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HQS

Healthcare Quality & Safety

Contact

Mary Reich Cooper, MD, JD
Program Director

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Visit Jefferson
Information Sessions

Curriculum

(* refers to footnotes)

Advanced Practice Certificates (APCs)

APC in Healthcare Quality & Safety
  • HQS 500: Introduction to Healthcare Quality & Safety (*1)
  • OPX 530: Applied Leadership Strategies for Effective Change (*4)
  • HQS 504: High Reliability
APC in Healthcare Quality & Safety (QIPS Track)
  • OPX 520: Change Management
  • HQS 509: Applied Principles of Healthcare Quality
  • HQS 515: Applied Principles of Patient Safety
  • Monthly live virtual sessions & mentored project

    For more information on APC QIPS Track, please visit here.

Graduate Certificate

  • OPX 530: Applied Leadership Strategies for Effective Change (*4)
  • HQS 500: Introduction to Healthcare Quality & Safety (*1)
  • HQS 509: Applied Principles of Healthcare Quality
  • HQS 515: Applied Principles of Patient Safety
  • HQS 504: High Reliability

Master's Degree

  • OPX 530: Applied Leadership Strategies for Effective Change (*3, 4)
  • HQS 500: Introduction to Healthcare Quality & Safety (*1)
  • HQS 509: Applied Principles of Healthcare Quality
  • HQS 515: Applied Principles of Patient Safety
  • OPX 520: Change Management
  • HQS 504: High Reliability
  • HQS 512 Business Case for Quality
  • HQS 505: Advanced Tools & Methods for HQS
  • HQS 507: Advanced Applications of HQS in Clinical Settings
  • Elective (Program Director approval needed) (*2, 3)
  • HQS 650: Capstone *

Additional Elective Options

  • HQS 508: Quality in Post-Acute Care Settings
  • HQS 516: Teaching Quality & Safety
  • OPX 532: Project Management Essentials
  • OPX 540: Baldrige
  • OPX 550: Fundamentals of Six Sigma DMAIC (additional fee)

Footnotes

There is a maximum number of credits that can be waived or substituted. Students must request applicable waivers at time of admission - they are not automatically applied. See Student Handbook for more details.

  1. Waived for members of the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) who hold the Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ) credential.
  2. Waived for members of the Society of Hospital Medicine (SHM) who have completed qualifying courses in the SHM Leadership Academy (Master's only).
  3. Waived for members of the American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) who have completed the master's pre-requisites, or graduates of an accredited MBA/MHA program.
  4. Waived for members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

*The MS culminates in a Capstone which incorporates knowledge and skills gained through the master's program education. The Capstone should advance knowledge which can be applied to the student’s discipline and/or organization. 

For course descriptions, please view the Jefferson College of Population Health Course Descriptions page.

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Quality & Safety, graduates will be trained to:

  • Lead multidisciplinary teams by applying strategic management and leadership techniques to improve healthcare quality and patient safety across diverse settings.
  • Design, execute, and assess continuous performance improvement strategies that measurably enhance healthcare quality and operational efficiency.
  • Develop and implement robust evaluation models to analyze clinical and operational data, enabling data-driven decisions that target population-level improvements.

Upon completion of the Master of Science in Healthcare Quality & Safety, in addition to the aforementioned outcomes for the Graduate Certificate, graduates will be trained to:

  • Evaluate and respond to internal and external factors as part of complex adaptive systems, effectively shaping healthcare structures, processes, and outcomes.
  • Apply evidence-based change management tools and transformation principles to drive sustainable organizational improvements in healthcare delivery systems.
  • Interpret and apply legal, regulatory, and governance frameworks to ensure organizational compliance and advance healthcare quality initiatives.
  • Cultivate ethical decision-making, professional accountability, and transparent communication to promote patient- and family-centered care and build a culture of trust.