Caring Wisely FY 2025 Project Contest

UCSF Health and the UCSF Center for Healthcare Value (CHV) sponsors awards of up to $50,000 for one year to faculty and staff for collaborative projects that can be implemented to reduce waste and lower health care costs while maintaining or improving health at UCSF Health, which consists of UCSF Medical Center, Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, and the UCSF faculty practice group and ambulatory clinics.

 

 

We invite the submission of any proposal that improves healthcare value at UCSF Health. UCSF Health is also particularly interested in proposals that address value improvement opportunities in one of the below areas. All submissions must have a plan to evaluate and improve health equity:

  • Improve Hospital Throughput and Reduce Excess Inpatient Bed Days
  • Improve Outpatient, Inpatient, or Perioperative Clinical Access
  • Reduce Hospital Acquired Conditions and Infections
  • Reduce Unnecessary Testing

Read important information about this forum

  • Jan 22 - Mar 1 - Project Contest 1st Round

    Proposal Submission Deadline

    Proposal submissions due by 5pm | Fri., March 1, 2024

    • Projects with a projected direct cost savings of greater than $250,000 are more likely to be selected (click on the "Read important information about this forum" link on the home page to see more criteria for winning).
    • The Center for Healthcare Value will offer “Office Hours” to answer questions and provide guidance on cost analysis. To schedule a 25 minute Zoom meeting, please email Brian.Holt@ucsf.edu.

    During this time, project teams should:

    • Build your core team and extended stakeholders interested in this problem.
    • Browse proposals and comment to improve others' proposal.
    • Review comments and provide additional information if necessary.
  • Mar 11 - 2nd Round Finalists Announced
    • 2nd Round Finalists announced on March 11th, 2024
    • Proposal submissions are reviewed.
    • Selected finalists will be invited to proceed to the Optimization Phase.
  • Mar 11 - Mar 29: 2nd Round Finalists Optimization Phase

    Final updates to 2nd round proposals must be complete before 5pm | Fri., March 29th, 2024

    During this time, project teams should:

    • Optimize your proposal
      • Stay on top of OpenProposal comments, answer questions, and ask new ones!
    • Continue to build your core team and extended stakeholders interested in this problem
    • Obtain sign-off from the Executive Sponsor(s)
  • Apr 15 - Apr 29: Executive Committee Review of 2nd Round Submissions
    • Finalist proposals are reviewed.
  • May 6: FY25 Caring WiselyTM $50K Project Awards Announced

    Winners will be announced on Mon., May 6, 2024

Open Submission

Proposals (32 total)

Displaying 11 - 20

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HEAD-GAIN: Improving Access, Reducing Overutilization

Submitted by Pierre Martin on February 28, 2025 - 2:40pm Last revised by Pierre Martin on February 28, 2025 - 4:07pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open

PROPOSAL TITLE: Headache Evaluation and Diagnosis - with Generative Artificial INtelligence (HEAD-GAIN): Improving Access, Reducing Overutilization

PROJECT LEAD(S):

-               Pierre Martin, MD, MEd

-               Andrew Breithaupt, MD

EXECUTIVE SPONSOR(S): 

-               Maggie Waung, MD, PhD

ABSTRACT

Enhancing Neonatal Care Through Lactation Support and Oral Milk Drops

Submitted by Rebecca Carter on February 28, 2025 - 1:51pm Last revised by Rebecca Carter on February 28, 2025 - 1:52pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open

PROJECT LEADS: Rebecca Carter, MD, Vidya Pai, MD, Clare Pearson, RN, CNL

EXECUTIVE SPONSORS: James Anderson, MD, Director of Neonatology, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland, Leslie Lusk, MD, Medical Director, ECMO Co-Medical Director, UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland 

Targeting Plasma Metagenomic Sequencing to Improve Patient Care and Reduce Waste

Submitted by Natasha Spottiswoode on February 27, 2025 - 11:04am Last revised by Natasha Spottiswoode on February 27, 2025 - 11:35am.
Proposal Status: 
Open

Plasma metagenomic sequencing (pmNGS) is an infectious disease diagnostic tool that detects microbial DNA from patient plasma1. Due to its unbiased nature, pmNGS can identify bacteria, fungi, parasites and DNA viruses, including those clinicians may have not considered in their differential diagnosis or that are difficult to identify via standard testing2. The diagnostic power of pmNGS can circumvent invasive and expensive diagnostic procedures3 and, potentially, shorten patient stays.

Establishing a Pharmacist-led Cytomegalovirus Stewardship Program to Reduce Hospital Admissions, Length of Stay, and CMV Resistance

Submitted by Jessica Reeves on February 25, 2025 - 3:31pm Last revised by Jessica Reeves on February 25, 2025 - 3:39pm.
Proposal Status: 
Open

PROJECT LEAD(S): Jessica Reeves, PharmD 

The Accelerated Discharge Program: An Interprofessional Effort to Use Early Identification and Coordination of Next Day Discharges to Improve Rate of On-Time Discharges and Reduce Length of Stay

Submitted by Prashant Patel on March 2, 2024 - 8:49am Last revised by Brian Holt on March 8, 2024 - 2:55pm.
Primary Author: Monisha Bhatia
Proposal Status: 
Not Selected for This Round

PROJECT LEAD(S):

  • Monisha Bhatia, MD – Assistant Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine
  • Prashant Patel, DO – Assistant Professor, Division of Hospital Medicine

EXECUTIVE SPONSOR(S):

  • Bradley Monash, MD – Vice Chief of Clinical Affairs, Hospital Medicine

 

ABSTRACT:

Enhancing Equity and Value with ED-initiated Palliative Care Consults

Submitted by Susan Lambe on March 1, 2024 - 5:04pm Last revised by Brian Holt on March 8, 2024 - 2:55pm.
Primary Author: Michaela Gonzalez
Proposal Status: 
Not Selected for This Round

PROPOSAL TITLE: Enhancing Equity and Value with ED-initiated Palliative Care Consults 

PROJECT LEAD(S): Michaela Gonzalez MD and Susan Lambe MD

EXECUTIVE SPONSOR(S): An executive sponsor is a senior leader(s) in your clinical or operational area who is responsible for the overall success of the project and can assist with the removal of systems barriers. Project teams must remain in regular contact with their executive sponsor(s) throughout the project year. 

Community based Patient Navigator Program as an Intervention to Minimize the impact of Social Determinants of Health on Surgical Outcomes in Pediatric Population

Submitted by Lan Vu on March 1, 2024 - 5:00pm Last revised by Brian Holt on March 8, 2024 - 2:55pm.
Proposal Status: 
Not Selected for This Round
  • PROJECT LEAD(S): Lan Vu, MD, MAS; Doruk Ozgediz, MD, MSc
  • EXECUTIVE SPONSOR(S): Atsuko Baba, MD; Hanmin Lee, MD
  • ABSTRACT - One paragraph summary of your proposed initiative – Limit 1500 characters (with spaces)

There is growing literature on the importance of social determinants of health (SDoH) on surgical quality outcomes in the pediatric population.

Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) Reduction through Diagnostic Stewardship

Submitted by Cass Sandoval on March 1, 2024 - 4:58pm Last revised by Brian Holt on March 8, 2024 - 2:55pm.
Proposal Status: 
Not Selected for This Round

PROPOSAL TITLE: Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) Reduction through Diagnostic Stewardship

PROJECT LEAD(S):  HAI Committee Leads (PCD/CNS, MD, HEIP)

EXECUTIVE SPONSOR(S):

  • Art Dominguez, Chief Nursing Officer, Adult Services
  • Nerys Benfield, Interim Chief Medical Officer, Adult Services

ABSTRACT  

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