GETTING TO KNOW NORTH SHORE HEALTH
Continuous Quality Improvement in Healthcare and the Legend of the Quality Ninjas
By Jason Yuhas, CG(ASCP)CM, Quality Improvement Coordinator, North Shore Health
Regulatory agencies, and best-practice standards, require that healthcare institutions have continuous quality improvement plans in place. This plan, primarily focused on improving high-volume and high-impact patient care, ensures that we continually improve our processes and regularly create new systems to improve our practice. These process improvements are required across all aspects of North Shore Health (NSH) services. NSH typically maintains more than 20 active quality improvement initiatives, many of which have evolved into additional projects through the Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) methodology.
North Shore Health has been fortunate to be recognized for our quality improvement initiatives over the past several years. While wandering through NSH’s public areas, you might notice distinguished recognitions from the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) and the Superior Health Quality Alliance prominently displayed. These accolades could not have been possible without the quality-focused projects completed by the leadership and staff at NSH. We continue to work to bring the highest quality care to our patients and residents through our ever-improving processes and attention to quality improvement. These changes take serious effort and a keen eye to establish the best ways to do things differently to continually improve.
The Legend of the Quality Ninjas
As I learned from one of my educational mentors, and through my own ongoing learning in leadership practice, positive reinforcement generates the greatest return when fostering positive change. This is where the legend of the quality ninjas began at NSH.
The family of quality ninjas, and their legacy, began decades ago in the Zhejiang district of mainland China. These ninjas travel by surface (no airfare) to help us recognize the quality improvements performed at NSH. Though small (2 inches) and diverse in color (RYOGBV), they award pioneers of quality change with their guarded presence at their offices, desks, or work areas. Once the ninja arrives, their picture is taken and their location (and the quality improvement that initiated its arrival) is presented at a quality improvement committee meeting. Additional quality improvement ninjas may be awarded for new quality initiatives and proven, data-driven improvements. Thus far, 19 quality ninjas have found their forever homes with many more making the quality pilgrimage for quality improvement projects currently underway.
In March of 2025, I (the NSH Quality Sensei) was awarded the largest green quality ninja for my efforts in establishing the quality ninja program at NSH.
Archy, the largest green quality ninja, attends quality improvement committee meetings and helps to inspire continued quality improvements at NSH.
For more information, visit: https://www.northshorehealthgm.org. Stay tuned for future informative Getting to Know North Shore Health articles published monthly in the Cook County News Herald.