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Health Quality Council Blog

The Health Quality Council Blog features resources, stories, and tips on quality improvement, measurement, analytics, skill-building, and collaboration in health and health care to help you accelerate improvement in your work.

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Enhancing care through Quality Improvement: Debbie Barabash’s journey 

Courtney Schick
November 30, 2023

At 3sHealth, the pursuit of continuous Quality Improvement (QI) has been the driving force of motivation for everyone

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One in five Canadians is retirement age. Is our healthcare system ready?  

Justine Cleghorn
October 26, 2023

For many of us, that means more quality time spent with family and a deeper sense of fulfillment

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Join the Community QI Collective and enhance support for older adults

Courtney Schick & Justine Cleghorn
September 28, 2023

As our population evolves, so must our approach to meeting their needs.

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2022-23 in review: A message from HQC’s CEO

Tracey Sherin
August 17, 2023

Our CEO Tracey Sherin reflects on 2022-23.

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2022-23 in review: A message from HQC’s board chair

Dr. Susan Shaw
August 11, 2023

Our board chair Dr. Susan Shaw reflects on 2022-23.

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Caring for culture at HQC: Second Edition

Shasta Lysohirka
July 17, 2023

Learn more about how HQC is working to become more culturally responsive from our Improvement Lead Shasta Lysohirka.

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Using driver diagrams to tackle wicked problems

Lesley Porter and Doug Campbell
May 15, 2023

A wicked problem is a problem, issue or dilemma that is seemingly impossible to solve. Learn more about driver diagrams, how we can use them to map out wicked problems and work towards a solution.

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Process mapping: Seeing the bigger picture

Lesley Porter and Tami Waldron
April 19, 2023

Process maps allow you to visually plot out processes, tasks and workflows. Learn more about how they help with quality improvement.

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Lots to love about quality improvement after 20 years

HQC staff
February 23, 2023

HQC marked a special milestone in late 2022—its 20th birthday. Amidst the celebrating was an opportunity to reflect on our humble beginnings, our progress in quality improvement (QI) over two decades and our ambitions for the future.

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Reflections on QI learnings from CQIP’s fifth cohort

HQC STAFF
January 19, 2023

Twelve improvement leaders graduated from CQIP’s fifth cohort in June 2022. Learn more about their improvement projects in Saskatchewan’s health care system. 

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Best of 2022: QI Power Hour sessions

HQC Staff
December 16, 2022

Whether you have had a chance to attend any of our webinars from this year or not, we have rounded up our top four sessions of 2022 for you to check out!

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Fishbone diagrams: Finding cause and effect

Lesley Porter
November 22, 2022

Learn more about this useful evaluation tool used to map out root causes in processes.

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More than just a paper size: The A3 as a powerful problem-solving tool

Andrea MacKay
October 19, 2022

Learn about the A3, a powerful problem-solving tool, and its place in A3 thinking.

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Caring for culture at HQC

Tracey Sherin
September 23, 2022

Learn more about how HQC is working to become more culturally responsive from our CEO Tracey Sherin.

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From Saskatchewan to Scandinavia: Best practice learnings in quality improvement and senior care from Sweden and Denmark

Tracey Sherin and Suelen Meira Goes
September 8, 2022

CEO Tracey Sherin and researcher Suelen Meira Goes reflect on their learnings and experiences on the other side of the globe.

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2021-22 in review: A message from HQC’s CEO

Tracey Sherin
August 11, 2022

Our CEO Tracey Sherin reflects on 2021-22.

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2021-22 in review: A message from HQC’s board chair

Dr. Susan Shaw
August 9, 2022

Our board chair Dr. Susan Shaw reflects on 2021-22.

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Ten reasons why Saskatchewan physicians and clinicians should enroll in CQIP

Lesley Porter
July 21, 2022

If you’re in a clinical environment and interested in QI, here are some reasons why you should enroll in CQIP.

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The benefits of working across sectors to solve complex health problems

Lesley Porter
May 18, 2022

Learn more about intersectoral collaboration and how working across sectors can provide new insight on complex health issues.

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Sharing the wisdom of quality improvement: 11 tips and tricks from HQC’s in-house QI experts

Christine Booth
May 4, 2022

HQC’s quality improvement (QI) experts share their top tips and tricks for success to help you on your quality improvement journey.

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Workplace drama got you down lately? Flipping the Drama Triangle might be the solution

HQC Staff
March 9, 2022

Learn more about the Drama Triangle and how you can use it to flip the roles and reduce the drama in your personal and work relationships.

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Best Practice: All about panel reports in Saskatchewan

Lesley Porter
February 15, 2022

What is a physician panel report, how are they used and how can they improve quality in the health system?

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The top 4 QI Power Hour sessions of 2021

HQC Staff
December 13, 2021

Whether you have had a chance to attend any of our webinars from this year or not, we have rounded up our top four sessions of 2021 for you to check out!

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Reflections on QI learning from CQIP’s fourth cohort

HQC Staff
October 20, 2021

Eighteen improvement leaders graduated from CQIP’s fourth cohort in January 2021. Learn more about their improvement projects in Saskatchewan’s health care system. 

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2020-2021 in review: A message from the Health Quality Council CEO

Tracey Sherin
August 12, 2021

Read a message from our CEO, Tracey Sherin, as she discusses the Health Quality Council’s highlights and achievements in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

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2020-2021 in review: A message from the Health Quality Council’s Board Chair

Dr. Susan Shaw
August 10, 2021

Read a message from our Board Chair, Dr. Susan Shaw, as she shares her observations about the work in the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

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Navigating the evidence on essential care partners during COVID-19 and beyond

Malori Keller and Mallory Clarkson
June 30, 2021

We discuss the Essential Together program, evidence and recommendations for integrating essential care partners, and steps health care organizations and facilities can take to reintegrate essential care partners.

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What is quality improvement, anyway?

Chelsea Schwartz
May 31, 2021

What exactly is QI or quality improvement? Glad you asked! Quality improvement is the framework used to systematically improve processes and systems. In this post we explore the definition of QI, its applications, and more.

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HQC-recommended quality improvement podcasts for on-the-go improvement leaders

HQC Staff
May 4, 2021

Here’s are some of our favourite podcasts to learn more about quality improvement, leadership, determents of health, and patient safety.

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9 tips for measurement for improvement in health and health care

HQC Staff
May 3, 2021

Successful measurement is a cornerstone of successful improvement. The key is to pick the right measure or set of measures. In this post we outline nine tips to help simplify your measurement journey.

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Getting past the hype to discover the power of coaching

Jennifer Klatt
February 2, 2021

A coaching conversation directs and drives the other individual towards action. It’s about maximizing the potential within somebody. Learn more about the power of coaching and what it can do for your organization.

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Plan-Do-Study Act Cycles: A problem-solving tool for improvement work

Mallory Clarkson
January 5, 2021

The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle is a powerful approach you can use to make effective change happen. Learn how easy it is to implement improvements in your life by using these small tests of change.

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The top 5 QI Power Hour sessions of 2020

HQC Staff
December 14, 2020

We know you may have been busy dealing with 2020 and all – so if you didn’t get a chance to check out the QI Power Hour webinars offered this year, don’t fret! We’ve rounded up the greatest hits from this year, in order of popularity.

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What are work standards and how can they build a foundation for improvement?

Mallory Clarkson
November 30, 2020

How do you create a work standard? Why should you document your processes into work standards? This post will help you make the most of standardizing your work processes.

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How to de-escalate conflict with the Ladder of Inference

Glenda Beauchamp
November 5, 2020

Have you ever made an assumption about someone based on your interpretation of their behaviour? If you can relate, then you’ve likely experienced the Ladder of Inference. Learn how to avoid misunderstandings – both personally and professionally.

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What is Choosing Wisely?

Mallory Clarkson
October 27, 2020

Learn about the international campaign to help clinicians and patients engage in conversations about unnecessary tests and treatments and safer care.

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Five reasons to adopt more simulation learning in health and health care

Shari Furniss
September 23, 2020

Learn about the benefits of simulation learning methods to help bridge the wide – and often overwhelming – gap between learning and doing in the workplace.

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Six tools and tips for working remotely: the Working Remotely Toolkit

HQC Staff
August 26, 2020

Our QI Power Hour team put together some webinar sessions full of remote work tips and tools to help you capitalize on the pros of working remotely and to help you manage the cons.

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Reflections on virtual care in Saskatchewan and maintaining high-quality care

Mallory Clarkson
August 19, 2020

The use of virtual care in health care delivery saw a definite increase in the wake of COVID-19. What does this mean for patients and providers?

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2019-2020 in review: A message from the HQC CEO

Tracey Sherin
August 12, 2020

Read a message from our CEO, Tracey Sherin, as she discusses the Health Quality Council’s highlights and achievements in the 2019-20 fiscal year.

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2019-2020 in review: A message from the HQC Board Chair

Dr. Susan Shaw
August 10, 2020

Read a message from our Board Chair, Dr. Susan Shaw, as she shares her observations about the work in the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

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Charting a course for team success: The team charter

Chelsea Schwartz
March 23, 2020

Trying to manage different perspectives and ideas can lead to friction, and at worst, interpersonal conflict amongst team members. What if you could set your team up for success and reduce the likelihood of your team slumping into unproductive negative team dynamics?

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25 examples of QI in Saskatchewan: Learnings from CQIP Cohort 3

HQC Staff
March 9, 2020

Twenty-five improvement leaders graduated from CQIP’s third cohort in May 2019. Each participant carried out an improvement project, completing it as an improvement leader who is skilled at facilitating, coaching, and teaching QI to others.

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How to use different types of data and measurement to get on the same page

HQC Staff
February 17, 2020

How can you better prepare your improvement team to navigate conversations about measurement? This post discusses three common, but distinct, forms of measurement, and when they are each used.

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What is CNODES and what does it do?

Mallory Clarkson
January 28, 2020

Learn what the Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies (CNODES) does and how they inform decisions made by policy makers, health care providers, regulators, and patients on the safety and effectiveness of drugs.

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HQC’s top books for your quality improvement reading list

HQC Staff
January 16, 2020

Are you’re looking for some quality improvement reading for the year ahead? Our resident quality improvement experts share their top quality improvement reads and recommendations.

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The costs of poverty in Saskatchewan (and how we can address them)

Dr. Charles Plante
December 19, 2019

Guest author Dr. Charles Plante explores cost poverty in Saskatchewan, the benefits of addressing them, and policies and practices can we put into place to address these issues.

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Three essential skills from our top 5 QI Power Hour sessions to help improvement leaders shine

Kathleen Kelly
December 2, 2019

We’ve rounded up the top 5 most popular QI Power Hour sessions of 2019, grouped by the core skills of an Improvement Leader.

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What makes us healthy? Exploring the determinants of health in Saskatchewan

Chelsea Schwartz
November 6, 2019

Whether you are new to the world of the determinants of health or looking for a refresher, here’s a primer on this topic.

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Opinion: HQC’s learning journey − the most challenging and exciting focus of my role as interim CEO

Dr. Dennis Kendel
September 30, 2019

Dr. Kendel reflects over the past sixteen months during his tenure as interim-CEO as Tracey Sherin assumes the role of HQC’s CEO on September 30, 2019. 

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From a patient family advisor: 5 ways to create a culture of safety on World Patient Safety Day and beyond

Kim Neudorf
September 17, 2019

From a patient and family perspective, these are five things that you should consider as you create, or continue to build, a culture of safety in your organization.

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Improving health care provision: Lessons from my summer internship

Nicolas Zulu
September 4, 2019

Nicolas Zulu, an African Leaders of Tomorrow (ALT) scholar from Zambia, shares his learnings about improving health care from his time interning with the Health Quality Council.

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2018-2019 in review: a message from HQC’s Board Chair

Dr. Susan Shaw
August 7, 2019

Read a message from Dr. Susan Shaw, Health Quality Council Board Chair, that was first included in our 2018-19 Annual Report.

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2018-2019 in review: a message from HQC’s Interim CEO

Dr. Dennis Kendel
August 7, 2019

Read a message from Dr. Dennis Kendel, Health Quality Council Interim CEO, that was first included in our 2018-19 Annual Report.

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Opinion: My personal commitment to make health care safer inspired by “Falling Through the Cracks”

Dr. Dennis Kendel
May 13, 2019

HQC Interim CEO Dr. Dennis Kendel shares his perspectives after watching Falling Through the Cracks: Greg’s Story.

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From “good” to “great”: Four tips to strengthen your next clinical* quality improvement project idea

Jocelyn Watson
May 3, 2019

To support your quest to develop a top-notch QI project idea, we invited CQIP faculty, coaches, and alumni to share their tips on what it takes to bring a QI project from “good” to “great.”

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Panel discussion: How CQIP changed the way I practice medicine

Panel discussion: How CQIP changed the way I practice medicine

HQC Staff
April 26, 2019

Dr. Erin Hamilton and Dr. Shaqil Peermohamed, graduates of the first cohort of the Clinical Quality Improvement Program, talk about the impact the program’s learnings has had on their practice.

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Opinion: Health care film that aims to inspire positive change from tragedy is a must-see

Dr. Dennis Kendel
February 19, 2019

Dr. Dennis Kendel shares his thoughts on the film Falling Through the Cracks and its impact to inspire positive change in the health care system.

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Reflections on QI learning from CQIP’s 2nd Cohort

HQC Staff
January 14, 2019

Participants from CQIP’s second cohort share what they learned through their QI projects and participation in the Clinical Quality Improvement Program.

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Building QI knowledge and inspiration in Saskatchewan: The top 6 QI Power Hour sessions of 2018

HQC Staff
December 24, 2018

We’ve rounded up the six most popular QI Power Hour quality improvement webinars in 2018 covering connected care, improving community health, intersectoral quality improvement, and more.

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Opinion: Health system restructuring in Saskatchewan – Reflections of an interim Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Dennis Kendel
December 13, 2018

Dr. Kendel discusses the challenges restructuring posed to relationships at all levels in Saskatchewan’s health system. He also shares HQC’s evolving role and points to future areas of focus for the organization.

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Lessons from the learning curve: SARCAN’s process improvement journey

Sydney Smith
November 26, 2018

SARCAN had a clear understanding of the problem they faced, which sparked a different way of thinking to achieve longevity. Here are four tips from SARCAN’s journey that sparked their continuous improvement journey.

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Increase your success rate with QI: Designing for adoptability from the get-go

Dr. Chris Hayes
November 1, 2018

This article will introduce you to the Highly Adoptable Improvement Model and the six key factors you need to pay attention to if you want your next QI project to be a success.

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10 “simple” ways to improve patient care: Saskatchewan teams in action

Adrienne Danyliw
October 18, 2018

We summarize the top 10 Connected Care lessons learned and provide examples of how local teams right here in Saskatchewan are implementing these strategies.

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Initiating conversations about Connected Care: the Lessons Learned Infographic

HQC Staff
October 1, 2018

Learn more about the Lessons Learned Infographic− a visual summary of learnings from the ED Waits and Patient Flow Initiative that can be used as a tool to initiate conversations about addressing emergency department waits.

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