Med Ed

A panel of institutional representatives and ACGME leaders discussed the successes and challenges of actively involving residents in patient safety improvement as part of the ACGME’s Pursuing Excellence in Clinical Learning Environments (Pursuing Excellence) initiative. The panel convened at a sunset session at the 2019 ACGME Annual Educational Conference.

Dr. Ashraf Mohamed El Ghul, is the designated institutional official (DIO) and Internal Medicine Residency Program Director at Mafraq Hospital in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His institution’s and program’s experience with ACGME International brought him to the 2019 ACGME Annual Educational Conference and we asked him to share his experience.

Jamie Arsenyevictz, MPH, led a team at Geisinger Health System to develop a GME analysis tool, leading to the development of shared language and knowledge surrounding GME finance and value between the GME Office and Geisinger leadership.

Griffin P. Rodgers, MD, MBA, MMSc, MACP, the director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), presented NIDDK Initiatives to Eliminate Health Disparities and Train a Diverse Workforce as one of the Annual Educational Conference’s three featured sessions on Friday, March 8.

In 2016, a Castlight Health report named Wilmington, North Carolina, the city with the highest abuse opioid abuse rate in the US. In response, Joseph Pino, MD, MHA, and members of the community sought to safely reduce the number of opioids prescribed, increase adherence to best practices in opioid prescribing, and reduce emergency department visits due to opioid overdose. His poster, presented at the 2019 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, reports the outcome of these multiple initiatives.

The third day of the conference featured a morning of inspiring talks, including the President’s Plenary with ACGME President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP, and a special fireside chat, “Rediscovering Meaning in Medicine” with Marvin R. Dunn Keynote Speaker Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA, 19th surgeon general of the United States. The conference wrapped up Sunday morning with “Conversations with the CEO,” at which Dr. Nasca responded to questions submitted throughout the conference.

In his President’s Plenary, ACGME President and CEO Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP addressed a crowd of approximately 3,700 people with a fundamental question – “what will the medical workforce of the future look like?” The short answer is no one knows.

Collaboration and connection were front-and-center during the six pre-conferences today at to kick off the 2019 Annual Educational Conference. The pre-conferences, which are designed to appeal to those across experience levels from a first-year coordinator to seasoned designated institutional official (DIO), mixed detailed information about ACGME accreditation with inspirational and aspirational examples of how each member of the graduate medical education (GME) community can positively influence the experience of patients, peers, colleagues, and themselves through their work and unique contributions.