Kris Vanhaecht is Associate Professor in Quality Management at KULeuven and has been working since 1998 in the field of care process improvement and quality management. Kris became Doctor in Public Health at Leuven University in 2007. He leads research projects in the field of quality improvement and patient safety with a special interest in care process organization, person-centered care and the respectful management of clinicians & managers after patient safety incidents. Recently he was part of a team that developed a new Multidimensional Quality Model for healthcare. At Leuven University Kris holds 3 research chairs: 1) Future of Hospital Quality (Zorgnet Icuro), 2) Sustainability of Quality Management (St Trudo Hospital) 3) Using Administrative data to enhance Quality (3M) and holds the Mangomoment Research Fund on person centered care.
At federal level he is since May 2022 the Chairman of the Scientific Board of Sciensano. In Flanders he introduced a new model known as “FlaQuM“, Flanders Quality Model and it is a trademark of KU Leuven.
The model consists of a policy model, a vision model and a co-creation model. These models are in line with the ongoing change and challenges of the quality movement. The first publications are getting published and are available online.
Quality is a multidimensional concept in which the core values of care are important: dignity & respect, holistic vision, partnership, and compassion/empathy with kindness. His research line on the impact of small acts of kindness & leadership during care activities on patients and healthcare workers, is one of his recent achievements. This Mangomoment research line started one evening as a strange idea, was later launched as a study, we took an international trademark on the concept, and a media campaign in 2018 made it an inspiring movement to enhance person centered care. His Lancet Oncology perspective launched Mangomoment on international and academic level. In 2019 he published the Dutch version of the Mangomoment book and the updated English version is now available.
Kris is coordinator of the research line on quality & patient safety of the new KULeuven Institute for Healthcare Policy (Leuvens Instituut voor Gezondheidszorgbeleid – LIGB). If you are interested in his track record, just take a look at his LinkedIN page or take a look at the overview of is academic publications.
On international level he is faculty member and improvement advisor at the IHI in Boston and Quality Expert for the ISQUA. He is nowadays the Secretary General of the European Pathway Association and is international coordinator of international studies on care pathways for COPD, Hip Fracture, Acute Coronary Syndrome and Gastro-Intestinal Cancer patients.
He is part time academic policy advisor to the general management team & directorate for quality of Leuven University Hospitals and part time collaborating with Dutch hospitals on quality, safety and leadership development.
Kris is married to Skrallan Tack, a dermatologist and proud father of Manon (°2007) and Toon (°2012). You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
(Selfy of the day … Brussels, April 2022)
Kris Vanhaecht 