Archive for: May, 2009
Coordinator To-do List for June
June is such an exciting month for residency programs as your graduates leave and new residents start orientation. Needless to say, there’s enough activity going on to make your head spin.
Here are a few tasks you may want to include on your to-do list:
- Finalize and distribute orientation program for incoming house staff to all participants
- Confirm conference room reservations, caterer, and speakers for orientation
- Finalize goals and objectives, policies and procedures, and other program documents for distribution to new residents
- Update forms for new academic year
- Assemble packets for orientation
- Follow-up with new residents regarding missing paperwork and/or completion of online learning courses
- Graduating resident check out-collect e-mail addresses, forwarding addresses, id badges, etc
What else is on your to-do list this month? Leave a comment in the box below.
ACGME releases RC Notable Practices
Several program directors and coordinators have told me that their ACGME site visitors have praised their evaluations, pieces of their curriculum, annual review templates, etc and asked for copies of the documents to take with them.
ACGME CEO honored as one of the most influential physician executives
ACGME CEO Thomas J. Nasca was named one of 2009’s 50 most powerful physicians by Modern Physician and Modern Healthcare.
Fellowships and Residencies: New Best Friends!
How much attention do you pay to the relationship between subspecialty programs and their core/parent residency programs? Chances are, not enough.
The ACGME has many requirements regarding the residency-fellowship relationship. When I first started in this administrator position, I expected that the subspecialties would be all over the map with ACGME compliance. Sure enough, some programs had their documentation in order, some had a little bit of this and little bit of that, and some had virtually none. So we had to get everyone whistling to the same RRC tune, to establish a “reporting relationship” between the parent/core and the subspecialty while respecting individuality.
Alas and alack! The newly-minted (July 2009) Core Requirements for Internal Medicine state that the residency program must “supervise” the subspecialties. At our next Fellowship Program Directors’ meeting, we are together, as a team, going to decide just how to better comply with this direct mandate.
I know that not everyone who reads this blog is involved with an internal medicine program, but I get the feeling that other specialties are going to be moving in this same direction.
So, here’s a tip: If you don’t work much with the residency program in your department, you’ll want to check with who does. Find out exactly what type and how much “supervision” or “oversight” is required on both ends. Your residency program and your subspecialties might just become “new best friends” in satisfying your RRC!
I’m interested to hear how other programs–internal medicine and other specialties– handle and document communication/oversight/supervision between the core program and the subspecialty. Leave a comment in the tip box below.
Program directors respond to the IOM duty hour recommendations
An interesting survey looking at family medicine program directors’ opinions about the IOM’s duty hour recommendations was published in Annals of Family Medicine last week.
The Association of Family Medicine Directors sent an electronic survey to the organization’s membership at the end of February, and 60% of their membership has responded.
Over 90% of the respondents have the following concerns regarding implementation of the IOM’s recommendation:
- Graduating physicians who take less ‘ownership’ of patients and do not know patients as thoroughly as in the past
- Residents developing a ‘shift-worker mentality’ that the IOM rules would exacerbate
- Future doctors being less prepared for the work-hour demands of practice
Additionally, program directors believe that the IOM’s recommendations would not improve patient safety or resident education, according to the article.
The survey also asked program directors about how easy or hard implementation of the standards would be, financial impact, and the impact on patients.
See the complete results of the Association of Family Medicine Directors survey.
Senators ask CMS to save payment to teaching hospitals
Over 50 senators sent CMS a letter asking the organization to eliminate a payment cut to teaching hospitals. If CMS does not withdraw the funding cut, teaching hospitals will no longer receive the indirect medical education adjustment payment- a total of $375 million, according to the senators’ letter.
We’ll be watching Washington, so stay tuned to Residency Manager Blog for GME funding updates.
Residency coordinator survival tip: Keep a sense of humor
Most days I love my residents, but there are sometimes when they just frustrate me, especially when they don’t listen to me. (Sounds like I’m talking about my own kids, not residents, doesn’t it?)
ACGME puts institution on probation
The ACGME put the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine on probation, and the school’s officials are still awaiting the report outlining what specific problems were detected, according to the Columbia Daily Tribune.
Although the ACGME will not give the specifics of the probation, press officer Julie Jacobs was quote in the Tribune article saying that common citations include record keeping issues or having inadequate policies.
School officials say they will immediately correct any problems as soon as they know what those issues are.
For now, not much will change for residents at University of Missouri School of Medicine unless the sponsoring institution does not fix the problems. However, the school will have to notify applicants that the institution is on probation.
ACGME creates new award for residents
The ACGME announced a new award, the David C. Leach, MD, Award, last week.
This award focuses on residents and resident teams who have implemented projects that improve GME. Resident teams may include program coordinators, faculty, fellows, allied health professionals.
The ACGME is seeking nominations for this new award until July 1, and winners will be recognized during the 2010 ACGME Education Conference. Check out more information about the David C. Leach, MD Award.
Coordinator to-do list for May
May is a busy month as coordinators prepare for the arrival of new residents and the departure of graduating residents. Having a to-do list to keep you on track is key to getting everything done.
Here are a few to-do items for May:
- Prepare annual rotation schedule
- Process termination paperwork for graduating house staff
- Make final preparations for graduation evens
- Continue to plan orientation
- Collect and process paperwork for incoming residents
What else is on your to-do list for this month? Let us know in the comment box below.
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