ACR ImPower
The ACR® ImPower Program provides improvement collaborative project teams with a unique opportunity to learn alongside other organizations while simultaneously solving the same problem. Teams collaborate and support one another in implementing sustainable best practices at each local site. ImPower was developed on the premise that when frontline staff are taught and empowered to solve problems, the solutions are more comprehensive, staff become champions of change, and organizational improvement capabilities expand.
ImPower cohorts are offered twice a year, beginning in March and September. The program duration is 6 months for the entire team and 8 months for individuals in the roles of physician leader, team leader, and quality improvement coach.
How to Successfully Participate
There are three critical commitments to successfully participate in ImPower:
- An organizational sponsor and a clinical leader to provide resources, support change management efforts, and protect staff time to complete project work.
- An individual with quality improvement experience, or interest in learning quality improvement, to serve as the quality improvement coach and support the project team in the application of quality improvement concepts and tools.
- The capability to perform manual audits and report data throughout ImPower.
Who Comprises a Project Team?
The core project team consists of a project sponsor, physician leader, team leader, quality improvement coach, and team members. It is optional to include a data analyst, as needed, if the team leader or quality improvement coach cannot access data from across departmental systems.
ImPower Program Participation Fees
Organizations can bring a single project through one of the ImPower improvement collaboratives for a fee of $6,000. Every third project will be discounted at a rate of $3,000.
The ImPower Structure
Preparation Phase
A two-month long phase during which the physician leader, team leader and quality improvement coach are supported in selecting their local team members, building and refining their problem scope and starting to collect baseline data.
Quality Improvement Coaches Training
All quality improvement coaches attend five training sessions, each designed to strengthen their skills in facilitating quality improvement. The topics cover: how to lead improvement, develop measures, visualize data, manage teams and projects, mitigate barriers and create a culture of change. Optionally, quality improvement coaches can join quality improvement application meetings, which take place the day after each Learning Session. During these meetings, an ImPower quality improvement leader provides more guidance on the application of quality improvement tools and upcoming assignments.
Learning Sessions
All team members participate in 10 two-hour long learning sessions spread throughout the course of ImPower. The objectives of each learning session include:
- Building improvement leadership skills
- Understanding improvement methods
- Applying improvement methods to ImPower projects
Walk the Wall
In between learning sessions, participants engage in regular project report out sessions called "Walk the Wall". During these sessions, teams present progress, discuss challenges, consider solutions, and learn from one another. Progress is acknowledged and tracked using a project progress scale, which shows a team's advancement towards established improvement milestones. An example of the project progress chart is shown below.
