Are you ready to tackle the toughest challenges in healthcare leadership? The Foundations for Excellence in Healthcare Leadership Program equips early-career leaders with the skills to manage teams, drive improvements, support workplace wellbeing, and navigate change. Gain practical tools, build confidence, and learn how to lead with impact – so you can solve real-world problems and advance your career.
Program Structure
| Session | Date | Time (Pacific) | Location |
| Healthcare Leadership & Quality Improvement | Cohort 9: 01/15/26 Cohort 10: 01/27/26 Cohort 11: 03/12/26 | 8:30 AM -12:30 PM 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM | UCSF, San Francisco |
| Leading People | Cohort 9: 01/29/26 Cohort 10: 02/10/26 Cohort 11: 03/26/26 | 8:30 AM -11:00 AM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Virtual |
| Leading Change | Cohort 9: 02/12/26 Cohort 10: 02/24/26 Cohort 11: 04/09/26 | 8:30 AM -11:00 AM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Virtual |
| Innovation & Creativity in Healthcare | Cohort 9: 02/26/26 Cohort 10: 03/10/26 Cohort 11: 04/23/26 | 8:30 AM -11:00 AM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Virtual |
| Workplace Wellbeing & Leadership | Cohort 9: 03/12/26 Cohort 10: 03/24/26 Cohort 11: 05/21/26 | 8:30 AM -11:00 AM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Virtual |
| Financial Management | Cohort 9: 03/26/26 Cohort 10: 04/07/26 Cohort 11: 05/21/26 | 8:30 AM -11:00 AM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM 12:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Virtual |
| Dissemination, Storytelling & Career Mapping | Cohort 9: 04/09/26 Cohort 10: 04/21/26 Cohort 11: 06/04/26 | 8:30 AM -12:30 PM 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM | UCSF, San Francisco |
In addition to learning sessions, participants will:
- Complete assigned pre-work prior to each session.
- Apply concepts from the program to implement a leadership change initiative in a work setting and share results at the end of the program.
- Understand the value of mentorship and secure a mentor to support your career journey.
Program Expectations
Participants are expected to:
- Attend all live learning sessions as scheduled (20.5 hours)
- Must attend at least 80% of the scheduled learning session time to be eligible for continuing education credits and a certificate of completion. All missed sessions require make-up work to be eligible for credits and a certificate.
- Complete assigned pre-work for each session (~1 hour per session, 6-9 hours total)
- Pre-work may include readings, videos, podcasts, and psychometric assessments to help contextualize the content and conversations of the live learning sessions.
- Complete a leadership change initiative and share results (~13 hours)
- Collect baseline data to substantiate that a problem needs to be addressed
- Meet with your supervisor or initiative sponsor about your initiative between each learning session for support and to troubleshoot challenges.
- Apply quality improvement and change management principles into the development of a change initiative plan
- Conduct the necessary work in your area to make progress on your change initiative.
- Share a summary in a provided template to showcase your identified problem, 1-2 metrics, your intervention, and results.
Testimonials
“I truly enjoyed the program! It was very thoughtfully put together. I feel very privileged to be exposed to so many subject matter experts. I really appreciate that there are leadership experiences like this available without having a particular job title as a prerequisite. Thank you to the team for this opportunity!”
“This program provided a different lens on leadership and shifted the focus from being the problem solver to helping others reach their potential.”
“This program has provided a well-rounded set of skills and knowledge important to advancing my career in healthcare.”
Continuing Education
UCSF Leadership Institute is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Participants will be awarded 20.5 Contact Hour(s) for participation in the course.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider # CEP 12980, for 20.5 Contact Hour(s).
Application Deadline: 11/14/25
Notified of Acceptance: 11/21/25
Deadline to Confirm Participation: 12/5/25
FAQs
1. What work do I need to do for the leadership change initiative before and during the program?
- We encourage you to work closely with the leadership in your area to select a problem that has already been identified in your work area and has data to indicate it is a problem. All problems must connect to at least one of the UCSF Health True North Pillars and to strategic priorities within your work area.
- As part of your application to the program, you must submit a description of a challenge/problem in your work area that you want to address, 1-2 baseline metrics that provide evidence that it is a problem, a target for what change you hope to see with your problem after implementing a change, and how your outcomes will be measured.
- Throughout the program, you’ll learn strategies to introduce change, measure outcomes, and share results. Your supervisor (or organizational initiative sponsor) will be required to support the strategy and implementation of your change initiative through regular check-ins with you throughout the program. You should take the lead with scheduling meetings with your initiative sponsor to set yourself up for success with the project. This hands-on initiative allows you to apply leadership skills to real challenges – and gives you a sustainable process to use and create a lasting impact throughout your career.
2. What are examples of problems that others addressed for the change initiative?
- Team engagement scores were below expectations in areas like recognition and perceived value of opinions.
- Steroid administration for patients with acute asthma exacerbation is longer than national standards.
- No standardized scoring tool or method to document risk level in the EHR which can impact patient safety.