Striving for Improvement
The roots of this effort began with a “Pursuing Perfection” grant in 2002 from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation, which focused largely on improving outcomes for children with cystic fibrosis. The success of that project led to the formation of the James M. Anderson Center for Health Systems Excellence in 2010, which not only studies breakthroughs in quality improvement but works to accelerate adoption of data-driven best practices once they emerge.
Kotagal was the center’s first director. Now the Anderson Center, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, is led by co-directors Steve Muething, MD, and Peter Margolis, MD, PhD,
The low-key, selfless approach exemplified by Kotagal proved crucial to enticing and inspiring other leaders and organizations to partner with Cincinnati Children’s to form “learning networks.” This approach to driving change brings families, doctors, scientists, advocacy groups and otherwise highly competitive health organizations together as co-creators to pursue a common cause.
It works. Since its formation, the Anderson Center has supported more than 558 learning network teams across 286 pediatric care organizations in 43 states and five countries (Belgium, Canada, Qatar and the United Kingdom.) Examples of this concept in action include the All Children Thrive Learning Network, ImproveCareNow, Children’s Hospitals’ Solutions for Patient Safety, the Ohio Perinatal Quality Collaborative and more.
“My philosophy has always been to say yes when I can, to put kids and families first, and to change the systems so they work better for the kids and families,” Kotagal said in a recent interview for a Cincinnati Children’s alumni profile.
While her intentionally low-key approach to influencing systems has kept her name largely out of the media spotlight, Kotagal’s many achievements have been widely recognized in the medical community and among civic leaders.
Next Steps
Looking forward, Kotagal says she plans to continue her work with the Cincinnati Public Schools, and to spend more time with her family. One of her children, Meera Kotagal, MD, is a pediatric surgeon at Cincinnati Children’s.
“I’m hoping to hang on for a little bit longer,” Kotagal told Spectrum News One in Ohio, “To continue to be a little bit of a pain in the neck. To keep pushing the boundaries.”