About Us
Sidebar
Welcome From Division Chief
In addition to our clinical work and research, faculty and fellows in Neurodevelopmental Science have rich opportunities to engage in Quality Improvement (QI) work that drives meaningful change in patient care, system processes and interdisciplinary collaboration. The complexity and nuance of developmental and behavioral health care create ideal conditions for QI approaches that encourage flexibility, creative problem-solving and collaborative thinking.
QI projects offer a unique opportunity to apply research and analytical skills to solve clinically relevant problems. By designing and testing interventions grounded in evidence and data, faculty and trainees can improve the quality of care while enhancing efficiency and effectiveness. These efforts allow clinicians to focus on what they are most specialized and passionate about—delivering care aligned with their interests and purpose—while contributing to system-level improvements.
We are actively growing our QI program and expanding the reach of our QI Committee by fostering partnerships across divisions and departments. This expansion enables us to diversify our QI approaches, share innovations and build a strong infrastructure for sustainable improvement. Faculty and fellows can play a key role in this growth, helping to shape a culture of continuous learning and excellence in neurodevelopmental health care.
Connect with us
Quality Improvement Programs
Our primary QI focus addresses the national challenge of patient triage and scheduling. This initiative aims to ensure that patients are efficiently directed to the services best aligned with their needs, particularly within the highly specialized scope of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) expertise. By applying systematic QI principles, the division is optimizing its ability to serve patients who will benefit most from its specialized care while improving coordination with other service lines for those whose needs fall outside this scope.
The program initially concentrated on understanding and refining the referral pathway for adolescents aged 13 and older—a group for which many incoming referrals were found to be inappropriate for DBP services. Through detailed pathway mapping and analysis, the team developed a process to ensure that referrals were routed to the most appropriate care providers. This targeted triage pathway has enhanced efficiency and patient outcomes, reducing unnecessary delays and better supporting families and referring providers.
Building on the success of the adolescent referral initiative, DBP is now applying these QI strategies more broadly across the system to improve triage processes for all age groups and referral types. This expansion aims to reduce redundancy, streamline scheduling and ensure each patient is seen by the right service line at the right time. The ongoing development of this QI program reflects DBP’s commitment to innovation, collaboration and delivering high-quality, patient-centered care.
We are actively advancing a Quality Improvement (QI) initiative centered on the creation of specialized Multidisciplinary Clinics (MDCs). These clinics are designed to serve unique patient populations with complex needs, particularly children affected by in utero toxin exposure. By bringing together providers from multiple specialties—such as developmental pediatrics, psychology, social work and other medical disciplines—the MDCs foster a collaborative environment that offers comprehensive, coordinated care in a single setting. This model not only enhances care quality but also supports more holistic evaluations and interventions.
A key goal of the MDC initiative is to strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration, which benefits both patients and providers. By working more closely across disciplines, clinicians are able to share insights, develop more integrated care plans and engage in intellectually stimulating teamwork. This collaborative structure improves continuity of care and leads to richer clinical experiences for providers, ultimately contributing to a more fulfilling and effective approach to patient care.
Operational improvements are also a core component of the MDC QI efforts. The program focuses on optimizing pre-visit workflows by collecting and integrating patient records ahead of time, allowing providers to be better prepared for each appointment. These process enhancements increase the productivity of clinical visits and ensure that time with patients is used as effectively as possible. By applying QI principles to both clinical and operational practices, the MDC initiative supports DBP’s mission to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care through innovation and collaboration.