Press Release
Contact: Catherine Arnst
212-494-0733
carnst@uhfnyc.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UHF, GNYHA ANNOUNCE 11TH CLASS OF CLINICAL QUALITY FELLOWS
30 Physicians, Nurses, and Physician Assistants Start Training as Quality Improvement Experts
New York, NY January 22, 2019—One factor contributing to patient safety problems in the United States is the limited number of quality and safety training programs for practicing clinicians. To address this issue and develop quality improvement leaders in the New York region, United Hospital Fund (UHF) and the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) created the Clinical Quality Fellowship Program (CQFP) in 2009, and this month the two organizations launched the 11th class of CQFP Fellows, who will receive 15 months of intensive training to develop their quality improvement skills.
CQFP was designed to expand the number of medical professionals with the skills needed to lead quality improvement and patient safety efforts in their hospitals and other health care settings. Each cycle includes two learning retreats, webinars, dinner meetings, mentoring by expert faculty, and, most importantly, the development of a “capstone” project, during which each Fellow plans and implements a major quality improvement effort at his or her institution.
The 2019-2020 class of 30 Fellows, chosen from some 65 applicants, includes 17 physicians, 11 nurses, and two physician assistants from 12 health systems across the metropolitan area. Including the current class, CQFP has enrolled 237 Fellows to date, from 25 hospital sites, three ambulatory care networks and one correctional health facility. Many have gone on to assume leadership positions in their home facilities, and alumni also serve as mentors to new classes of Fellows.
“Judging by the numbers and high quality of applicants each year, CQFP continues to prove its worth in developing quality leaders,” said Joan Guzik, director of Quality Improvement for UHF’s Quality Institute. “The program provides the knowledge, tools, and techniques for Fellows to champion quality improvement efforts and help to transform and improve our health care system.”
“CQFP continues to attract outstanding clinicians from across the region who want to become quality improvement leaders in their hospitals,” said Zeynep Sumer King, vice president, Regulatory and Professional Affairs at GNYHA. “CQFP provides tremendous value to the Fellows who participate and the hospitals that sponsor them. We are excited to watch the growth of this new class of Fellows as they work to reach their leadership goals.”
The new class of Fellows will start their training with a two-day retreat (January 24-25) that will cover a broad range of safety and quality topics. This year’s Fellows are:
• Oluwadamilare Adeosun, MPA, MSM, RN-BC, NewYork-Presbyterian Ambulatory Care Network
• John E. Arbo MD, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
• Tamar Berger RN, MSN, CIC, St. Joseph Hospital
• Robert Bloise MS, PA-C, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• Reed Caldwell MD, NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn
• Mauro Fran Carpo, MSN, RN, CNOR, The Mount Sinai Hospital
• Krystal Cascetta, MD, Mount Sinai Queens
• Dina Chenouda MD, NYU Winthrop Hospital
• Christine Dolinski MSN, RN, Northwell Health Physician Partners
• Christina Giwa MSN, RN, CNL, OCN, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• Jeetinder Kaur Gujral MD, Southside Hospital Northwell Health
• Damara Gutnick MD, Montefiore Hudson Valley Collaborative
• Scott Russell Horn MD, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai
• Anjali Hulbanni MD, NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem
• Rajnish Jaiswal MD, NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan
• Josephine Johnson RN, MSN, MPH, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
• Daran Kaufman MD, MBA, NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
• Marie Estelle Lejarde MBA, BSN, CWOCN, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
• Denise Leung MD, NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• Valanie Lezama MS, RN, CCRN, NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull
• Arielle Nagler MD, NYU Langone Health
• Mohamed Rami Nakesbandi MD, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
• Keziah Narayanajaya MS, PA-C, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
• Vimala Ramasamy MD, NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx
• Zachary Rosner MD, NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services
• Sandra Scott MD, Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center
• Eileen Spenard DNP, RN, Stamford Health
• Marguerite Anne Tirelli MSN, BSN, RN-C, IBCLC, NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi
• Usha Venugopal MD, NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln
• Joann Wolf RN, BSN, MHA, CNML, Erie County Medical Center
About United Hospital Fund
United Hospital Fund works to build a more effective health care system for every New Yorker. An independent, nonprofit organization, we analyze public policy to inform decision-makers, find common ground among diverse stakeholders, and develop and support innovative programs that improve the quality, accessibility, affordability, and experience of patient care. For more on our initiatives and programs please visit our website at www.uhfnyc.org and follow us on Twitter.
About Greater New York Hospital Association
GNYHA is a trade association representing over 160 hospitals and health systems in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. A dynamic, constantly evolving center for health care advocacy and expertise, our core mission—helping hospitals deliver the finest patient care in the most cost-efficient way—never changes.