Being a CIR member has already had a huge impact during my brief time as a resident. Through our union, we managed to secure a very large raise for PGY-1s in our most recent contract negotiations. CIR is also an important liaison between residents and the senior hospital leadership and has helped to resolve several important issues which have directly translated to improved patient care. I’ve seen our union play a huge role in the launch of several new quality improvement initiatives. Finally, through our Patient Care Fund, I’ve witnessed residents procure millions of dollars worth of state of the art medical equipment which otherwise would have been unattainable. This equipment has helped our hospital to become more safe and more efficient and ultimately deliver improved patient care. These achievements through CIR have proven it to be an indispensable organization that we depend on as resident physicians.
I’ve learned that as residents, we can still have a huge impact on hospital operations, healthcare policy and most importantly, patient care if we act collectively.
While CIR is a national organization with profound reach, my primary goal is to to help CIR grow at the local and hospital level. While all of our members know that CIR exists, not all are familiar with what we do and our organizational capabilities. Boosting awareness and participation at our member chapters are going to be huge priorities for me.
In my first 9 months as a CIR member, I have played an active role in my hospital advocating for my fellow residents as a leader of negotiations with the County of Los Angeles, and for patients through the “Patient Care Fund” by helping to procure new equipment which has directly led to improved patient care. Over the next year, I seek to continue my work advocating for residents and patients not just at my own hospital, but for all of the residents in my region and the patients that we treat.
CIR plays a large role in resident learning, whether it be by hosting local or and national events, sponsoring our attendance at conference, or funding quality improvement projects. As someone deeply passionate about healthcare systems innovation, I plan to take advantage of CIR’s QI and Patient Safety Initiatives in order to enhance my own learning, and share my experience with other residents. I have joined my local chapter’s QI Steering Committee, and later this year I will attend CIR’s Patient Safety Roundtable as a Telluride Scholar. I know that my involvement in CIRs educational programs will only grow over time, which will ultimately help to make me a better physician.
