Institute for Healthcare Improvement: Institute for Healthcare Improvement


IHI is a reliable source of energy, knowledge, and support for a never-ending campaign to improve health care worldwide. The Institute helps accelerate change in health care by cultivating promising concepts for improving patient care and turning those ideas into action.


We aim to improve the lives of patients, the health of communities, and the joy of the health care workforce by focusing on an ambitious set of goals adapted from the Institute of Medicine's six improvement aims for the health care system: Safety, Effectiveness, Patient-Centeredness, Timeliness, Efficiency, and Equity. We call this the "No Needless List": No needless deaths No needless pain or suffering No helplessness in those served or serving No unwanted waiting No waste No one left out IHI works with health professionals throughout the world to accelerate the measurable and continual progress of health care systems toward these bold objectives, leading to breakthrough improvements that are truly meaningful in the lives of patients. We will be a recognized and generous leader, a trustworthy partner, and the first place to turn for expertise, help, and encouragement for anyone, anywhere who wants to change health care profoundly for the better. Read our 2009 Annual Progress Report Read Annual Progress Reports from previous years: 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004

Motivate: Build Will and Optimism for Change
We develop and nurture will, energizing a movement for profound change in health care by:

	Bringing people and organizations together, crossing traditional boundaries, to cooperate, to share lessons, and to encourage each other
	Identifying boldly the gaps we need to close
	Setting forth a clear vision of the future
	Helping the public to understand and demand the improvement that is needed and possible

Get Results: Drive Broad Scale Adoption of Sound Changes
We spread improvement knowledge across the globe, and provide methods, tools, and other supports, largely through partnerships, for thousands of health care organizations to turn knowledge into improved results.

Learn more about Results

Innovate: Invent New Solutions
We initiate and support innovation efforts, so as to discover, cultivate, and demonstrate the feasibility of new, more capable, designs. We exercise academic rigor in this work.

Learn more about the IHI 90-Day R&D Process

Raise Joy in Work: Help Build the Future Health Care Workforce
We work to change the skills, attitudes, and knowledge of the workforce, both in the ongoing development of young professionals and in life-long education, so as to reduce profession-specific silos that limit collaborative effort for the well-being of patients. We seek to improve joy in work, and to help all who work in health care to become better able to help improve care.

Stay Vital for the Long Haul: Achieve Excellence in Loyalty, Financial Stability, and Worklife for IHI
We want to make IHI a world-class place to work, a model employer among non-profits, while ensuring that IHI remains financially viable for 50 years or more. We seek to increase our impact on customers and partners by visibly practicing what we teach.

These operating values are core principles for work in IHI. They guide the behavior and choices of all staff, faculty, and the Board of Directors.

1.	Without Boundaries: The people of the IHI compose a single organization, with common systems, common knowledge, and unconditional teamwork.
2.	Speed and Agility: We change our own work and respond as quickly as the health care systems we serve need us to. Our past work need not ever be our future work. We are always willing to change.
3.	Focus on Subject Matter: Our concerns are health and health care; we are not wedded to specific methodologies. We remain always open to new approaches to the continual improvement of care. Results for patients and communities define our success.
4.	Valuing Volunteers: We network together people who have expertise and knowledge, so that they can teach each other, help others, and improve the work of IHI. These people are our "faculty." Their work is the lifeblood of the IHI. We will make their experience with IHI the most satisfying of their professional lives.
5.	Customer Focus: To achieve our mission, we must serve and delight those who shape and deliver health care. Their satisfaction — 100% satisfaction — is our uncompromising aim, in everything that we do.
6.	Honesty: To achieve our mission, we must earn and preserve the trust of those we attempt to help. To do so, we must tell the absolute truth about ourselves and our work, reporting both failures and successes with equal discipline, and seeking the views and opinions of people outside our organization.
7.	Transparency: We are an institute without walls. Those who work with us, no matter where or when, should feel informed and welcomed. We work always in daylight.
8.	Orderliness: Disorder is waste, which neither we nor health care can afford. We will be lean in our work, and continually reduce waste and disorder. We practice what we teach.
9.	Celebration and Thankfulness: Our mission is long, and our work is not easy. We take time to look back, as well as forward, to thank each other, and to take pride in what we do.


IHI's work is funded primarily through our own fee-based program offerings and services, and also through the generous support of a distinguished group of foundations, companies, and individuals. We believe that a strong financial position is essential to our ability to achieve our mission — improving health care for patients all over the world — and are pleased that we are in a position to aggressively pursue this mission now and in the future. Download IHI’s FY07 (May 1, 2006 – April 30, 2007) financial report Download a statement from IHI regarding our financial position Request a copy of IHI’s FY07 990 Report filing with the IRS