Dave Williams

David M. Williams, PhD is Executive Director for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and co-lead of the Improvement Capability Focus Area. He has served as the Improvement Advisor for large collaboratives in the United States and Europe, including Impacting Cost & Quality in the U.S., the NHS South West Patient Quality and Safety Programme in England, and the Scottish Government Early Years Collaborative. Dr. Williams is faculty for the IHI Open School and IHI’s Improvement Advisor Professional Development Program. He coaches teams and has taught improvement science programs in the U.S. and abroad. He created the Mr. Potato Head exercise, used worldwide to teach PDSA testing and measurement.
A paramedic by background, Dr. Williams practiced in urban EMS systems for many years and is internationally known as an expert on paramedic care and emergency medical services systems. He serves as Improvement Advisor to the prehospital patient safety and care improvement work at Hamad Medical Corporation’s Ambulance Service in Qatar. Dr. Williams is a 2013 alumni of the Leadership Austin Essentials program and serves as Vice Chairman of the Board for CommUnityCare in Austin, TX, one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Center systems in the United States. Prior to joining IHI, he led a consulting practice focused on improvement science and expert consulting in education, public safety, and health care.
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