Grace Brannan elected to International Academy for Quality
CORE, OU-HCOM honored by Brannan’s membership to prestigious global organization

By Richard Heck
March 16, 2009

Grace Brannan, Ph.D., research director for the Centers for Osteopathic Research and Education (CORE), was elected associate member of the International Academy for Quality (IAQ), a prestigious global organization dedicated to examining and promoting practices of achieving quality at individual, organizational and international levels.

Brannan refers to her membership as a great honor. “This affiliation helps raise the profile of the CORE and the college,” she said. The CORE is the statewide consortium of teaching hospitals affiliated with Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (OU-HCOM). Brannan and her staff members provide research education and assistance to students, residents, hospital program directors and hospital faculty members.

IAQ, an independent, non-profit organization, brings together academic and business leaders from around the world to examine global issues related to managerial and occupational quality, including the sustainable use of resources and effective conflict resolution.

Each year, two or three new members are elected to IAQ. Membership consists of just 60 members worldwide—20 members from each of the following geographical areas: The Americas; Europe, Africa and the Middle East; and Asia, Australia, India and the Pacific.

After being nominated by at least three current academy members, new members must present their work on quality issues. Brannan’s presentation, “Six Sigma concepts in the public sector: Improving osteopathic medical research education and training through value creation,” was well-received at a meeting last fall in Manila, Philippines, she said.

“Six Sigma” is a business management strategy that identifies and eliminates the causes of errors in organizations using qualitative and statistical methods. Brannan’s presentation discussed how she uses the strategy to promote research within the CORE.

Brannan noted that IAQ members represent many different disciplines and fields, allowing for a rich exchange of ideas. “Members in private industry have concepts of quality practices that are quite different than those in the public sector,” she said, adding, “I can share my perspective and also draw on the various expertise of IAQ members to bring fresh ideas back to the CORE.”

According to Keith Watson, D.O., associate dean of graduate medical education at OU-HCOM, the college and the CORE benefit greatly from Brannan’s involvement in this prestigious academy.

“The CORE shares the honor of Brannan’s election to membership in this international organization,” Watson said. “Through her efforts, OU-HCOM and the CORE are highlighted as premium examples of quality graduate medical education.