CAPE Annual Report 2010

Dear Colleagues,

During 2010, the Center for Advancing Pediatric Excellence (CAPE) in the Department of Pediatrics concluded its first full year of curriculum delivery and embarked on its second academic year in true Quality Improvement (QI) form: by analyzing progress, testing changes, making adjustments, and moving forward toward sustained improvement.

CAPE's second year has been marked by increased stability and spread. While our first year necessitated recurring explanations about quality improvement, CAPE, and our activities, our second year witnessed increased inquiries from pediatric residents, faculty, and Levine Children's Hospital (LCH) staff for CAPE support and opportunities to participate in CAPE programs.

Spread is a key factor in the success of any QI endeavor. CAPE cultivated spread in a number of ways during 2010. For example, residents continue to build QI knowledge, with the second year residents currently demonstrating the greatest depth of layered experience. The number of faculty and resident projects cataloged has grown exponentially. The number of faculty QI mentors engaged in delivering our curriculum has increased. CAPE sought grant funding to facilitate new projects, such as patient education materials and techniques. And in an effort to share what we've learned with a broad audience, we began pursuing publishing opportunities during the second half of 2010.

Community benefit continues to be the overriding priority in all of our QI work. After the first year residents' introduction to QI, all subsequent activities are designed to enhance the quality of care for patients, families, and communities. Rather than an isolated educational exercise, each project funnels into the overall system goals and priorities. Of significant note during 2010, the ongoing Open Access & Office Efficiency Collaborative and various projects at Teen Health Connection provided direct benefit to Carolinas HealthCare System's pediatric patients.

The health care industry is poised for monumental change, and QI holds the key to transforming care in this new environment. We invite you to learn more about CAPE and QI through this Annual Report, and encourage you to join us on this journey.