The goal of the collaborative House Officer Quality Improvement Committee (HOQIC) is to encourage house officer participation in quality improvement projects across multiple training sites and institutions. House officers Claude Pirtle, MD and Eric Wallace, MD, are spearheading the efforts to form this committee of house officers from both Tulane and LSU Schools of Medicine to be able to easily discuss ideas of new and ongoing quality improvement projects. The QI Committee will serve as a voice to house officers, allowing for more discussion and conversation with administration at both institutions and training sites in the QI realm. Additionally, administrators at both institutions and at training sites will have access to resident/fellow ideas of new quality improvement projects and receive updates about ongoing quality improvement projects.
The committee will consist of a total of 28 house officers, with fourteen members from both LSU School of Medicine (LSUSOM) and Tulane School of Medicine. Member selection will be a result of nominations from the EQuIP Steering Committee and the House Staff Association. Members of the House Staff and EQuIP Steering Committees will be able to serve as a members of the House Officer QI Committee, if so desired. The committee will meet the third Thursday of every other month, in the University Medical Center New Orleans conference center. Co-Chairmen and Co–Vice Chairmen of the committee will be delegated by each their respective institutions committee members. A secretary will also be delegated to serve by the committee as a whole. Additional members of the committee will consist of administrative staff from both institutions, including the EQuIP Steering Committee.
QI/PS is an increasing focus for resident education. The ACGME has made it one of its six Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) focus areas, requiring each resident to be involved in a quality improvement project throughout their training. This committee will serve as a way for residents to fulfill this goal and to encourage further participation in quality improvement projects. The committee is not only limited to encouragement, but also education projects and lectures, if deemed fit to help encourage a QI arena.