Students for Quality Health Care.
Mission
Students for Quality Health Care (SQHC) is a student organization at the Boston University School of Public Health with an interest in understanding the role of quality control and improvement in health care. SQHC explores the latest issues associated with quality in the U.S. health care delivery system at the federal and local level. We strive to raise awareness through activism, hosting educational speaker series, and participating in conferences and competitions pertaining to relevant health policy issues. SQHC seeks to provide opportunities to gain hands-on experience with quality improvement projects and facilitate exposure to local research initiatives and practicum opportunities.
SQHC is also the Boston University School of Public Health chapter of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and seeks to connect the School of Public Health to the BU Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) chapter which is similarly involved in health care quality projects. We participate in IHI training and certification as well as collaborate with other IHI Open School Chapters in the northeast region.
Values
Advocacy – We believe that health care is a right, not just a privilege
Quality Improvement – We establish a commitment to learning through IHI’s training and certification in quality improvement and engage with other IHI Open School Chapters
Education – We believe that improving quality in health care requires increasing both knowledge and awareness. Through the Speaker Series, SQHC aims to educate patients, providers, and advocates on current issues, policies, and controversies in health care.
Contact Us
For more information contact us at sqhc@bu.edu.
Students for Quality Health Care 2020-2021 Executive Board:
Michael Sheikhai, President
Michael, President
Michael is a Master of Medical Sciences student with a Certificate in Quality and Safety. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, where he concentrated his studies in biology, neuroscience and behavioral science. He is deeply passionate about quality improvement after working on stroke neurology performance improvement projects for three years. Currently, he conducts research in the Biobehavioral Pediatric Pain Lab at Boston Children’s Hospital, exploring chronic pain management. His career choice to pursue medicine is driven by his passion to offer personalized health care to all individuals regardless of race, gender identity, geographic location, or income status. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, Michael enjoys playing soccer, skateboarding, and writing.
David Plotnick, Treasurer
David, Treasurer
David is a current candidate in the M.S. in Medical Sciences program. Originally from Fairfax, VA, he earned his B.S. degree in Biophysics from The George Washington University in 2017 before moving to Boston to conduct research in cardiovascular disease. He volunteered in the Boston community opening his interests to advocating for community health programs. He hopes to influence future physicians and leaders to bring improvements in quality healthcare delivery.
Hannah Geils, Secretary
Hannah, Secretary
Hannah is a current MPH student pursuing functional certificates in Health Policy and Law and Global Health. Originally from Charleston, South Carolina, she graduated from Boston College in 2017 with a B.S. in Biology. While at Boston College, Hannah interned for Ariadne Labs and had the privilege of working on the BetterBirth study, an intervention with more than 300,000 women and newborns in Uttar Pradesh, India. After graduating, she spent three years executing 30+ multiple sclerosis clinical research studies (phase II – IV) in Wellesley, MA. Hannah hopes to merge her clinical experiences and interests in Health Policy and Global Health to design comprehensive public health law and policy interventions. Outside of academia, Hannah enjoys painting, skiing, and reading about space exploration.
Lunise Joseph, BUSPH Advisor