OVERVIEW

Launched in 2014, the National Improvement Challenge is an innovative program that seeks to improve women’s health care through the development of patient safety and quality improvement programs at the residency and educational program level.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The application process is comprised of two steps:

STEP 1: Submission of Declaration of Intent

An interested program must declare intent by the specified cycle deadline in order to be eligible to complete the full application for that cycle. However, submission of a declaration of intent is not binding — a program may decide to not complete the full application and can leave the process at any point.

When a cycle is open, the online form for the current cycle can be found here.

STEP 2: Submission of Application Form

After an interested program has declared intent, they are eligible to complete the application. The Application Form has areas to upload the required items outlined below.

A. Project Narrative

The project narrative should be developed in Microsoft Word and uploaded directly into the online Application Form in the designated upload area.

It should following SQUIRE Guidelines and must include the following:

• Specific objective(s) related to the project topic for the current cycle.
• Stakeholders involved (list of all participating clinicians, patients, hospital administrators, and others who participated or are actively participating in the design and/or implementation of the project should be listed as an appendix)
• Measurements (qualitative and/or quantitative)
• Steps for implementation
• Anticipated outcomes

The narrative should be single-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins and should be no longer than 4 pages. Figures, charts, and pictures may be included separately as appendices but must be described or explained in the text submission (within 4-page limit). Any references should be submitted in APA format. Institution name should appear on each page in the footer.

Please note: Approval by your institutional review board (IRB) may be required depending the project design and/or the methods of research proposed. IRB approval is dependent on your institution’s policies, and is not a required component of this application. Please check with your institution regarding the need for IRB approval.

B. Authorized Signature Form

The Authorized Signature Form must be completed by one hospital or health system administrator* for each applying institution and uploaded directly into the online Application Form in the designated upload area.

*Authorized individuals can include: hospital or health system CEO, quality and safety officer/administrator, department chair, residency program director, or other leadership designee identified by the applying institution.

AWARDS

Awards will be given to the top 4 entries in each topic area. Awarded prizes include a check made payable to the institution, residency program, or educational program of up to $3,000; registration(s) for ACOG’s annual meeting or other national meeting of a clinical professional organization; and an opportunity to present the project on a national stakeholder teleconference. See below for a detailed breakdown of awards.

*Travel expenses for attendees to and from any awarded meetings are not covered. Registration fees will be covered for the specified number for the meeting(s) immediately following the award notice, unless other arrangements are made.

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