Simplification Resources; Year-End Reporting Deadline March 31

Published Date:

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Number:

Volume:

News
Murray Kopelow, MD, to Retire As ACCME President and CEO in July 2015
Simplification Webinar Recording and More Resources Now Available
ACCME-Accredited Providers: Complete Your Year-End Reporting by March 31

Tips and Tools
Publicize Your Accreditation with Commendation Achievement
Joint Accreditation™ Flyer Describes Program Value

Education and Outreach
2014 Accreditation Workshops Feature Flipped Classroom
ACCME Participates in ABMS, CMSS Meetings
2014 Puerto Rico Provider Workshop Features ACCME Presentations
ACCME Participates in ACGME Conference, Coalition for Physician Accountability Meeting
Murray Kopelow, MD, Invited As Guest Speaker to Northwestern University
ACCME Participates in International CME Events

For Your Reference
Journal of European CME Publishes Columns by Murray Kopelow, MD, ACCME President and CEO
“The CME Accreditation Statement: What It Means for You,” by the ACCME, published in The Indian Health Service (IHS) Primary Care Provider

In Case You Missed It
The ACCME Report, February 25, 2014; Compliance Reminders from Recent Accreditation Reviews

NEWS

Murray Kopelow, MD, to Retire As ACCME President and CEO in July 2015

As we announced last week, Murray Kopelow, MD, has made his plans to retire as President and Chief Executive of the ACCME on July 31, 2015. At the time of his retirement, Dr. Kopelow will have completed more than 30 years of exemplary service to the CME community, with 20 of those years spent as the ACCME’s Chief Executive.

Dr. Kopelow discussed his retirement plans and the transition process during the ACCME Board of Directors meeting held March 20 – 21 in Chicago. The Board convened a high-level discussion about Dr. Kopelow’s plan, the succession plan for finding and appointing a new CEO, the role of governance, and the future of the ACCME. As the next steps in succession planning, the Board will form a search committee and select a search firm.

“Dr. Kopelow’s executive management over the last 20 years leaves the ACCME in a healthy financial position, with an energetic, creative, and dedicated staff. Through these many years, Dr. Kopelow has envisioned and led the ACCME’s trajectory of innovation and improvement. The Board of Directors is committed to maintaining that trajectory. We are pleased that Dr. Kopelow will continue to lead the ACCME during the transition period, to ensure a smooth leadership transition process,” said Carlyle H. Chan, MD, Chair, Board of Directors, ACCME.

Read our news release.

Simplification Webinar Recording and More Resources Now Available

The ACCME held a free webinar on March 11 to discuss the changes to simplify the accreditation requirements and process and answer questions. The webinar was open to all stakeholders; there were more than 1,600 participants. A recording of the webinar is now available here, along with the transcript and PDF of the presentation slides. In addition, we have posted a series of Ask ACCME Q&A about the simplification changes.

Resources for Accredited Providers and Initial Applicants
We have published updated accreditation materials, including the ACCME Performance-In-Practice Structured Abstract, to reflect the changes to simplify the accreditation requirements and process. The links to these materials are below. The materials are also aggregated here.

Please note that you do not need to resubmit any accreditation materials or change any materials that you are preparing. The ACCME will ensure that you will not be reviewed for any requirements that have been eliminated.

As we announced previously, we have updated the Accreditation Requirements and Descriptions PDF to reflect the simplification changes; please use this PDF as your reference for the current requirements. We are in the process of updating the ACCME Web site to incorporate these changes.

For more information, please visit the Simplification and Evolution Web page.

ACCME-Accredited Providers: Complete Your Year-End Reporting by March 31

ACCME-accredited providers: To meet your year-end reporting deadline, you must complete entering data for your 2013 activities and complete your 2013 program summary in the Program and Activity Reporting System (PARS) by March 31, 2014. For more information and links to educational resources, please visit our About PARS Web page.

Please note: These instructions apply only to ACCME-accredited providers, not to providers accredited by a state medical society. Some Recognized Accreditors (state medical societies) are using PARS for their providers. Intrastate providers should check with their accreditor for information.

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TIPS AND TOOLS

Publicize Your Accreditation with Commendation Achievement

The ACCME congratulates the providers that have achieved Accreditation with Commendation. We encourage you to share your success and communicate the value of Accreditation with Commendation by informing your community, stakeholders, and the public through press releases, announcements, advertisements, brochures, billboards, and other online and print materials. We believe it is important that the healthcare community is aware of your achievement and the high standards that you have met.

To support your communications, we produced an Accreditation with Commendation emblem. We recommend that you use this emblem in all your announcements or materials that include mention of your Accreditation with Commendation status. We have also provided sample language that you may use for publicizing your accreditation status. We do not require you to use this language; we offer it as an example.

Joint Accreditation™ Flyer Describes Program Value

The Joint Accreditation™ program has produced a one-page PDF resource describing the benefits of Joint Accreditation for CE providers, executive leadership, and healthcare professionals. The flyer explains eligibility requirements and provides contact information.

CE providers: Please feel free to distribute this resource to your staff, volunteers, learners, and other stakeholders to enhance their understanding of Joint Accreditation.

The Joint Accreditation program was launched in 2009 by the ACCME, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

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EDUCATION AND OUTREACH

2014 Accreditation Workshops Feature Flipped Classroom

We are pleased to offer a flipped classroom approach at the ACCME's 2014 CME as a Bridge to Quality™ Accreditation Workshops. This educational model gives participants the opportunity to gain knowledge on their own time prior to an event, enabling them during the event to focus on problem-solving, analysis, and interaction with peers and experts. More information about this educational approach can be found in “Flipping the Classroom,” published by Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching.

Before the Bridge to Quality workshop, participants will have the opportunity to view a series of modules consisting of existing video FAQs and new videos created specifically for the workshop. These new videos, featuring Murray Kopelow, MD, ACCME President and CEO, describe the ACCME’s expectations for compliance with the Accreditation Criteria and the Standards for Commercial Support. This pre-work will give participants a foundation in the requirements, preparing them to engage in discussions and case vignettes during the workshop.

The flipped classroom is one of several new features and formats we are offering in 2014 in response to attendees’ feedback and to meet your individualized learning needs. Designed for all levels, from CME novices to masters, the Accreditation Workshops offer participants the opportunity to work closely with ACCME staff, national CME leaders, and colleagues to learn practical strategies for complying with accreditation requirements and positioning CME as a Bridge to Quality within their organizations.

The April workshop is full to capacity. Registration for the August 13-15 workshop will open in a few weeks.

ACCME Participates in ABMS, CMSS Meetings

The ACCME participated in the following meetings during the past few months as part of its ongoing collaboration with member organizations. Through joint leadership initiatives, the ACCME and member organizations identify and implement strategies for improving physicians' continuing professional development and patient care.

Murray Kopelow, MD, President and CEO, ACCME, participated in a meeting of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Committee on Research and Evaluation Procedures (COREP), held in March in Chicago.
Kate Regnier, MA, MBA, Deputy Chief Executive and COO, ACCME, participated in an ABMS Maintenance of Certification® (MOC) Implementation Workshop, held in February in San Antonio. Ms. Regnier discussed how accredited CME supports MOC. Ms. Regnier also participated in a MOC Committee meeting held in March in Chicago. The ACCME has provided ongoing support for the ABMS MOC initiative.
The ACCME hosted a meeting of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) Conjoint Committee on CME (CCCME) held in February. Participants discussed the strategies accredited CME providers are using to support the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Extended-Release and Long-Acting (ER/LA) Opioid Analgesics Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). Dr. Kopelow explained the history of REMS and the role of accredited CME in supporting this important public health initiative.

2014 Puerto Rico Provider Workshop Features ACCME Presentations

The ACCME participated in the 2014 Puerto Rico Provider Workshop held by the Puerto Rico Medical Association (PRMA) in San Juan in March. The workshop was attended by organizational leaders, physician volunteers, and CME staff from medical schools and accredited providers in Puerto Rico. Murray Kopelow, MD, President and CEO, ACCME; and Kate Regnier, MA, MBA, Deputy Chief Executive and COO, ACCME, discussed the changes to simplify the accreditation requirements and process. They explained how CME providers can be strategic assets to public health initiatives, how to design accredited CME that supports learners’ continuing professional development, and how to implement ongoing improvements in their CME programs. They also explained the ACCME’s expectations for compliance with the Standards for Commercial Support℠: Standards to Ensure Independence in CME Activities, providing case examples for discussion.

The ACCME participated in the PRMA workshop as part of the ongoing support the ACCME provides for the intrastate accreditation system and for Recognized Accreditors (state/territory medical societies recognized by the ACCME as accreditors of intrastate CME providers).

ACCME Participates in ACGME Conference, Coalition for Physician Accountability Meeting

Murray Kopelow, MD, President and CEO, ACCME, participated in Preparing Doctors for 21^st-Century Practice: Optimizing the Clinical Learning Environment to Meet the Needs of an Evolving Delivery System, a conference organized by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The conference was held in January in Washington, DC.
Members of the ACCME Board of Directors and executive staff participated in a meeting of the Coalition for Physician Accountability held in February. Carlyle Chan, MD, Chair; and Kim Edward LeBlanc, MD, PhD, Vice-Chair, ACCME Board of Directors; and Murray Kopelow, MD, President and CEO, represented the ACCME at the meeting, hosted by the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) in Philadelphia. The mission of the Coalition is to advance healthcare and promote professional accountability by improving the quality, efficiency, and continuity of the education, training, and assessment of physicians. The Coalition's members are the national organizations responsible for the oversight, education, and assessment of medical students and physicians throughout their medical careers. The ACCME is a charter member.

The ACCME participated in the meetings as part of its commitment to fostering a more effective, efficient, simplified, and aligned system of physician accountability.

Murray Kopelow, MD, Invited As Guest Speaker to Northwestern University

Murray Kopelow, MD, President and CEO, ACCME, was invited as a guest speaker to address a class of students in the Global Health Studies program at Northwestern University in February. Dr. Kopelow shared professional and personal insights with the students, including his philosophy of leadership, ethics, and social responsibility; his belief that health professionals need to care for their personal as well as professional lives; the importance of managing boundary issues with industry; and the need to build interprofessional coordination.

Read more about Dr. Kopelow’s talks with students here.

ACCME Participates in International CME Events

The International Academy for CPD Accreditation held a meeting via webinar in February. The meeting brought together participants representing Australasia, Europe, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Oman, and South Africa. Participants included CME/CPD accreditation system leaders as well as representatives from licensing authorities: the Federation of State Medical Boards of the US and the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada. The International Academy for CPD Accreditation was founded in 2013 by the ACCME and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. The goal of the Academy is to provide a high-level forum for CPD/CME accreditation system leaders from around the world to explore and learn from each other’s accreditation systems and to promote the integration of CME/CPD accreditation systems within systems for licensure and revalidation.
The ACCME participated in the European Union of Medical Specialists-European Accreditation Council for CME (UEMS-EACCME®) Conference on CME-CPD in Europe, held in February in Brussels. Murray Kopelow, MD, ACCME President and Chief Executive; and Alejandro Aparicio, MD, Director, Division of Continuing Physician Professional Development, American Medical Association (AMA), presented the North American perspective on CME-CPD accreditation.

The ACCME participated in the international events as part of its ongoing efforts to support collaboration in the global CME community.

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FOR YOUR REFERENCE

The Journal of European CME is publishing a series of columns, “Letters from America,” by Murray Kopelow, MD, ACCME President and CEO. In the “Introductory Letter from America,” published in January, Dr. Kopelow explains that he is writing the series at the invitation of the editor, to describe the current CME environment in the US. The “First Letter from America” focuses on independence and the US approach to separating CME from promotion.
“The CME Accreditation Statement: What It Means for You,” by the ACCME, was published in the October 2013 edition of The Indian Health Service (IHS) Primary Care Provider. The edition also includes an article about how to start a continuing education series at an IHS facility. “The CME Accreditation Statement” is available on the ACCME Web site. The ACCME produced it as part of our ongoing efforts to communicate the value of accredited CME to health professionals and other stakeholders. Accredited providers are welcome to use this content to support their communications with stakeholders.

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