January 24, 2008
The University of Illinois Global Campus is developing the first-ever online Patient Safety Leadership graduate program in partnership with the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago. A multidisciplinary approach to the development of this ground-breaking degree and certificate program involved a variety of individuals and colleges at the University of Illinois dedicated to improving patient safety and medical error disclosure practices in healthcare.
Courses for a Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety Organizations and a Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety and Medical Error Disclosure will launch in May 2008. Courses for a Master of Science in Patient Safety Leadership will launch in September 2008. Eligible students may use all credits earned in the certificate courses to satisfy course requirements for the master's degrees. Applications will be accepted online.
In 2000, the Institute of Medicine unveiled a resounding indictment of the lack of understanding and practice of patient safety methods by health professionals in the United States. Meanwhile, medical error appears to be on the rise, with cases appearing in the news almost on a weekly basis.
"Students in the Patient Safety Leadership program will be a part of breaking the cycle of medical error and improve the safety of patients who participate in the health care system through education, leadership training, and evidence-based course objectives," says Dr. David Mayer, associate dean for curriculum in the UIC College of Medicine.
With comprehensive education and training, the Patient Safety Leadership program will train students to work within health care organizations to affect positive change in all aspects of patient care, from the bedside to facility design. Graduates will work in administration, academia, government, accreditation and clinical associations. With hospital and health care agencies increasingly designing and implementing new patient safety practices, health care workers will benefit from the professional credentials. Students will explore ways to design quality health care practices as they relate to patient safety.
"The most important advantage for professionals who enroll in the program is the opportunity to explore ways that they can become part of a patient safety culture and lead the development of quality health care practices," says Dr. Anne Gunderson, program coordinator for the Patient Safety Leadership graduate program.
All courses will be delivered online and will focus on inter-professional teamwork, simulation training, communication and collaboration, medical error science, organizational change, and health care leadership. For master's students, there will be a one-time five-day residency in Chicago, Illinois, to give students the opportunity to practice and apply the tools and principles introduced in online courses, and to participate in active learning with cohort members in a face-to-face format.
In addition to earning academic credit towards degree or certificate in Patient Safety Leadership, health professionals from multiple disciplines, such as physicians, social workers, physical therapists, occupations therapists, advanced practice nurses, or dentists, may apply completed coursework towards Continuing Medical Education for fulfillment of licensure requirements.
For the Master of Science in Patient Safety Leadership, Illinois residents and contributing members of the University of Illinois Alumni Association will pay $29,160 for the entire degree ($810 per credit hour for 36 credit hours). Students residing outside Illinois will pay $32,400 for the entire degree ($900 per credit hour for 36 credit hours). For the graduate certificates, each 12 credit hours in total, Illinois residents and contributing members of the University of Illinois Alumni Association will pay $9,720 for the entire program, and students residing outside Illinois will pay $10,800.
Other healthcare programs offered via the Global Campus currently include an online Bachelor's of Science in Nursing Degree Completion Program for RNs, in conjunction with the top-ranked UIC College of Nursing. The Global Campus also plans a Master of Science in Nursing in the near future.
The Global Campus offers online bachelor's completion degrees, master's degrees, and graduate certificate programs in collaboration with partnering academic units on the brick-and-mortar campuses of Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield. Each program's curriculum is developed by world-class University of Illinois faculty who are leaders in their fields of study.
