Profile
Dr Alvin Chang is the Director, Department of Quality, Safety and Risk Management (QSRM) and Senior Consultant, Department of Neonatology, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH). He co-chairs the Hospital Quality and Patient Safety Standards (HQPSS) committee where he pioneered work to contextualise the Joint Commission International (JCI) standards applicable to KKH. These led to a change in mindset on accreditation survey as a means for continuous improvement, rather than an ‘examination’. His experience in this led to his involvement in the Ministry of Health Ensure Safer System (MOH-ESS) initiative riding on the contextualised JCI standards to be applied to hospitals in Singapore. He is an MOH-ESS Leader representing KKH and contributed to the various national workgroups- contextualise standards, MOH-ESS handbook, Accreditation Manager Program (AMP) Standardized Tracers within MOH etc. Prior to this, Dr Chang served as the Faculty Member and Improvement Advisor for the Singapore Healthcare Improvement Network (SHINe), a collaborative program with Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) which resulted in reduction of harm in patients nationally.
He chairs the KKH Patient Safety and Risk Council and is a Patient Safety Champion. Dr Chang conducts regular Root Cause Analysis (RCA) workshops and Speak Up for Safety seminars in KKH and at the SingHealth DUKE-NUS Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (IPSQ). He had done work in areas of safety culture within KKH and contributed to the SingHealth cluster in crafting materials and conducting workshops in TeamSpeak and TeamChoice.
Dr Chang led a team from the Neonatal department using quality improvement tools to reduce the incidents of chronic lung diseases of infancy in year 2013. This project won awards and started the continuous improvement journey in the NICU to further improve the outcomes of high-risk preterm infants. He is the President of the Singapore Paediatric Society and an EXCO of the Healthcare Quality Society of Singapore. He had published a Cochrane review on neonatal transport and other scientific papers in various peer-reviewed journals locally and internationally on a range of quality, safety and neonatal-related topics. He is one of the few recognised Neonatal Resuscitation Instructors certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) based in Singapore.
Dr Chang had also been involved in training and facilitation of healthcare systems in the region. This included Neonatal Resuscitation Training in Indonesia in 2011 and Quality and Patient safety workshops in India and Myanmar in 2016 and 2019 respectively. He is involved in his capacity as a Clinical Consultant to the Ministry of Health, Maldives in setting up, training and conduct of healthcare accreditation standards together with a team from the SingHealth DUKE-NUS IPSQ.
Education
- Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management and Leadership (SMU) 2022
- ARiMI-CRPM Asia Risk Management Institute (Singapore) 2016
- FAMS Fellow of the Academy of Medicine (Singapore) 2013
- FRCP Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK) 2012
- FRCPCH Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh, UK) 2011
- MRCP Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh, UK) 2002
- MRCPCH Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (UK) 2001
- MBBS Manipal Academy of Higher Education (India) 1997
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Professional Appointments and Committee Memberships
Professional Appointments
- Director (Head), Department of Quality, Safety and Risk Management (QSRM)- 1/8/2023 onwards
- Senior Consultant, Department of Neonatology, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital- 1/5/2016 onwards
- Faculty – SingHealth DUKE-NUS Institute for Patient Safety and Quality (IPSQ)- 2018 onwards
- Faculty and Improvement Advisor- Singapore Healthcare Improvement Network (SHINe)- 2016 to 2020
- Adj Ass Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore- 1/8/2012 onwards
- Clinical Asst Professor, DUKE-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore- 1/12/2012 onwards
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, National Technological University (NTU), Singapore- 1/3/2019 onwards
- Clinical Physician Faculty Member, SingHealth Paediatric Residency
Committee Memberships
Neonatal Departmental Committees:
- Quality Assurance (QA) Committee – Overall Lead
- Neonatal Ambulatory workgroup - Member
- Neonatal Transport Workgroup – Member
Institutional Committees:
- Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety Standards (HQPSS)- Co-chair
- Patient Safety and Risk Council – Chairman
- Patient Safety Champion
- Medical Board- Member
- Senior Management- Member
- Medication Safety Committee- Member
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee- Member
- Hospital Nutrition Steering Committee- Member
- Laser Committee- Member
- Paediatric Academic Clinical Program (ACP) Quality Improvement- Member
- CMB-Clinical Heads- Member
SingHealth Cluster / Ministry of Health
- SingHealth IPSQ Council- Member
- SingHealth Risk Dashboard Development Taskforce- Member
- SingHealth Patient Safety and Quality (PSQ) Career Development Pathway- Member
- SingHealth TeamCHOICE, TeamSPEAK and TeamSTEPPS workgroups- Member
- MOH Ensure Safer System (MOH-ESS)- Leader (representing KKH)
- MOH-ESS Hospital Standards Subcommittee- Member
- MOH-ESS Handbook for Hospital Standards- Clarification and Assesor Tips- Contributing Author
- MOH-ESS Standardized Tracer Committee- Member
- MOH-ESS Community of Practice for Leaders- Member
Professional Bodies/Societies:
- Singapore Paediatric Society – President, 2020- Present
- Healthcare Quality Society of Singapore – EXCO member, 2023-2024
- Perinatal Society of Malaysia – President, 2010 – 2011
- Federation of Asia-Oceania Perinatal Societies (FAOPS) – Council Member, 2010 – 2012
- Malaysia National Neonatal Registry – Co-Chairman, 2007 – 2009
- National Lactation Centre, Malaysia – Co-Chairman, 2008 – 2009
- Cancerlink Foundation Malaysia – Board Member, 2009 – 2010
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Awards
- Golden Apple Award- Programme Excellence Award (Interprofessional) category, Academic Medicine Education Institute (AM-EI) - 2023
- Target Zero Harm Award Team Category, KKH- 2023
- Long Service Award, DUKE-NUS Medical School- 2023
- Target Zero Harm Award (Team Category), SingHealth DUKE-NUS IPSQ- 2020
- Target Zero Harm Award Team Category, KKH- 2020
- Long Service Award- 10 years- SingHealth, 2021
- Gold Award, Asia Healthcare Management Award- 2019
- Merit Award, Singapore Healthcare Management Award- 2018
- Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP) Award, 2013
FY 2013 for a fellowship at the Jackson Memorial Hospital, University of Miami, USA on Neonatal Respiratory Function and Graphics - Merit Award, 2013
Poster presentation at the 2nd Singapore Paediatric and Perinatology Annual Congress 2013 - Merit Award, 2012
MOH Healthcare Quality Improvement Poster Competition 2012 - Certificate of Commendation, 2008
Cancerlink Exemplar Volunteer Awards (in conjunction with International Volunteers Day 2008 - Excellent Service Award, 2003
Perak State Department of Health, Malaysia
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Research Interests
- Healthcare Quality- Quality Improvement methods, Quality assurances, Accreditation standards and survey methodology
- Patient Safety and Risk Management- Root Cause Analysis, Enterprise-wide Risk Management, Just Culture,
- Neonatology- Neonatal Resuscitation, Neonatal transport
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Publications
- James Webbe, Ami Baba, Nancy J. Butcher, Craig Rodrigues, Emma Stallwood, Katherine Goren, Andrea Monsour, Alvin S.M. Chang, Amit Trivedi, Brett J. Manley, Emma McCall, Fiona Bogossian, Fumihiko Namba, Georg M. Schmolzer, Jane Harding, Kim An Nguyen, Lex W. Doyle, Luke Jardine, Matthew A. Rysavy, Menelaos Konstantinidis, Michael Meyer, Muhd Alwi Muhd Helmi, Nai Ming Lai, Susanne Hay, Wes Onland, Yao Mun Choo, Chris Gale, MBBS, Roger F. Soll, Martin Offringa, on behalf of the Core Outcome Reporting in Neonatal Trials Study Group.Strengthening Reporting of Neonatal Trials. Pediatrics. 2023;152(3):e2022060765
- Ami Baba, James Webbe, Nancy J. Butcher, Craig Rodrigues, Emma Stallwood, Katherine Goren, Andrea Monsour, Alvin S.M. Chang, Amit Trivedi, Brett J. Manley, Emma McCall, Fiona Bogossian, Fumihiko Namba, Georg M. Schmolzer, Jane Harding, Kim An Nguyen, Lex W. Doyle, Luke Jardine, Matthew A. Rysavy, Menelaos Konstantinidis, Michael Meyer, Muhd Alwi Muhd Helmi, Nai Ming Lai, Susanne Hay, Wes Onland, Yao Mun Choo, Chris Gale, MBBS, Roger F. Soll, Martin Offringa, on behalf of the Core Outcome Reporting in Neonatal Trials Study Group. Heterogeneity and Gaps in Reporting Primary Outcomes From Neonatal Trials. Pediatrics. 2023;152(3):e2022060751
- Kok Hian Tan, Alvin S M Chang. Raising Academic Standards for Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality. Journal of Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality. 2022;1(1):1
- P Huang, ZL Kang, LE Loh, AA Abdul Haium, ASM Chang. The Neonatal Transport Service
in Singapore: a 5-year review. Annals, Academy of Medicine Singapore.2020;49(3):171-174
- Yeo CL, Biswas A, Ee TTK, Chinnadurai A, Baral VR, Chang ASM, Ereno IL, Ho KYS, Poon WB, Shah VA, Quek BH. Singapore National Neonatal Resuscitation Guideline 2016. Singapore Medical Journal 2017;58(7):391-403
- Specialty teams for neonatal transport to neonatal intensive care units for prevention of morbidity and mortality. Chang ASM, Berry A, Jones LJ, Sivasangari S. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2015, Issue 10. Art. No.: CD007485.DOI:10.1002/14651858. CD007485.pub2
- Reducing Chronic Lung Disease by Streamlining Evidence based practices. Chang ASM, Chandran S, Lim BL, Tai R, Ortiz AS, Fernandez RM, Gomez JM, Rajadurai VS. Abstract/Poster/Exhibit – PS21 ExCEL Convention 2013, Singapore.
- Redesign the process of respiratory management of infants with birth weight <1250gms in order to reduce Chronic Lung Disease. Chang ASM, Chandran S, Lim BL, Tai R, Fernandez RM, Gomez JM, Rajadurai VS. Abstract/Poster – MOH Healthcare Quality Improvement Poster Competition 2012 – won the Merit Award
- Case series of on-immune hydrops Fetalis at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital: a six-year experience. Ng ZM, Seet MJ, Erng MN, Buendia F, Chang ASM, Sriram B. Singapore medical Journal 2013; 54(9):487-90
- Turner T, Shirt J, SEA-ORCHID Study Group. Barriers to and enablers of evidence-based practice in perinatal care in the SEA-OORCHID project. J Eval Clin Pract. 2011 Nov 29
- Ho JJ, Japaraj RP, Anuar CY, Van Rostenberghe HA, Chang ASM, Sivasangari S. Influence of a targeted educational intervention on evidence-based practice in two Malaysian maternity units: the SEA ORCHID project in Malaysia. Med J Malaysia. 2011;66(4):288-95
- SEA-ORCHID Study Group, Lumbiganon P, McDonald SJ, Laopaiboon M, Turner T, GreenS. Crowther CA. Impact of increasing capacity for generating and using research on maternal and perinatal health practices in South East Asia (SEA-ORCHID Project). PloS One 2011;6(9):e23994
- Report of the Malaysia National Neonatal Registry 2017 – A study of critically ill babies in neonatal intensive care units. Chang ASM, Lee JFK, Boo NY, Thong MK, Soo TL, Rostenberghe HV. Malaysian National Neonatal Registry Published 2010.
- Ho JJ, Pattanittum P, Japaraj RP, Turner T, Swadpanich U, Crowther CA, SEA-ORCHID Study Group. Influence of training in the use and generation of evidence on episiotomy practice and perineal trauma. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2010 Oct;111(1):13-8.
- Short J, Mc Donald S, Turner T, Martis R, SEA-ORCHID Study Group. Improving capacity for evidence-based practice in South East Asia: evaluating the role of research fellowships in the SEA-ORCHID project. BMC Med Educ. 2010 May 22;10:37.
- Report of the Malaysian National Neonatal Registry 2006 – A study of critically ill babies in neonatal intensive care units. Chang ASM, Lee JFK, Boo NY, Thong MK, Soo TL, Rostenberghe HV. Malaysian National Neonatal Registry Published 2009.
- Turner TJ, Short J, SEA-ORCHID Study Group. Maternal and perinatal guideline development in hospitals in South East Asia: the experience of the SEA-ORCHID project. Health Res Policy Syst. 2009 May 8;7:10.
- Thinkhamrop J, Turner T, Subramaniam S, SEA-ORCHID Study Group. Maternal and perinatal guideline development in hospitals in South East Asia: results from the SEA-ORCHID project. Health Res Policy Syst. 2009 May 8;7:9.
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension. Alvin S M Chang. Paediatric Protocols for Malaysian Hospital (2nd edition), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2008. ISSN 1823-3856 Pg 76
- Patent ductus arteriosus in preterms. Alvin S M Chang. Paediatric Protocols for Malaysian Hospital (2nd edition), Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2008. ISSN 1823-3856 Pg 75
- Changes in the process of care and outcome over a 10-year period in a neonatal nursery in a developing country. Ho JJ, Koh CW, Chang ASM. Jour of Trop Pediatr 2007; 53(4):232-37
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