Current Members

Lab Advisors:

  • Ryan Behm (Improvement Advisor at UW-Health)
  • Oguzhan Alagoz (QSI Faculty Director)
  • Amy Topel (Director of Organizational Improvement at UW-Health)

Project Assistants (PA's):

Allison Drees

Year in School: MS Student

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: This lab gives me an opportunity to use my engineering skills to create a positive impact on people's lives.

Fun Fact: I recently studied abroad in Cuba

Lab Projects: Transplant Call Center Optimization, Pediatric to Adult Care Transition, TAC Sterile Reprocessing Value Stream Assessment, UNC/WT Urgent Care Patient Flow Optimization, Hospital Medicine Current State Analysis, AFCH Surgical Block Utilization Analysis

Jack Grahek

Year in school: MS Student

Graduation Date: December 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: I have seen the amazing impacts that continuous improvements have on the healthcare industry, and I am very fortunate to have this opportunity of implementing long-lasting change alongside my talented team that impacts the lives of patients, doctors, and nurses.

Lab Projects: Inpatient Nursing & Therapy Appointment Workflow, Downtown ED Current State Analysis, External Services Communication Streamline, Surgical Services Closing Counts Process Analysis, Error Reduction in Culinary Service's Tube Feed Delivery

Consultants:

Emily Laborde

Year in school: Senior

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: No matter what I involve myself in, helping others has always been of extreme importance to me. I am so fortunate to have this opportunity to use my knowledge to help those involved in a healthcare setting, while also learning a tremendous amount about such an essential and impactful field.

Lab Projects: Echo/Vascular Clinic Resource/Room Optimization, Analysis of Disruptions During Pediatric Sedations, Hospital Medicine Current State Analysis, Hospital Medicine Patient Assignment Improvement


Huifeng (Derrick) Su

Year in school: Senior

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: I love helping others, and I found it fascinating to optimize health systems with engineering mindset. I want to be part of the process during which both health professionals and patients can be benefited.

Lab Projects: TAC OR Staffing Model Optimization, Pediatric to Adult Transition Education, Hospital Medicine Patient Assignment Improvement

Hannah Lein

Year in school: Senior

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: After interning at a nuclear pharmacy over winter break I knew I was interested in exploring where industrial engineers fit into the healthcare industry. I also had spent some time looking into different consulting positions, and when a spot opened up for the QSI lab it was exactly what I was looking for.

Lab Projects: TAC Sterile Reprocessing Value Stream Assessment, External Services Communication Streamline, Pediatric to Adult Transition Education, AFCH OR Turnover Process Improvement

Meghan Meredith

Year in school: Senior

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: I want to learn more about the healthcare system while getting the opportunity to improve it because healthcare has such an impact on individuals’ lives. I also am excited to apply my education in a meaningful way.

Lab Projects: Geriatrics Clinic Process Flow Analysis, TAC OR Staffing Model Optimization, TAC Sterile Reprocessing Standard Work, Hospital Medicine Patient Assignment Improvement

Erica Calvache

Year in school: Senior

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: Reducing medical error in the American Healthcare system has been a goal of mine for several years. The QSI Lab will allow me to gain a first hand experience in the field and truly make a difference in the world of healthcare.

Lab Projects: Downtown ED Current State Analysis, UNC/WT Urgent Care Patient Flow Optimization, TAC Sterile Reprocessing Standard Work, AFCH OR Turnover Process Improvement

Rachel Raasch

Year in school: Senior

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: I hope to use my passion for healthcare and process improvement to help people directly while making a positive impact on one of the United States’ largest and most crucial industries.

Lab Projects: Room Turnover Analysis, Surgical Services Closing Counts Process Analysis, UH OR Closing Counts Policy Reconfiguration

Laura Younan

Year in school: Senior

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: I want to be able to apply industrial engineering tools to projects that support UW-Health in becoming a leader in health care delivery. After interning at AbbVie, I developed a stronger passion for health care. My goal is to make the patient journey safe and the health system efficient, and the QSI Lab will allow me to be a part of that change!

Lab Projects: Hospital Medicine Current State Analysis, Error Reduction in Culinary Service's Tube Feed Delivery

Shelby Kroncke

Year in school: Senior

Graduation Date: May 2020

Reasons for joining the lab: I love how this lab specifically enables students to use their education and skills on meaningful projects that will positively impact many lives.

Lab Projects: AFCH Surgical Block Utilization Analysis

Sofia Noejovich

Year in school: Junior

Graduation Date: May 2021

Reasons for joining the lab: My affinity for healthcare began to develop in my Engineering Professional Development course where my research proposal identified the potential causes for doctors and nurses to deliver incorrect antibiotics dosages to patients. By joining QSI, I am excited to gain exposure to the medical field, so I can continue to identify understand the root cause of medical errors and workflow inefficiencies. I look forward to having positive and meaningful interactions with healthcare workers and patients at UW-Hospital.

Lab Projects: UH OR Closing Counts Policy Reconfiguration

Gwyneth Simon

Year in school: Sophomore

Graduation Date: May 2022

Reasons for joining the lab: I joined the QSI Lab because it will allow me to use the health systems skills that I have developed in my previous work to make improvements that will directly improve patients’ experiences. I am excited to work with and learn from such an amazing group of young professionals.

Lab Projects: AFCH OR Turnover Process Improvement

Ellen Pflaster

Year in school: Sophomore

Graduation Date: May 2022

Reasons for joining the lab: I have always had an interest in healthcare, and am intrigued in how health systems engineering utilizes IE principles with the added complexity of a highly human-focused environment. QSI lab allows me to gain experience, develop my IE skills, and make a meaningful impact on lives.

Lab Projects: Error Reduction in Culinary Service's Tube Feed Delivery