enabling clinicians to use these practices to address systemic inequities and unequal power dynamics to promote healing and learning within Indigenous communities and beyond. We seek to increase awareness and understanding of how both clinicians and patients can benefit from a Restorative Approach as a means to prevent and heal from harms that occur in providing and receiving healthcare.
Facilitate and enable team-based care models across BC
Team-based care (TBC) is a model of health-care delivery that sees a diverse spectrum of professionals working together for the needs of patients and caregivers. HQBC supports conversations between partners involved in team-based care and establishes collaborative opportunities to develop resources for integrating TBC into their primary care practices. Our goal is to facilitate the implementation of TBC to improve care by creating better teamwork, engaging communities, and empowering staff, as possible steps shown to advance the way we deliver comprehensive health services in BC.
Timeline & Application Process
Who Should Apply?
The fellowship program is open to physicians and nurse practitioners that are practicing in BC and is best suited for early-career clinicians with a demonstrated interest in improving the quality of care. Ideal applicants will have some understanding and involvement in improvement initiatives and/or formal training in quality improvement through programs such as the Clinician Quality Academy, Physician Quality Improvement or IHI Improvement Advisor initiatives. Paramount will be an interest in becoming a leader of large-scale initiatives to improve the quality of care.
Exciting New Partnership for 2024
In partnership with the Rural Coordination Centre of BC, we will be recruiting for a fellow who is focused on rural health care for one of our opportunities this year. This is in addition to our two fellowship positions each year.
New for 2024: In partnership with the Rural Coordination Centre of BC, we will be recruiting for a fellow who is focused on rural health care for one of our opportunities this year. This is in addition to our two fellowship positions each year.
How do I apply?
To apply, please submit the application form by June 7, 2024 11:59 pm PDT and include the following:
1. A letter of interest outlining:
- motivation for applying
- Interest in health care quality improvement, as well as describing how this fellowship will meet your professional goals; and
- Health Quality BC initiative(s) of interest and related experience.
2. Abbreviated CV
3. Two professional references
Shortlisted applicants will be contacted to arrange an interview. All applicants will be notified of their application outcome once the fellows for this year are selected.
Fellowship Commences: Successful applicants start their fellowship in September 2024
Commitment & Funding
Physician fellows are compensated at the sessional rate defined in the Physician Master Agreement for two sessions per week, and other clinicians will be funded at an hourly rate for up to 7.5 hours per week.
This is equivalent to one day per week dedicated to fellowship activities and we anticipate that there will be flexibility in the scheduling of this time. It will also be adjusted based on the needs of the initiative to which they are contributing, clinical schedules and other personal and professional commitments.
Expenses such as conference attendance, travel related to fellowship activities and professional development opportunities will be funded by Health Quality BC .
Information Sessions
It has been an incredible opportunity with a wide diversity of learning opportunities and project immersion to develop practical skills and learn to utilize different tools and techniques. It has been extremely flexible with self-directed learning while offering support and guidance along the way.
~ Dr. Valerie Ehasoo, 2022 Clinician Fellow
Looking for More Information?
If you have questions about the Clinician Fellowship in Health Care Quality please email us at learning@healthqualitybc.ca.
