The merger of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and the National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) should increase opportunities for risk managers to obtain credentialing in patient safety, says NPSF President and CEO Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, MPH, CPPS.
Expanded Offerings
Effective May 1, the merger combined two groups that each have a history of raising awareness around patient safety issues and educating the healthcare workforce about best practices, Gandhi says. The new group will use the IHI name, but patient safety-focused products will be branded as “NPSF at the IHI.”
One driver for the merger was the desire to minimize confusion about the roles of the two groups and the resources available from each. The group will continue to offer the NPSF patient safety credential as before, and Gandhi says there should be more opportunities for the required educations.
Recertification Options
“We expect to grow and get more certificate applicants, both nationally and internationally,” Gandhi says. “Recertification requires getting credit for certain activities, so we’re going to try to have IHI offerings count for recertification, which will mean more opportunities for meeting those recertification requirements. People should see more resources and tools they can use to accelerate their progress in patient safety.”
Gandhi will lead the merged patient safety teams, which will combine existing NPSF and IHI patient safety programs. All NPSF programs, including the NPSF Lucian Leape Institute and the Certified Professional in Patient Safety credentialing program, will continue, Gandhi says.
SOURCE
- Tejal K. Gandhi, MD, MPH, CPPS, NPSF President and CEO, Boston. Telephone: (617) 391-9900.
The merger of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the National Patient Safety Foundation should increase opportunities for risk managers to obtain credentialing in patient safety.
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