Vanderbilt University Medical Center HSII Capacity Building Project

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) will build organizational capacity to successfully lead and evaluate evidence-based implementation projects through the following key activities: 1) developing a project management team and processes to support VUMC’s participation, 2) identifying implementation strategies and developing standardized organizational approaches to support future implementation projects, 3) developing and delivering training to prepare leaders and key staff to participate in future HSII projects, and 4) enhancing health information technology systems and training to facilitate project evaluation.

These priority activities were chosen because they leverage current training and analytic resources and enhance both their depth and breadth across the organization. Sustainability will be enhanced by embedding leadership of the activities in several existing operational and research units that will collaborate in the initiative, under the direction of the Co-principal investigators. The Center for Health Services Research and the Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research will support the selection and standardization of implementation strategies to be used in future HSII projects, including approaches for developing implementation blueprints and performing audit and feedback, as well as preparing centralized support for rigorous project evaluation. The Office of Quality, Safety, and Risk Prevention will lead the expansion of training in practice improvement, building on existing medical center programs to allow wider participation across the organization.

The Vanderbilt Enterprise Reporting and Analytics group will coordinate training and sharing of best practices for data sourcing, management, reporting and visualization among analysts across the organization. The Clinical Enterprise Executive Committee, comprising leaders from all major operational units, will advise and endorse efforts. Together, these activities will increase workforce capacity to lead and participate in HSII Implementation Projects, build resilience across organizational departments and units, foster greater use of structured best practices for implementation and evaluation and maximize potential for positive impact on patients’ health outcomes.

Health System Name

• Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Principal Investigator(s)

• Sunil Kripalani, MD, MS, Professor of Medicine; Director, Center for Clinical Quality and Implementation Research; Director, Center for Health Services Research
• Jennifer M. Slayton, DNP, RN, Senior Vice President, Quality, Safety, and Risk Prevention