United Hospital Fund's Clinical Quality Fellowship Program, which trains the next generation of quality improvement leaders, is celebrating its 15th anniversary.
The program, run in partnership with Greater New York Hospital Association, recently welcomed its 15th class of fellows with a reception in March. The group of 28 fellows will complete an intensive 15-month training program, including a capstone quality improvement initiative at each fellow’s home organization.
Started in 2009, the Clinical Quality Fellowship Program has trained more than 300 mid-career physicians, nurses, and physician assistants from over 50 health care facilities in the New York metropolitan area to become quality improvement and patient safety leaders in their organizations. During the program, regional leaders in health care quality teach the fellows proven tools and techniques to improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of patient care within their institutions.
Participating fellows then bring their new knowledge, skills, and strategies back to their organizations, where they are prepared to take on leadership roles and act as agents of change.
Since its inception, the CQFP has become an enduring support for quality improvement in greater New York area health care facilities.
The 2024-25 Class of Fellows include:
- Jakub Bartnik, DO, SBH Health System
- Margaret Connors, RN, MS, Mount Sinai Queens
- Aized Imtiaz, MD, MBA, Northwell Health/Long Island Jewish Valley Stream
- Uzoma Anagboso, RN, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Halyna Cykyda, MD, Northwell Health/Mather Hospital
- Dhruv Patel, MD, Mount Sinai Hospital
- Olivia McCarthy, RN, MPH, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
- Kalpana Panigrahi, MD, One Brooklyn Health Interfaith Medical Center
- Vihas Patel, MD, Northwell Health/Long Island Jewish Medical Center
- Heidi Baer, MD, FACEQ, CHSE, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
- Christina Flores, MD, NYU Langone Hospital—Brooklyn
- Heather El-Amamy, MD, PhD, MS, NYC Health + Hopsitals, Correctional Health Services—Rikers Island
- Olu Akindutire, MD, MPA, NYU Langone Tisch
- Deborah Reynolds, MD, NYC Health + Hopsitals/Elmhurst
- Felicia Hercules, MD, NYC Health + Hopsitals, Central Office
- Shannon “Shay” Walter, DNP, MSN, RN, NE-BC, CPHQ, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University/University Hospital of Brooklyn
- Kathleen Michels, RN, MS, NE-BC, CCRN, Hospital for Special Surgery
- Jamie Uyami, RN, MS, Montefiore Health System, Inc./Moses Campus
- Payal Sud, MD, FACEP Northwell Health/North Shore University Hospital
- Anthony Khabut, DO, Northwell Health/Staten Island University Hospital
- Jennifer Klekman-Napolitano, MSN, RN-BC, Montefiore Health System, Inc./White Plains Hospital
- Susan Law, DO, NYC Health + Hopsitals/Kings County
- Olawumi Babalola, MD, MBA, Northwell Health/Plainview Hospital
- Walkiria Jimenez-Loo, MD, MPH, MS, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Allen Hospital
- Sweatha Kasala, MD, Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center
- Carissa Conelias, RN, MS, NEA-BC, Stamford Hospital
- Lori Lean, MSN, RN, CPPS, Northwell Health
- Maalobeeka “Molly” Gangopadhyay, MD, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
- Jennifer Lee, MD, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital
- Cara Taubman, MD, MPH, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem