Jim Handyside

Jim is a consultant specializing in healthcare safety and quality improvement. He began his career working at Ontario Hydro (electricity generation and distribution) with positions in Ergonomics and Safety. After holding a variety of positions in occupational safety he moved into healthcare safety and quality improvement and has continued with this focus for the past twenty years. In 1995 Jim formed Improvision, an independent consulting practice, and has since worked with a variety of clients in healthcare, service and manufacturing.

Improvision has led Jim to a wide range of assignments. For instance, he is director of the Vermont Oxford Network's Evidence-Based Quality Improvement Collaborative in Neonatology (NICQ) and has written a series of Human Factors tools to support improved safety in the Neonatal ICU.

Jim integrates diverse disciplines such as improvement science, systems thinking, human factors, creativity and team-based management in order to stimulate improvement and innovation. He has coached and trained interdisciplinary teams in various efforts to improve quality and safety in the Canadian and U.S. healthcare systems.

Jim holds a BSc. in Human Kinetics and is a member of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists. He has certificates in quality management, lean healthcare, safety, and education and is a lifelong learner committed to translating state-of-the-art know-how into practical support for sustainable improvement in safety and quality.