Wendy M. Novicoff, Ph.D. is a Professor in Public Health Sciences, heading the Novicoff Program in Research in Quality and Patient Safety, coordinating the Be Smart-Be Safe Program in Quality and Patient Safety (a joint program between the School of Medicine and the UVA Hospital), and participating in the Clinical Outcomes and Comparative Effectiveness Research program.  She is a health services researcher employing both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, with special expertise in outcomes evaluation, program design and evaluation, and performance improvement in hospitals and health systems.  She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, and she has taught quality and performance improvement to groups both within UVA and around the country, including serving as Faculty for the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).  Dr. Novicoff also has a faculty appointment with Orthopaedic Surgery, where she leads clinical outcomes research projects with residents and faculty.  She has published more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, and she has presented more than 100 abstracts at national and international conferences.