Member Stories

IHI Open School Gives Residents Tools to Improve Quality, Patient Safety

When resident physicians find themselves suddenly thrown into the workforce after medical school, they quickly discover the importance of teamwork and leadership. They may begin to hear buzzwords like “quality improvement” and “patient-centered care.” Employers place a premium on these skills, yet these areas are rarely covered in medical school.

That knowledge gap led the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to create the IHI Open School for Health Professions in 2008.

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From NJ Med-Peds Resident to Physician Advisor for a Congressman

By Tony Tarchichi, MD

There’s no question that health care reform will strongly impact the careers of all of us in residency. It’s arguably one of the most important public debates of our lives. Like so many of you, I’ve spent time in a state university hospital which is overrun with patients who cannot afford follow-up outpatient care and end up back in our ER. I’ve seen good people who’ve fallen on hard times who just can’t get the care they need. It’s not right.

Before you think that I’m just another liberal, let me give you a little background information: I’m a registered Republican and very fiscally conservative. I believe in small government, was against the bailouts from the beginning, and have read all of Dave Ramsey’s books. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that a healthy population is a productive population, and we need a productive population to be competitive in this global market. Many of the country’s major businesses—including the recently bailed-out car companies—have said in order for them to be viable, we must do something about our rapidly increasing health insurance costs.

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Lessons from the Past, Shared Ideals for the Future

By Anyka McClain, MD
Within days of media reports that the proposed health care reform bills might exclude a public health insurance option, I was among other physicians and community members meeting with Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr., and civil rights icon and former congressman Walter E. Fauntroy at hearings to advocate for that element of reform.

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Lessons from Cuba: Integrating Community Involvement and Public Health

by Dr. Davida Flattery, DO
“We Cubans live like the poor and die like the rich” said our translator proudly as we stepped onto the chipped, yet exquisitely tiled courtyard of the neighborhood “consultorio”. During a seven day research tour in Cuba, our group of health professionals from Oakland, CA explored how an economically isolated nation has developed an exemplary health care delivery system.

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Sound Mind in a Sound Body–CIR’s Athletes

They treat patients, they study for the Boards, they work 80-hours weeks, and in their free time, they serve as CIR delegates or executive officers. But then, on top of all that, many CIR members somehow find the time to train for marathons or triathlons. How do they do it?

Here’s a look at some CIR doctor-athletes and how they incorporate fitness into their lives.

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Former CIR Leader Opens New Home for Children with Complex Medical Needs

As 8 1/2-year-old Connor Scott Millard neared the end of his lifelong battle with mitochondrial disease, he kept asking his parents to bring him home from the hospital, back to “Connor’s house.” Connor’s parents fought to allow Connor to spend time at home and questioned the medical establishment that said it couldn’t be done due to the complicated equipment and level of expertise needed to care for their son.

Their struggle showed their physician, Dr.Arun Chopra, who had been a delegate and member of the CIR Executive Committee during his residency, just how limited the options are for children with complex needs. He decided to work jointly with the Millards to found a respite house which will be named, fittingly, “Connor’s House.” It will be one of just a handful of respite houses in the United States.

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CIR Member Helps Form Global Physician Corps

When Dr.Arta Bakshandeh, PGY 1 in Internal Medicine at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, was in medical school, there was no formal international program. But that didn’t stop him from expanding his medical education beyond the borders of the US.

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From the Streets of the Bronx to the Mountains of Nepal

When not on the wards and clinics of Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as a PGY2, Bijay Acharya sits on the Board of Directors of Nyaya Health, a unique and innovative non-profit public health organization. Nyaya Health is a collaboration between Nepali and United States public health experts to provide services to the Achham region of Nepal.

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