Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety Organizations

The Global Campus in partnership with the College of Medicine at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Program Information

The emerging field of Patient Safety is revolutionizing health care for the 21st century. With rising statistics of patient injury and fatality, patient care is an issue at the forefront of the health care industry. The elimination of risk in our health care system can translate directly into improved care and cost reduction.

Enroll today in this innovative, interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety Organizations created by the College of Medicine, the Institute for Patient Safety Excellence, and other partners at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and be at the center of a health care revolution with a Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety Organizations. The program is available online through the University of Illinois Global Campus.

With a learner-focused environment, the Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety Organizations equips you with the opportunity to become a leader in the advancement of patient safety and quality health care. The curriculum gives you an understanding of the economic and personal impacts of patient safety, as well as methods for creating change in your organization to view patient safety in a proactive manner. Students will benefit from the focus on inter-professional teamwork, organizational change, and health care leadership in a culture of safety.

You will explore ways to design quality health care practices. Competencies for optimal patient care outcomes in the clinical environment include knowledge, skills, and attitudes in critical disciplines not traditionally taught in health science education.

In today's complex health care environment, expanding one's skills and knowledge will likely increase opportunities for career growth as well. In addition, students with professional licenses may be able to use courses in the program toward continuing education requirements. Students are encouraged to contact their licensing accrediting body for details.

The Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety Organizations is delivered using online instruction that emphasizes self-directed learning and team collaboration.

The partnership with the UIC Institute for Patient Safety Excellence (IPSE) makes this program unique in its interdisciplinary approach, as reflected in the IPSE mission to improve the safety and outcomes of patient care through:

1. Continuous improvement of the patient care process through analysis and measured change to current clinical programs in the inpatient and outpatient environments.
2. Translating the knowledge gained from these interdisciplinary care processes to develop the research and education programs necessary to advance the national patient safety agenda.
3. Sharing this interdisciplinary patient safety research and improvements in patient safety and patient care outcomes through educational programs, bringing benefit to all the people of Illinois and beyond.
4. Fostering translational curricula, research and clinical practice that targets novel interdisciplinary approaches to patient care involving, but not limited to, all of the Health Science Colleges, the College of Engineering and the College of Architecture and the Arts.

Upon successful completion of all coursework, you will earn a Graduate Certificate in Patient Safety Organizations from the College of Medicine at the fully accredited University of Illinois at Chicago.

Degree/Certificate: Certificate

Total Credit Hours: 12

Cohort Starts:

Cohorts for this program will start on the first Wednesday of the following months each year, with the next cohorts starting:

• May 6, 2009
• January 6, 2010

Courses are eight weeks in length, and applications are accepted at any time during the year.

Eligible students may use all credits earned in the certificate courses to satisfy course requirements for the Master of Science in Patient Safety Leadership.

Required Campus Visits: 0

Completion Schedules: Each course will be eight weeks in length. The typical course load is one course per eight-week term. You can complete your certificate in 24 weeks if you take courses in back-to-back terms.

Program Contact:
Global Campus Student Services
510 Devonshire
Suite H
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: (866) 896-3939
E-mail: gcadvisor@uillinois.edu