Return to the Table of ContentsPurpose:
The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC)
is a standing committee in the College of Medicine. The GMEC in collaboration
with the Designated Institutional Official (DIO) forms an administrative system
that oversees ACGME-accredited programs of the sponsoring institution.
Responsibilities:
The GMEC has the following responsibilities,
which are based on the ACGME Institutional Requirements:
Hold the authority and responsibility for the oversight, administration and quality of the ACGME-accredited programs, even when education occurs at other sites.
Assure compliance with ACGME Common, specialty/subspecialty-specific Program, and Institutional Requirements
Provide sufficient resources to ensure the effective implementation and support of programs to include: DIO and program director financial support and protected time; salary support and resources for administration of the GME Office and all programs; access to adequate communication resources and technological support; and access to specialty-specific reference material.
Establish a policy that addresses administrative support for GME programs and residents in the event of a disaster or interruption in patient care.
Establish policies and procedures regarding resident recruitment and appointment and must monitor each program for compliance.
Ensure that programs select from among eligible applicants and that those applicants who are invited for an interview receive, in writing or by electronic means, the terms, conditions, and benefits of their appointment.
Provide residents with appropriate financial support and benefits to ensure that they are able to fulfill the responsibilities of their educational programs.
Assure that residents are provided with a contract and monitor programs with regard to implementation of the terms and conditions of appointment.
Ensure that residents are informed of and adhere to established educational and clinical practices, policies, and procedures in all sites to which residents are assigned.
Ensure that programs provide residents with a four-month advance written notice of intent for non-promotion or non-renewal of appointment.
Provide residents with professional liability coverage and with a summary of that coverage.
Provide hospital and health insurance benefits for the residents and families to begin upon the first recognized day of their respective programs.
Provide access to insurance for disabilities resulting from activities that are part of the educational program.
Provide access to confidential counseling, medical, and psychological support services.
Establish and implement policies and procedures regarding the quality of education and the work environment.
Ensure that programs provide effective educational experiences for residents that lead to measurable achievement of educational outcomes.
Ensure that residents participate on committees and councils whose actions affect their education and/or patient care.
Ensure that residents participate in an educational program on impairment including substance abuse and sleep deprivation.
Provide an educational and work environment in which residents may raise and resolve issues without fear of intimidation or retaliation.
Provide services and develop health care delivery systems to minimize residents’ work that is extraneous to their GME programs’ educational goals and objectives.
Ensure a healthy and safe work environment.
Ensure that communication mechanisms exist between the GMEC and all program directors
Ensure that program directors maintain effective communication mechanisms with site directors at each participating institution for their respective program.
Monitor programs’ supervision of residents and ensure that it is consistent with safe and effective patient care; educational needs of residents; progressive responsibility; other applicable common and specialty-specific requirements.
Communication between leadership of the medical staff regarding the safety and quality of patient care that includes participation in such education and the accreditation status of programs.
Assure that each program provides a curriculum and an evaluation system that enables residents to demonstrate achievement of the ACGME general competencies.
Review all ACGME program accreditation letters of notification and monitor action plans for the correction of citations and areas of non-compliance.
Review the Sponsoring Institution’s letter of notification and develop and monitor action plans for the correction of citations and areas of non-compliance.
Review and approve requests and reports prior to submission to the ACGME.
Oversee all phases of educational experiments and innovations that may deviate from Institutional, Common, and Program Requirements.
Oversee all processes related to reductions and/or closures of programs, major participating institutions and the sponsoring institution.
Establish a policy that addresses interactions between vendor representatives/corporations and residents/GME programs.
Develop, implement and oversee an internal review process of all ACGME-accredited residency/fellowship programs.
In order to accomplish its purpose, the GMEC is organized as follows:
GME Executive Committee
1. Chair: Appointed by the Dean to a 2-year term to coordinate all activities of the GMEC
2. Chair-Elect: Appointed by Dean to a 1-year term
3. Policy Subcommittee Chair—Appointed by the GMEC Chairman
4. Internal Review Subcommittee Chair—Appointed by the GMEC Chairman
5. General Competencies Subcommittee Chair—Appointed by the GMEC Chairman
6. Performance Improvement Subcommittee Chair—Appointed by the GMEC Chairman
7. Resident Council Chair—Elected by the members of the Resident Council
8. Duty Hours Subcommittee Chair: Appointed by the GMEC Chairman
9. Finance Subcommittee Chair: Appointed by the GMEC Chair
10. Associate Dean for GME—Dean’s representative from the College of Medicine
11. Past Chair: serves a 2-year term
Representatives from the major
participating institutions: each representative will act as a liaison between
the GMEC and the medical staff and governing body of the hospital
12. UH Representative—Medical Director of University Hospital or his/her designee
13. ACH Representative—Medical Director of Arkansas Children’s Hospital or his/her designee
14. VAH Representative—Medical Director of Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System or his/her designee
Ex-officio (non-voting) members:
1. GME Administrative Director
2. Office of Educational Development representative
3. Chair: Program Coordinators Organization - serves during his/her term
4. Director of Housestaff Records
GMEC Subcommittees
The GMEC accomplishes many of its responsibilities through the subcommittees. The subcommittees and their purposes are:
1. Policy Subcommittee—Develops and periodically reviews, and revises GMEC policies.
2. Internal Review Subcommittee—Coordinates and implements the Internal Review Process; reviews correspondence with the ACGME.
3. General Competencies Subcommittee—Assists program directors to develop curricula and evaluation systems for the general competencies
4. Performance Improvement Subcommittee—Develops key indicators to monitor each program and participating hospital, and oversees regular surveys of all residents/fellows.5. Resident Council—Provides a forum for resident/fellow discussion and input into all matters pertaining to GMEC activities. In addition, this Council works to assure effective communication among residents/fellows and to provide a process for them to address concerns, complaints or grievances in a confidential manner.
6. Duty Hours Subcommittee: Monitors programs for compliance with the duty hour requirements and oversees corrective plans; oversees the institution-wide monitoring of duty hours.
7. Finance Subcommittee: Develops GME budget and recommends stipends to the RPAC.
Membership
The Dean of the College of Medicine appoints all members to the GMEC and its subcommittees in July of each academic year. The following guidelines are used for membership:
Faculty—In addition to the GMEC Chair, the Dean appoints faculty members from Clinical Departments and major participating institutions (UH, ACH, VAH) for three-year terms. Faculty nominations to the Dean are obtained from Clinical Department Chairs from the following areas:
| Anesthesiology | Neurosurgery | Pediatric Subspecialties |
| Dermatology | Ob/Gyn | PM&R |
| Emergency Medicine | Ophthalmology | Psychiatry |
| Family Medicine | Orthopedic Surgery | Radiology |
| Internal Medicine | Otolaryngology | Surgery |
| Internal Medicine Subspecialties | Pathology | Urology |
| Neurology | Pediatrics |
Residents/Fellows—One peer nominated resident/fellow is solicited from Department Chair/Program Directors in July of each year.
Resident Council – membership:
The members of the Resident Council elect a chair and two vice-chairs.
Subcommittee memberships are assigned by the Chair of the GMEC:
Ex-officio members of the subcommittees:
Attendance/Responsibilities
Faculty members and residents/fellows are expected to attend GMEC and/or subcommittee meetings as assigned. At least 75% of members should attend each GMEC meeting. Excused absences are not counted in the attendance record for this standard; a member should send a replacement if unable to attend. A member is replaced following a third unexcused absence. GMEC and subcommittee members participate in at least one internal review each year during the 3-year term. Clinical Department Chairs assure that faculty and resident/fellow members are free from departmental duties to fully participate in GMEC activities.
Organization/Meeting times
A GMEC retreat is conducted in August each year for all members of the GMEC and subcommittees to orient new members to the work of the GMEC, establish GMEC goals, implement strategies for the year, and establish mutually satisfactory meeting times. Following the organizational retreat, the GMEC meets during the months of September, November, January, March, and May of each academic year. Minutes of each meeting are distributed to members of the GME Executive Committee at its meeting. Subcommittees meet during the months of October, December, February, and April.
Reports
The Associate Dean for GME provides an annual report on all activities of GME to the Dean, the organized medical staffs and the governing bodies of the major participating institutions. Reports from the GMEC are provided to the College of Medicine Spring and Fall Faculty Meetings and to the Clinical Department Chairs group periodically during the year.
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Last modified: 07/14/08