Author | Lightnews

Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · 20h

From Building to Accelerating. Over the past decade, many leaders have laid a strong foundation for quality. The structures and people are in place. Now the question is: how do we move from a good start to accelerating quality across the system?

davidmwilliamsphd.com/2025/11/06/m...

Moving from Developing to Accelerating - David M. Williams PhD

Healthcare leaders are constantly watching —CMS star ratings, Leapfrog safety grades, and U.S. News “Best Hospital” rankings. Strong results bring a momentRead More

davidmwilliamsphd.com

Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · 18d

A great new paper on advanced PDSA using planned experimentation by Dr. Shafer at CHOC Children's. His project was to improve examination of ocular abnormalities in newborns. You can read the full paper here.
bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/14/4...

Improving completion of the red reflex examination at neonatal intensive care unit discharge: a practice improvement initiative and multisite planned experiment

Background Completing the red reflex examination (RRE) of the eyes to screen for ophthalmologic abnormalities is an essential component of the newborn physical examination. An abnormal RRE should prom...

bmjopenquality.bmj.com

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Oct 2

I am no pioneer at using AI in improvement work. I run small PDSA tests everyday to learn how it works and where it’s useful (and not). Here are four learning cycles and what I discovered.

davidmwilliamsphd.com/2025/09/30/f...

Four PDSA Tests of Artificial Intelligence - David M. Williams PhD

Photo by Hitesh Choudhary on Unsplash I’m not an AI pioneer. On Everett Roger’s adoption curve, I’m somewhere between an early adopterRead More

davidmwilliamsphd.com

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Reposted by Dave Williams

Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · Sep 19

I have a major piece in Bloomberg Citylab today. Should the US let transit fail, as Pennsylvania is already doing? And if not, what are the arguments we need to let it succeed?

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Should We Let Public Transit Die?

Urban-rural hostility is fueling a public transportation crisis in US cities. But demands to abandon bus and train riders ignore the economic and social costs of cutting service.

www.bloomberg.com

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Sep 18

I listen to @kutnews.bsky.social for news and @kutx.bsky.social for Austin music everyday. I also watch @pbsnews.org on @austinpbs.bsky.social nightly. I just increased my monthly membership. Join me.

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Aug 26

One struggles for leaders is figuring out how to focus attention on the work that best serves the customer and will get the desired results. A great place to begin is your vector of measures. Here are steps to take and questions to ask... davidmwilliamsphd.com/2021/02/07/u...

Using Your Vector of Measures to Guide Action - David M. Williams PhD

By David M. Williams, Ph.D. Figure. Vector of Measures Displayed in Shewhart Charts (Source: QOS) One of the toughest struggles for leadersRead More

davidmwilliamsphd.com

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Jul 9

People will manipulate a system if they feel it doesn't allow them to be their best. Here's an interesting example of researchers embedding hidden prompts in manuscripts to trick AI LLMs that journal reviewers may be potentially using.

asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tec...

@thebenedictevans.bsky.social

'Positive review only': Researchers hide AI prompts in papers

Instructions in preprints from 14 universities highlight controversy on AI in peer review

asia.nikkei.com

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Reposted by Dave Williams

Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Nov 10

Starter pack for #improvementscience

go.bsky.app/DWvuaeu

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Reposted by Dave Williams

Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Apr 10

Powerful benchmark: compare a new employee on day 1 with the same person 6 or 12 months later. Are they still eager to find purpose, contribute meaningfully, and make a difference?

QOS is an alternative—methods that transforms how people work together. bit.ly/QOSbook

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Jun 25

A large proportion of EMS patients do not benefit from ER transport. ET3 tried to change that. A failure not captured in this paper was the scale of the initiative without a pilot to create a change package and results. Still opportunity to improve. www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

Learning From The Failure Of A CMS Emergency Medical Services Model | Health Affairs Forefront

The Emergency Triage, Treat, and Transport model, which CMS ended early in 2023, failed due to problems with program implementation, resource allocation, financial incentives with ongoing focus on fee...

www.healthaffairs.org

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Jun 5

The science writer Robert P. Crease suggests there are three crucial properties that units of measures must possess: 1) accessibility, 2) proportionality, and 3) consistency.

Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · May 2

We used to have radio on TV…King, Imus, etc. Cable news today feels stale…same show different talkers. Bothsidesism. No learning. Podcasts & YouTube bring back the long interview & complexity & nuance. Love to see cable news follow. Via @brianstelter.bsky.social www.vanityfair.com/news/story/e...

How Ezra Klein’s YouTube Makeover Points to Podcasting’s TV Future

Major news outlets, like ‘The New York Times’ and ‘The Atlantic,’ and ex-cable stars are finding audiences on YouTube. “It is television,” says ‘Mediaite’ founder Dan Abrams. “Anyone who still thinks ...

www.vanityfair.com

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Apr 17

The application deadline is Friday.

Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a select cohort of leaders in the only advanced improvement science program for emergency services.

⏳ Apps close April 18
🔗 davidmwilliamsphd.com/ems-course/

Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Apr 11

The applications deadline is one week from today. Don't miss this opportunity to be part of a select cohort of leaders in the only advanced improvement science program for emergency services.

⏳ Apps close April 18
🔗 davidmwilliamsphd.com/ems-course/

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Apr 10

Powerful benchmark: compare a new employee on day 1 with the same person 6 or 12 months later. Are they still eager to find purpose, contribute meaningfully, and make a difference?

QOS is an alternative—methods that transforms how people work together. bit.ly/QOSbook

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Apr 8

Quality as an Organizational Strategy blends the theories of systems thinking, variation, knowledge, and psychology with methods for developing a learning organization to pursue continuous, results-driven improvement.

Getting Started on Deming Institute Podcast: podcast.deming.org/getting-star...

In Their Own Words: Getting Started with Quality as an Organizational Strategy: A Conversation with Cliff Norman and David Williams

Why would any leader choose to take on a transformation that requires rethinking how they lead, how their organization functions, and how they learn? In this episode, we dive deeper with Cliff No...

podcast.deming.org

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Apr 5

Joined #handsoff crowds in Austin, Texas. #Resist.

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Apr 2

🚨 EMS leaders need more than grit—they need tools to test, measure & improve. That’s why @mtaigman.bsky.social and I built Next Level Improvement Science for EMS Leaders.

🎙️ I joined @ukrobl.bsky.social on EMS One-Stop to explain why:
🔗 davidmwilliamsphd.com/ems-course/
🎧 apple.co/4aKVQn7

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Mar 31

I am grateful to the leaders at the Quality Leaders Forum at the Children’s Hospital Association for inviting me to discuss research on the role of CQOs in driving quality across systems. It was a privilege to introduce the methods outlined in our book, "Quality as an Organizational Strategy."

Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Mar 27

Do you have 2 mins? Watch the trailer for an upcoming master class to help EMS & fire leaders build the capability to do results-driven improvement with @mtaigman.bsky.social & me.

Co-sponsored by ESO & @firstwatchdata.bsky.social

youtu.be/fKZftQw-FVo

#ems #firedepartment #ambulance

youtu.be

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Mar 26

Change requires new routines, discipline, & time & space. When pursuing quality as a strategy, QI projects help us understand the organization & the challenges of making changes. The learning system adds new methods & learning to build a system of improvement.

davidmwilliamsphd.com/2025/03/18/l...

Leadership's Learning System - David M. Williams PhD

Many leadership teams begin by establishing their own learning systems. David A. Garvin defines a learning organization as “an organization skilled atRead More

davidmwilliamsphd.com

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Mar 21

I interviewed leaders like Peter Senge, Don Berwick, Blan Godfrey, John Seddon, Paul Batalden, and Michael Maccoby and asked: What drives them to move beyond the status quo and adopt a strategy grounded in the Science of Improvement? Here's what I learned davidmwilliamsphd.com/2025/03/18/w...

Why do some leaders choose change? - David M. Williams PhD

What causes a leadership team to decide to embrace change and begin adopting quality as a strategy? Many leaders and organizations doRead More

davidmwilliamsphd.com

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Mar 17

Wednesday's zoom, I am joined by Dr. Achala Vagal, co-directer at the CCTST at the U of Cincinnati College of Med. I'll talk about the methods of Quality as an Organizational Strategy and Dr. Vagal will share what it's like using these methods to develop quality as a strategy across their system.

ISQua - International Society for Quality in Health Care @isqua.org · Mar 11

Join ISQua’s North American Community of Practice Webinar on March 19 at 12:00 PM (EST) to explore Quality as an Organizational Strategy! David M. Williams, Achala Vagal & Ulfat Shaikh share strategies & real-world insights on implementing QOS in healthcare.

Register now 👉 bit.ly/4bIQPxh

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Reposted by Dave Williams

ISQua - International Society for Quality in Health Care @isqua.org · Mar 11

Join ISQua’s North American Community of Practice Webinar on March 19 at 12:00 PM (EST) to explore Quality as an Organizational Strategy! David M. Williams, Achala Vagal & Ulfat Shaikh share strategies & real-world insights on implementing QOS in healthcare.

Register now 👉 bit.ly/4bIQPxh

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Dave Williams @davewilliamsatx.bsky.social · Mar 11

I am looking forward to joining @isqua.org to discuss building on the Science of Improvement and using methods to adopt improvement as your organizational strategy. Please register and join us. For more information on QOS: davidmwilliamsphd.com/book/ #improvementscience #quality

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