A continuous improvement project (CIP) is a structured improvement project using a team of people to improve a process or work area over a relatively short period of time.    Since the 1980s, hospitals have been using CIPs to address some of their problems, achieving significant improvements. However, as with many other companies, hospitals often experience difficulty achieving their desired level of improvements with CIPs.  Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation is to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) related to CIP success.  This investigation was conducted in three phases: research framing, variable reduction, and model development and testing.  During these phases, the researcher used the following methodologies and data collection tools: systematic literature review, maturity framework (developed as part of this dissertation), expert study, retrospective survey questionnaire, exploratory factor analysis, partial-least squares structural equation modeling, and regression modeling.  The final results and practical implications of this dissertation consist in the identification of the following CSFs for CIP success in hospitals: Goal Characteristics, Organizational Processes, Improvement Processes, and Team Operation.  Practitioners involved with CIPs, such as CIP leaders, facilitators, and stakeholders/customers, can utilize these results to increase the likelihood of success by considering these factors in planning and conducting CIPs