User:Ulises Ruiz

I am Ulises Ruiz, at present my main activity is related to organizational excellence implementation in the health services sector, focusing on quality management , patient safety and risk management through certification, accreditation and self-assesment in healthcare, together with the development of guidelines for implementation of international quality management standards in the healthcare sector. I am editor for Health Sciences and Healing Arts for Citizendium.

Originally a paediatric surgeon, medical researcher and trainer, moving later to hospital general manager. From 1984 on, I did devoted mainly to quality management for health services and systems getting in a position where I could develop and manage the Quality Management Plan for the Spanish Health System at the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumers Affairs..

For eight, (1984-1992) I served as Director of the Total Quality Unit for the development and management of the Total Quality Management Plan for the Spanish Health System, at the Health System Planning Directorate of the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs. The Plan was approved by the Spanish National Health Council, was published by the Spanish Ministry of Health and distributed within the Spanish Health system. The information system being at present used in the Spanish Health System (patient codification, disease related groups, cost of care, hospital classification ) as well as the required infrastructure for establishing and developing a quality management approach in the national health system and its different services and units are important outcomes of this initiative. The Plan was considered a useful document for the European health system being published as such by WHO-E (The Spanish Total Quality Assurance Programme, First Phase 1986-1990, EUR/ICP/HSR031-7977s).

Along that period I taught as Professor of Total Quality Management at the Spanish National School for Hospital Management and at the National School for Public Health (1986-91), and participated actively in the endeavours of the Spanish Association for Quality: Founding Member and Vice-Chair of the Service Organisations Division; Founding member and Chairman of the Healthcare and Education Divisions; Member of the National Council and Member of the Executive Committee.

As Temporary Advisor of the WHO EUROPE I did participate ( 1985-1990 ) as trainer in working groups for Training in Quality Assurance, Q.A., (Udine, I,), Organization in Q.A. (Copenhagen, DK, ), Q.A. in Health Care (Kiel, D, ), Q.A in National Health Planning (Brussels, B,). participating in the founding of the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua), Udine, 1985.

Concurrently I had the opportunity to carry out Health Services Quality Management Research funded by the European Commission, as Spain coordinator for the AIM Project, D.G. XIII (HOSCOM-Clinical and Financial Data for Healthcare Organisations ) and Member of the Executive Committee and Chef-de-File for Spain of the COMAC-HSR, D.G. XII (Quality Assurance in European Hospitals), also co-funded through the Spanish Health Research Fund. ( 1998-1993 ).

In 1992 I moved to the University Institute for Health Services Assessment to become co-director of the Complutense University Master´s Programme in Quality Management for Healthcare Services and Organisations, (1992-2005). This Master Programme became integrated in the European Universities Network-Community of Practice of the European Foundation for Quality Management ( EUN-EFQM CoP) offering a Summer School ( 2003 ) to the students of the Network. The Institute is a member of its Academic Board. The Institute also participates in the EFQM-Health Sector Community of Practice, as Core Member.

As member of the Health Care Division of the American Society for Quality ( HCD-ASQ,) I have been deeply involved in the development and publication of the first ISO-IWA ( International Standards Organisation-International Workshop Agreement ): IWA 1, v.2- Quality Management Systems, Guidelines for process improvement for health services organizations (v1. 2001 and v.2, 2004 ). As its Chair (2004) I did propose Patient Safety as an HCD Strategic Priority

At present, as member of Task Force 142 at the European Committee for Normalisation, CEN BT/TF 142 , I am participating actively in the development and publication of two Guidelines, a Technical Specification ( CEN/TS 15224 ) and a Technical Report ( CEN/TR 15592 ), for the use of the International Standards ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9004:2000 respectively, in European health services.

I am currently member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance.

Summarizing I am pursuing with particular interest finding operative ways to approach health services and systems for assuring its quality, patient safety and risk management.

Brief qualifications and clinical/medical background details

Medical Degree (1958) and Ph.D (1983) from the Universidad Complutense, (Madrid). Certified by the American Board of Surgery (1971), the Massachussets State Medical Board, USA, (1967), the New York State Medical Board, USA, (1972), the Spanish General Surgery Specialty Board (1975), the Spanish Paediatrics Board (1975), the Spanish Paediatric Surgery Board (1975), the Spanish National School for Hospital Management (1985), the Diplomatic School of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ( European Community Affairs, 1986 ), the European Organization for Quality ( Quality Systems Auditor, 1997 ), the European Foundation for Quality Management (assessor for the European Quality Award, 1995-1999 ), the Health Quality Certification Board, USA, ( CPHQ, 2001 ).

Medical clinical activities as staff Surgeon at the University Hospital, Madrid, Spain ( 1960-62 ), Pediatric Surgeon at the Boston Floating Hospital, NEMCH, Boston, Mass. (1970-72), Head of the Pediatric Surgical Service at Cruces Hospital in Bilbao, Spain (1972-1984 ) and Surgeon-in-Charge of Pediatric Surgery at SUNY-Stony Book University Hospital, N.Y., USA, (1982) .

Member of the Cruces Hospital Management Board, Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain (1976-1983), and CEO of Galdakao Hospital, 600 beds, Bizcaia, Basque Country, Spain (1984-85).

Medical teaching activities as Assistant Professor of Surgery at Madrid University (1960 62), Tufts University, Boston, USA, (1970 72), and as Associate Professor of Surgery at the Bilbao University (1976 80), at the New York State University, USA, as visiting Associate Professor in Surgery (1982) .

Medical research projects for the Spanish Research Council (1959 60), the US National Institute of Health (1963 64, 1967) and the US Federal Drug Administration at Tufts University (1968 70), the American Heart Association at Boston University, (1970 72), the New York State University at Stony Brook, LI, (1982 83) .

This work has been published in books, clinical journals, research journals and quality management journals.

Quality related Bibliography

1. Ruiz, U. Plan de Garantía de Calidad Total en Atención Sanitaria. Programa Marco: 1ª Fase, 1986-1990.(1988) Instituto Nacional de la Salud (INSALUD), -Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid, E

2. WHO-Europe.(1990) The Spanish Total Quality Assurance Programme, First Phase 1986-1990.,Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organisation, EUR/ICP/HSR 031, 7977s.

3. Ruiz , U., ed.(1990): Gestión Analítica. Hacia la Contabilidad Analítica en los hospitales. Instituto Nacional de la Salud (INSALUD), Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid, E.

4. Ruiz , U., ed.(1991): Programa Signo. Manual del Usuario. Gestión Analítica. Hacia la Contabilidad Analítica en los hospitales. Instituto Nacional de la Salud (INSALUD), Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid, E.

5. Unidad de Garantia de Calidad Total,(1990): Clasificación Internacional de enfermedades, 9ª Revisión, Modificación Clinica, Manual de Uso, Instituto Nacional de la Salud, Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid, E.

6. Ruiz, U. ed.(1991) : Manual del Programa Epihos, Instituto Nacional de la Salud (INSALUD), Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid, E.

7. Ruiz, U., ed.(1991): Guía de propuestas para la acreditación de hospitales en España. Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Madrid, E.

8. Ruiz U, Acedo K, Buenaventura R, Coll J, Coronado S, Rivero A, Rocillo S (1992) Implementing Total Quality Management in the Spanish Healthcare System. Qual.Ass. Health Care, Vol. 4, pp. 43-59

9. Ruiz U, Simón J.(1994): La mejora Continua en el sistema sanitario: resultados de la 1ª fase de implantación del Plan de Calidad en España (1986-1992). Rev. San. Hig. Pub. Vol. 68, pp. 535-548.

10. Simón J, Ruiz U. (1995) :Accreditation Trends in Spain. International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Vol. 10, pp. 193-200.

11. Simón J., Ruiz U.(1995) Actividades de garantía de calidad en 62 hospitales del Sistema Nacional de Salud en España. Rev Esp Salud Pública Vol. 69, pp.341-347.

12. Ruiz U, Simón J, Molina P, Jimenez J, Grandal J (1999), A two level integrated approach to self-assessment in health care organizations. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance Vol. 12, Nº 4, pp.135-142

13.Ruiz, U., Simón J.,(2004) Quality Management in Health Care. A twenty years journey. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance. Vol. 17, Nº. 6, pp. 323-333.

14.Ruiz U, Simon J. (2004) : “Selecting Successful Health System Managing Approaches” Ch 13 in C.Glen Mayhall (ed.): Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control, Lippincot, Williams & Wilkins, New York, USA,