Network History
This history of the Quality Leaders Network describes how the network was initially formed and the significant events that have happened since its inception.
The idea for the Quality Leader's Network was first developed during a Council on Accreditation (COA) - Continuous Quality Improvement training in Philadelphia on July 30th, 1999. Members of the training included many Quality Improvement professionals from the Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland areas. Participants were energized by the networking that happened during the training and wished to continue the dialogue into the future.
A listserv was discussed but, in the end, Lutheran Children and Family Service of Eastern Pennsylvania (LCFS) volunteered to sponsor a web page that would provide discussion groups and list all the names and email addresses of people who attended the COA training. As the website was being developed, several quality improvement staff from Philadelphia area agencies decided to begin meeting as a group. The first meeting was organized by LCFS, Bennett and Simpson Enrichment Services (BASES) and Catholic Social Services.
The following is a list of significant events and activities that have continued to spur our growth.
| November 1999 | The network adopts a social service industry focus that includes agencies beyond the original child and family service scope. |
| March 2000 | Artman Lutheran Home, a long term care organization, joins the network as the first agency from outside the child and family services industry. |
| June 2000 | The Quality Leaders Network expands membership to 23 states with the addition of a member from Tennessee. |
| November 2000 | A Philadelphia Team Charter is finalized and provides a detailed foundation for ongoing activities and networking opportunities. |
| December 2000 | Marketing materials are developed and sent to members for distribution at conferences and training events nation-wide |
| March 2001 | The first network participant from Europe (Luxembourg) registers as a QLN member. |
| May 2001 | The Network begins a voluntary fee-based membership program to help raise funds for ongoing and expanded programming. |
| August 2001 | The QLN is presented at a workshop for the Council on Accreditation's 2nd Annual Conference on Best Practice. Fifteen new members are recruited, bringing membership to over 100 participants in 32 states. |
| October 2001 | The Quality Leaders Network first official training event is made available to all network members through video streaming and presentation material downloads. (10/24/01) |
