Mark A. Harrast Receives 2024 Bruce C. Gilliland Award

by | Dec 9, 2024 | Announcements, Awards, News

Headshot of Dr. Mark Harrast

Mark Harrast, MD

Dr. Mark A. Harrast has been voted by his peers as the winner of the 2024 Bruce C. Gilliland Award. Dr. Gilliland was a professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology and a professor of Laboratory Medicine at the University of Washington SOM.

The Gilliland award is presented annually to the candidate who is actively engaged in clinical and didactic training or in the implementation of a graduate medical education curriculum. The winner must have shown evidence of excellence over time and must have served for a t least 3 years within the UW SOM as a teacher of residents/fellows.

Dr. Harrast is the founding director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program (2006). He served as the director of the fellowship program until this year – 18 years. He stepped away from his role as a contingency plan for stability of the Sports Medicine Fellowship, allowing Dr. Liem to have a comfortable transition into his new role.

According to the 5 colleagues in his department who nominated him and wrote supportive letters, Dr. Harrast is well regarded as a strong leader – he is supportive, knowledgeable, organized, responsible, communicates well, has a strong guiding vision and is highly dedicated to the field. He is extremely principled, ethical, and dedicated to advancing the field of Sports Medicine and providing highest quality evidence-based care and education. Because of his leadership experience particularly related to medical education and training, he was appointed as the first Vice Chair of Education in 2023 by Dr. Janna Friedly, Chair of the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. In this role, Dr. Harrast has been critical in faculty development, innovation, improvement, quality and patient safety.

Dr. Harrast embodies what it means to be a Clinician Educator. His clinical skills and ability to relate to patients are superb. His teaching skills are well appreciated by trainees (as evidenced by his prior receipt of the Outstanding Teacher award), and he works tirelessly to disseminate medical knowledge and skills to the broader medical community. He also makes it a point to help residents and fellows increase their own competency in academic medicine, by incorporating trainees into book chapters, review articles, and case presentations at national meetings, and happily mentors them along every step of their journey.

Stanley Herring, a PM&R colleague, who knew Dr. Gilliland said that he believes that Dr. Harrast has the same characteristics: compassion and selfless dedication to mentoring and teaching.

It always gives me great pleasure to celebrate members of our community. Thank you, Dr. Harrast.

 

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education
Designated Institutional Official

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Reflecting on 2024

by | Dec 6, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Dr. Jennifer Best

Jennifer Best, MD

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra, JD, MA

Dear Friends,

 

We find ourselves again in the darkest time of the year. The air is crisp and smells of wood fire, but still – it is dark. Where do we find our light?

 

As 2024 draws to a close, we wish to pause to recognize our community’s bravery, growth, and brightness. Graduate medical education is, at its core, an exercise in humanity. It’s about navigating the high-stakes intensity of clinical training while embracing the vulnerability of learning, teaching, and healing.

 

There is light in the vulnerability of an intern who, during their first overnight shift, turns to their senior resident and said, “I think I’m starting to figure out how to breathe in the chaos.” There is light when an attending physician quietly brings coffee to their team during a challenging rotation. And there is light in the moments where faculty translate science into narratives that residents carry with them into the next patient encounter.

 

We find light in acts of kindness or support —a program coordinator who stayed late to help a resident navigate visa or leave paperwork, a visit with a wellness counselor, countless emails exchanged to troubleshoot schedules, coverage for ill colleagues and the simple “thank you” from a patient whose care was made possible by the collaborative effort of a multidisciplinary team.

 

Where do we find our light? In each other.

 

To our residents and fellows, your commitment to learning and patient care is unparalleled. You not only deliver exceptional care but also inspire everyone around you.

 

To our faculty, your dedication to teaching and mentorship is a cornerstone of what makes this community thrive. Your efforts remind us that growth is a team sport.

 

To the program coordinators, administrators, and support staff—you are the glue that holds it all together. Your behind-the-scenes work is the scaffolding upon which this entire educational structure exists.

 

At the end of this calendar year, accept our heartfelt “thank you” for your commitment, compassion, and strength. You are the light of this community, and it is a privilege to be on this journey with you now, and in the newness of the year to come.

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

 

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

 

Cindy Hamra, JD
Associate Dean, Administration and Finance

 

GME News & Notes: November

by | Nov 22, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

Several exciting celebrations in the GME community this month: Dr. Jeff Friedrich was selected by the ACGME as a Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, Angelique Cole has joined the GME Office as our new Compliance and Accreditation Specialist and two members of our community, Drs. Joey Nelson and Victor Lopez-Carmen are featured in a UW Medicine Huddle article celebrating contributions of our staff, faculty, trainees and students from American Indian and Alaska Native communities for Native American Heritage Month.

In November News and Notes we share an updated CVC Policy, training extension form, EHR reminders and resources and several other important items.

Thanks,

Cindy

Celebrating Native American Heritage UW Medicine

Policies and Processes

  • The GMEC approved revisions to the following policy at the November meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
    • CVC Placement Training Policy: Applies to programs with residents/fellows who may place central lines. Requirements include completed eLearning, simulation training at WISH, inclusion of CVC placement in program supervision policies.
  • Training Extension Form on the Appointments & Credentialing page has been updated to the Current Appointment Change Form. The new form will be used to request individual appointment updates for chief designation, overnight call, training extension, and training reduction.
  • Meeting and away conferences that take place during VA assignments require pre-approval from the corresponding site director and designated education officer. Please submit these requests to the VA no later than 30 days before leave occurs.
  • Complimentary Access to Cortex: The AAMC and Thalamus have announced that all ERAS participating programs will have complimentary access to Cortex for the 2026 ERAS season (see November 7 press release). The GME Office will hold an information session for programs in the coming months.  Details to come.
  • New Non-ACGME Programs: Is your department planning to launch a new non-ACGME fellowship program?  Visit the Non-ACGME Program Resources page for resources including the application for new non-ACGME programs.
  • Remember that trainees who are members of the RFPU-NW are entitled to one (1) paid personal holiday per calendar year. If unused in the calendar year, the personal holiday is forfeit, and it is not paid at separation. It is the employee’s responsibility to schedule the personal holiday before December 31st. Please see complete information in Article 12 of the RFPU-NW Contract.
  • UW Medicine Epic News and Reminders
    • Epic Upgrade/2FA Changes began on October 20: this upgrade includes a new 2FA requirement for Epic Mobile Apps (Haiku, Canto, Rover). Providers are encouraged to setup the Authentication App before 10/20 to avoid delays accessing the mobile Apps.  Details have been sent out in the Epic and UWMC Weekly newsletters.  Review the Enrollment Instructions for more information.
    • Dragon Medical One (DMO) Dictation: Residents and fellows are enrolled in Dragon at onboarding, but there are still a few steps that need to be completed for setup.  Instructions are on the Dragon Medical One page in the UW Medicine EHR Hub and linked from the Getting Ready for UW Medicine Epic EHR page on the GME website.
    • Epic Personalization (Customization): Looking to be more efficient in Epic? Complete the Epic Physician Personalization eLearning in the Learning Hub (login and search for Epic Physician Personalization) and review the Epic Customization Quick Start Guide in the UW Medicine EHR Hub which will walk you through the steps to create customized Order Sets, Preference Lists, and SmartPhrases, and directions on how to set up your Dashboard.
  • Best Practices for Recruiting and Supporting International Medical Graduates: The GMEC IMG Task Force has developed best practices and resources for programs to reduce barriers to recruitment of IMGs which is now available on the Recruitment Resources page of the GME website under Application and Recruitment: UW > Recruiting and Supporting International Medical Graduates: Best Practices.
  • In alignment with UW Medicine’s approach to generative AI, we are excited to announce the release of the AI Guidelines for Residency and Fellowship Applications. These guidelines provide clear and practical advice on how to responsibly incorporate AI tools throughout the application and recruitment process, including application review and interviews. We encourage you to review the guidelines and share your thoughts via the feedback form available on the webpage.

Program Information

  • The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee confirmation:
    • Andrew Ko, Functional Neurosurgery
    • Hubert Vesselle, PET/CT
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • November 21: Disability Accommodations; recording and slides now available
    • December 19: cancelled
    • January 16: ACGME Surveys
  • Registration for Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE) series is now open at: EDGE Registration | UW Graduate Medical Education. We ask that PDs attend 3 of 4 events each year and APDs and Core Faculty attend 2 of 4 events each year
    • Tuesday, March 25, 2025; TBD between 9:00 am and 12:00pm: “Supporting Trainee Disability Accommodations,” Hayley Fisher, UW GME
    • Thursday, April 24, 2025; TBD between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm: “How Our Program Does It” Session: Individualized Learning Plans OR Trainee Professional Development Curricula (concurrent)
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of November and December.
  • November 20th was Transgender Day of Remembrance and the week of November 13-19 is Transgender Awareness Week. UW HR has collected transgender resources and curated guides, policies, and resources for managers and colleagues.
  • UW Medicine has announced a second year of funding for Well-Being Grants aimed at improving the workplace and learning environment for our community. All faculty, staff, and trainees from across UW Medicine (including administrative, clinical, education and research areas) are encouraged to apply for the grants. Applications are open Nov. 29-Dec. 10. For more information, please visit the UW Medicine OFA website.
  • The holiday season is often a time of giving by grateful patients, vendors, and other outside organizations. State employees within UW Medicine are governed by the Washington State Ethics in Public Service Act with regard to the gifts they may accept and how they may redirect gifts they cannot accept. Common questions about gifts from patients and other external sources (including food and beverages) and other related topics are answered in the Gifts from External Sources FAQs on the UW Medicine Compliance website. Additional information is available on the Internal Audit website.
  • Institutional Post Recruitment Survey: Programs received a summary of the Institutional Post Recruitment Survey for the 2023 and 2024 recruitment seasons on October 4. We continue to ask programs to include the survey link in post-recruitment survey communications to interviewed applicants. Please contact Gabrielle Pett with questions.
  • Thanks to Michael Hardin in Facilities for this guide to the all gender restrooms on the Harborview campus [UW Medicine password required]
  • Nominations are open for the UW School of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Awards. Nominations are due by Dec. 31, 2024, for consideration of recognition in 2025. Learn more about the awards and past recipients here, where you will also find the nomination form.

People

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Celebrating 16 Years of the HQSC and the Launch of the HQSC QI Ambassadors Program

by | Nov 15, 2024 | Announcements, News

Photo of Nick Meo and Erink Aas presenting on QI/Patient Safety Opportunities at HMC during the QI Ambassadors Program Kickoff Meeting

Nick Meo, MD and Erin Aas, MSN, ARNP, CPHQ presenting on QI/Patient Safety Opportunities at HMC during the QI Ambassadors Program Kickoff Meeting

This month, the Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee (HQSC) proudly celebrates 16 years of dedication to quality improvement! To mark this milestone, current HQSC co-chairs Drs. Emily Schildt and Jaspreet Bahia launched the HQSC QI Ambassadors Program. The program kickoff featured a dinner at the South Lake Union Board Room, symbolizing a new alliance between housestaff and UW Medicine’s QI leaders.

Dr. Anneliese Schleyer, UW Medicine’s Chief Medical Officer, and Dr. Byron Joyner, Vice Dean & DIO for Graduate Medical Education, opened the event with a warm welcome, then quality improvement leaders from our five major hospitals took the stage to address 20 housestaff who were hand-selected for their interest in quality improvement. These residents and fellows, now our HQSC QI Ambassadors, were introduced to ongoing initiatives, working committees, and engaging activities in which they could participate. The evening’s theme resonated: “The best way to connect with your workplace is to have a voice in creating change.”

The recent Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) site visit is helping us to understand the six critical domains and where we can make improvements to our system of safe, quality care. With the new HQSC QI Ambassadors, we can do more. We can do better. We know that the best ideas come from those on the front line – our housestaff who are doing the work.

Our goal is that these presentations will create conversations, networks and actions that will give the new HQSC QI Ambassadors a chance to help create a better, healthier system of care – and help them really connect with UW Medicine and the care they are providing.

 

Headshot of Byron Joyner Headshot of Jaspreet Bahia Headshot of Emily Schildt
Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO		 Jaspreet Bahia, MD
HQSC Co-Chair		 Emily Schildt, MD
HQSC Co-Chair

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Non-ACGME Programs in the UWSOM

by | Nov 8, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

The University of Washington School of Medicine sponsors over 85 clinical fellowship programs that are not accredited by the ACGME.  This month, I have invited Gabrielle Pett, Senior Director, Business Affairs, to share information about these non-ACGME Programs and GME Office initiatives to support these non-ACGME programs and fellows.

 

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official

Gabrielle Pett

Gabrielle Pett

The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) is one of the largest sponsoring institutions of ACGME-accredited programs in the country, with 128 ACGME accredited residency and fellowship programs. But did you know the UWSOM also has over 80 non-ACGME clinical residency and fellowship programs?

In 2014 – in response to findings of variable support and oversight for these programs at a systems level – the UWSOM delegated responsibility to the UW Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) for ensuring the educational quality of UWSOM non-accredited training programs at the institution.  The GMEC charged the Non-ACGME Program Oversight Subcommittee (formerly known as the GMEC-Approved Non-ACGME Fellowship Program Subcommittee) to undertake this oversight with key goals of ensuring:

  • all non-ACGME programs have a solid educational learning environment to facilitate quality fellowship training
  • non-ACGME programs are provided with adequate personnel, clinical activities, and other resources necessary to support the program
  • non-ACGME fellowship programs enhance, but do not interfere, with existing ACGME accredited programs or other existing non-ACGME fellowships

The Non-ACGME Program Oversight Committee is charged with recommending approval of new non-ACGME programs, supporting institutional oversight of ACGME non-standard training programs, maintaining Educational Standards for Non-ACGME Programs, providing input on GME policies to include relevant requirements of non-ACGME programs and/or trainees, and conducting annual surveys of non-ACGME programs and program graduates to inform areas of need and support for non-ACGME programs.  Subcommittee members include program directors, ACGME and non-ACGME trainees, program administrators, and GME staff. Dr. Catherine Kling, program director for Abdominal Transplant Surgery, chairs the Subcommittee this year.

 

Landscape of Non-ACGME Programs in the UWSOM (AY25)

The number of non-ACGME programs changes each year as new programs are approved, some transition to ACGME accreditation, and others are phased out.  For the 2024-2025 academic year there are 88 Non-ACGME programs across 18 clinical departments.  Eighty-five percent (85%) of these programs are one-year in length, typically appointing only one fellow per year. The Subcommittee has approved 39 new non-ACGME programs since 2014 and 8 new programs since January of this year. These have included:

  • Neurological Surgery: Functional Neurosurgery
  • Neurology: Neonatal Neurocritical Care
  • Ophthalmology: Glaucoma and Neuro-Ophthalmology
  • Radiology: Cancer Imaging and Theranostics
  • Rehabilitation Medicine: Cancer Rehabilitation
  • Surgery: Breast Surgical Oncology

These programs represent growing subspecialties with national accreditation standards and evolving fields in medicine.

Within these programs fellows may either hold a position of Acting Instructor – spending a portion of their time as both learners and attendings – or in a position of Fellow Non-ACGME without an independent attending role.

Pie chart of Non-ACGME Fellows (108): 21% Fellow Non-ACGME (Non-Faculty); 87% Acting Instructor (Faculty Appointment, Medical Staff)

 

What are the Requirements for Non-ACGME Programs?

Unlike ACGME programs which follow specialty requirements developed under the ACGME’s Common Program Requirements, non-ACGME programs do not follow uniform standards. Some are accredited or recognized by their national specialty societies and councils while others do not follow formal guidelines. In February 2022, the ACGME announced new Non-Standard Training (NST) Recognition requirements for Sponsoring Institutions with non-ACGME programs that train foreign national physicians on J-1 visas sponsored by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), adding another set of requirements for some non-ACGME programs.

22 UW programs are currently accredited or recognized by one of 13 different national specialty societies or councils, and 9 programs in the past two years have been approved by the ACGME to train foreign nationals under J-1 visa sponsorship.

Ven Diagram of Requirements: UW Educational Standards for Non-ACGME Programs (88); No national standards (65); ACGME NST Programs (9); Specialty/Council Accreditation Recognition (22)

 

To manage this diverse structure, and help support these programs, the Non-ACGME Program Oversight Subcommittee introduced Educational Standards for Non-ACGME Programs in 2018.  These standards outline minimum requirements and expectations for all non-ACGME accredited clinical programs in the UWSOM. These are reviewed and updated each year by the Subcommittee based on various inputs. The current standards address ACGME NST recognition requirements; sponsoring institution oversight of programs; personnel (program directors, faculty, program administration); fellow appointments; curriculum; assessment and evaluation; and support for the learning environment. These standards also serve as a resource for departments in the development of new programs and as guide for the Subcommittee in facilitating review of new program applications.

 

What is the role of the GME Office in supporting these programs?

GME Office management of non-ACGME programs has grown in recent years, a reflection of continued compliance with external requirements, input from the Non-ACGME Program Oversight Subcommittee, and transitions in title management in the UWSOM.

  • ACGME NST Program Oversight
  • Applications for Initial Accreditation/Reaccreditation
  • Appointment and Credentialing (Fellow Non-ACGME title)
  • eLearning Registration
  • Graduation Certificates
  • J-1 Visas (ACGME Non-Standard Training (NST) Programs)
  • MedHub support
  • NRMP Match policy guidance and support
  • Orientation (Fellow Non-ACGME)
  • PLA management
  • Wellness Service counseling access

Where can I find more information about non-ACGME programs?

The Non-ACGME Program Resources page on the GME website includes resources for non-ACGME programs including:

  • ACGME Requirements for Sponsoring Institutions with Non-Standard Training Programs for J-1 Visa Sponsorship
  • Department Chair Letter of Support for New Non-ACGME Program Directors
  • Educational Standards for Non-ACGME Programs
  • Links to relevant GME policies
  • New Non-ACGME Program Application and Submission Instructions
  • Non-ACGME Program Complement Expansion Questions and Guidelines
  • Orientation Guidelines
  • Recruitment Resources
  • Resources for Non-ACGME Fellow Appointments
  • Visa guidelines and Non-ACGME Fellow Visa Matrix

We’re grateful to department faculty, staff, and leadership for their efforts in developing new and novel clinical programs and for collaborating with the Non-ACGME Program Oversight Subcommittee and the GME Office. We also want to thank program directors and administrators for their ongoing participation in our annual non-ACGME program survey, which plays a vital role in guiding our work to support these programs and their trainees.

 

Gabrielle Pett, MHA
Senior Director, Business Affairs, GME
Program Manager, Non-ACGME Program Oversight Subcommittee

GME News & Notes: October

by | Oct 18, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

October GME News & Notes contains information about policy updates, including Moonlighting and Outside Work, EPIC news and reminders, new best practices and resources for programs to reduce barriers to recruitment of IMGs, new AI Guidelines for Residency and Fellowship Applications, information about Open Enrollment, and several different educational events.

In October we recognize National Disability Awareness Month and remind programs and trainees that the GME Office works with UW Disability Services Office to support disability accommodations for residents and fellows.

We also hope you’ll check out our GME Strategic Plan update.

Thanks,

Cindy

Black background with angled rainbow stripes

Policies and Processes

  • Policy Updates and Reminders
    • Eligibility, Recruitment and Selection Policy for Non-ACGME Programs: Approved by GMEC in July 2022, this policy is for non-ACGME clinical fellowships and includes a requirement for each program to have its own program-specific policy, eligibility requirements that must be included in a program policy, and requirements for ACGME non-standard training (NST) programs.
    • Industry Interactions Policy: This policy was last revised by the Policy Committee and GMEC in December 2021, however minor changes were reviewed by GMEC in October including updates to several external resource URLs and the addition of another question in the FAQs.
    • Moonlighting and Outside Work Policy: the GMEC approved updates to the Moonlighting and Outside Work Policy at the October meeting. Outside Work is defined as any voluntary, clinical or non-clinical work that is outside of a trainee’s regularly scheduled program duties. This includes Internal and External Moonlighting, Extra Pay for Extra Duty and Additional Non-Clinical Work. Outside work requires pre- approval by the resident’s Program Director and GME Office. Changes to the policy include reorganization for clarity and updates.
  • UW Medicine Epic News and Reminders
    • Epic Upgrade/2FA Changes beginning on October 20: this upgrade will include a new 2FA requirement for Epic Mobile Apps (Haiku, Canto, Rover). Providers are encouraged to setup the Authentication App before 10/20 to avoid delays accessing the mobile Apps.  Details have been sent out in the Epic and UWMC Weekly newsletters.  Review the Enrollment Instructions for more information.
    • Dragon Medical One (DMO) Dictation: Residents and fellows are enrolled in Dragon at onboarding, but there are still a few steps that need to be completed for setup.  Instructions are on the Dragon Medical One page in the UW Medicine EHR Hub and linked from the Getting Ready for UW Medicine Epic EHR page on the GME website.
    • Epic Personalization (Customization): Looking to be more efficient in Epic? Complete the Epic Physician Personalization eLearning in the Learning Hub (login and search for Epic Physician Personalization) and review the Epic Customization Quick Start Guide in the UW Medicine EHR Hub which will walk you through the steps to create customized Order Sets, Preference Lists, and SmartPhrases, and directions on how to set up your Dashboard.
  • Best Practices for Recruiting and Supporting International Medical Graduates: The GMEC IMG Task Force has developed best practices and resources for programs to reduce barriers to recruitment of IMGs which is now available on the Recruitment Resources page of the GME website under Application and Recruitment: UW > Recruiting and Supporting International Medical Graduates: Best Practices.
  • Remember that trainees who are members of the RFPU-NW are entitled to one (1) paid personal holiday per calendar year. If unused in the calendar year, the personal holiday is forfeit, and it is not paid at separation. It is the employee’s responsibility to schedule the personal holiday before December 31st. Please see complete information in Article 12 of the RFPU-NW Contract.
  • Recently UWMC and HMC hospital CEOs sent an email regarding new meal and rest break requirements. We have received several questions regarding whether these requirements apply to residents and fellows. These new provisions apply to hospital employees; this does not include trainees, who are School of Medicine employees. Please remember, however, that trainees must be given an opportunity to transition patient care in the instance of fatigue (per ACGME requirements), have time to attend medical appointments (per RFPU CBA), and be given time to express milk (per Washington state law).
  • In alignment with UW Medicine’s approach to generative AI, we are excited to announce the release of the AI Guidelines for Residency and Fellowship Applications. These guidelines provide clear and practical advice on how to responsibly incorporate AI tools throughout the application and recruitment process, including application review and interviews. We encourage you to review the guidelines and share your thoughts via the feedback form available on the webpage.
  • UW Medicine will implement universal masking in patient care areas each year during the respiratory virus season. This precautionary measure aims to minimize the risk of exposure to and transmission of respiratory viruses. For more information about the respiratory virus season and new COVID-19 vaccine, see Fall 2024: A new vaccine for COVID-19.

Program Information

  • Welcome new Program Administrators:
    • Stephanie Otani-Sunamoto: Glaucoma, Medical Retina and Vitreoretinal Surgery, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Pediatric Ophthalmology and Uveitis
    • Jennifer Todd: Medical Physics
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • October 17: Moonlighting and Outside Work Updates; recording and slides now available
    • November 21: Disability Accommodations
    • December 19: cancelled
  • The final session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series will be Monday November 4th from 1:30 to 3:00pm. Please join Cindy Hamra, Associate Dean, GME, for a session on Supporting BIPOC and URiM Trainees. This session is open to all program leadership including program directors, associate program directors, program administrators, vice chairs for education, etc. For planning purposes, please RSVP by noon on Friday 11/1. We will distribute the Zoom link as we get closer to the session date. Please reach out to Amanda Easton and Jenn Johal if you have questions.
  • Registration for Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE) series is now open at: EDGE Registration | UW Graduate Medical Education. We ask that PDs attend 3 of 4 events each year and APDs and Core Faculty attend 2 of 4 events each year
    • Tuesday, October 22, 2024; 9:00 am – 10:30 am: “Entrustable Professional Activities: Dr. Brenessa Lindeman, University of Alabama-Birmingham
    • Tuesday, March 25, 2025; TBD between 9:00 am and 12:00pm: “Supporting Trainee Disability Accommodations”, Hayley Fisher, UW GME
    • Thursday, April 24, 2025; TBD between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm: “How Our Program Does It” Session: Individualized Learning Plans OR Trainee Professional Development Curricula (concurrent)
  • Fellows, Residents and Students – we’re thrilled to invite you to Career Pathways in Medicine: Insights from Diverse Journeys, a dynamic panel discussion featuring distinguished alumni who have carved out their own unique careers in medicine on Monday, November 18 from 6:00-7:00 PM PST on Zoom. Our panelists will share the real stories behind their career choices, from unexpected pivots to invaluable lessons learned along the way. To register, please visit: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/event-registration/ For questions, please contact Jenn Johal (jenjohal@uw.edu).
  • The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) is a non-profit organization based in Montgomery, Alabama, dedicated to fighting for justice for the most marginalized individuals in the criminal justice system in the United States. EJI provides legal assistance to people who have been unfairly treated by the justice system, including those on death row and those facing unjust incarceration. In the Department of Medicine’s next DEI Lecture Series, “A Conversation with the Equal Justice Initiative’s Health Clinic Team,” members of the EJI’s Health Clinic Team will share their experiences, challenges, and successes in providing healthcare services to underserved communities. 16, 2pm. Please register for this event.
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of October and November.
  • Institutional Post Recruitment Survey: Programs received a summary of the Institutional Post Recruitment Survey for the 2023 and 2024 recruitment seasons on October 4. We continue to ask programs to include the survey link in post-recruitment survey communications to interviewed applicants. Please contact Gabrielle Pett with questions.
  • We have recently heard from several residents and fellows raising concerns about uncertainty and possible changes to the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. The GME Financial Management & Loans includes information on Loan Deferment and Forbearance, the Public Student Loan Forgiveness Program, the GME Emergency Housestaff Loan, AAMC and AMA financial resources, and several other financial management resources.
  • UW Medicine launched the Bias Reporting Tool in early 2021 to provide our community with a new way to report incidents of bias. Since then, over 1,500 incidents have been reported across UW Medicine, including in clinical areas, labs, common areas and learning spaces. The Third Annual BRT Community Report includes information regarding 460 incidents over the past year. The purpose of the report is to raise awareness, identify areas needing improvement and share our progress towards becoming a more inclusive community.
  • Clinical trainees and faculty should be mindful of scam calls impersonating officers from the King County Sheriff’s Department targeting physicians. While this has unfortunately become a commonplace scam, it can be very scary and convincing. We have heard that members of our community have been targeted and are being falsely told they have a claim regarding failure to appear in court to testify regarding a patient’s health. We encourage individuals to remove their personal information from “people finders” using tools such as: https://www.truepeoplesearch.com/removal
  • Before open enrollment begins, get your questions answered at these benefits fairs Oct. 21-24. The Whole U brings the annual UW Benefits Fairs to four on-site locations. The “5 Things You Can Do to Prepare for Open Enrollment” from The Huddle contains helpful tips.
  • UW GME launched the new UW GME WhatsApp group exclusively for residents and fellows. Since its launch, we’ve welcomed over 300+ trainees to the community, and we have Expanded our Opportunities to include interest groups like “GME Parents” and “Musical folks”, and “Quick meals on the go”. Additionally, some other WhatsApp UW groups, such as “UW IMG Residents & Fellows” and “UW Surgery,” have linked up with the UW GME community, further enhancing connectivity and collaboration. We encourage trainees to join!
  • Add a Name Pronunciation Tag to Your Badge: Medical student Sudiptho Paul started the initiative and shares his tips for pronouncing names correctly.
  • Thanks to Michael Hardin in Facilities for this guide to the all gender restrooms on the Harborview campus [UW Medicine password required]
  • Nominations are open for the UW School of Medicine Distinguished Alumni Awards. Nominations are due by Dec. 31, 2024, for consideration of recognition in 2025. Learn more about the awards and past recipients here, where you will also find the nomination form.

People

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: GME Strategic Plan Update

by | Oct 11, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

This month, Dr. Jennifer Best and Cindy Hamra – true to their word, have produced an update on the 6-year GME Strategic plan (2024 – 2029). The first phase of our strategic plan was the development process which took many months and has required considerable thought with regard to the many and variable needs of our learning community. This update reminds you that we are in a dynamic phase of execution which involves implementation and monitoring. Our proactive approach has required us to predict the future – which, by definition, good strategic plans attempt to do, yet we are flexible, ready to make adjustments where necessary, given the recent CLER Report and the yet-to-be-approved Institutional Requirements. I am proud of the work we are doing to serve all of you!

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official

Dr. Jennifer Best

Jennifer Best, MD
Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra, JD, MA

 

Within the DIO Blog and elsewhere, many of you will have read and heard details regarding our GME 2024-2029 Strategic Plan, summarized in this video. Since our last update in February 2024, GME leadership and staff have continued to work to implement this ambitious plan, in partnership with our community.

We are thrilled to share that one year into implementation, the GME team has accomplished 30 of 98 planned work products!

In this month’s Blog, we would like to highlight a sample of these projects that have already been completed.

Strategic Value Strategic Initiative Work Product COMPLETED
ADVOCACY Grow philanthropy to support GME program sponsorship and innovation GME Leadership participated in education/training with UW Medicine Advancement
  Partner with the system to enhance educational experience and curricular balance Implemented UW Medicine Well Being Grant lightbox project in resident workrooms.
COMMUNICATION Gather community for relationship building to enhance well-being in the workplace Community connection method identified with introduction of WhatsApp for resident and fellow-driven social connection
  Leverage collective expertise of senior GME educators and share educational/administrative best practices Reinvented Program Director Development Series (PDDS) as Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE) to enhance inclusivity
EXPERTISE Advance national visibility of UW GME process and program expertise Increase GME Office presentations at regional and national conferences (Five workshops accepted to 2025 ACGME Annual Educational Conference)
  Strengthen support for and oversight of non-ACGME programs Increased Wellness Service coverage to non-ACGME programs
INTEGRATION Proactively align educational structures with UW Medicine’s clinical strategy Embedded the ACGME’s new EDI domain within the Clinical Learning Environment Review organizational structure, with an EDI Advisory Group
  Proactively align educational structures with UW Medicine’s clinical strategy Consistent participation in UW Medicine workforce planning
PEOPLE Retain UW GME program directors, program administrators and GME office staff Expanded the exit interview process for Program Directors (In AY24, 100% offered / 71% accepted and completed)
  Support/equip trainees as future UW Medicine faculty, especially those identifying as URiM Partnered with Alumni Affairs on new career preparedness trainings (NEW EVENT! Career Pathways in Medicine: Insights from Diverse Journeys – November 18th, 2024, 6:00-7:00pm. Registration coming soon!)
QUALITY & VALUE Improve ability to synthesize large amounts of data for accreditation purposes. Annual Program Evaluation (APE) Summary moved to online format, with pilot of automation of reviews.

 

There is still a lot of work to do, as our plan extends for another five years. We welcome participation by our community. If you are interested in joining this work, feel free to reach out.

We will continue to share updates with you. In the meantime, feel free to reach out if you have questions or feedback.  We continue to believe that this work, based on your feedback, is the right work to strengthen and better support our GME community and the learning experience for our residents and fellows.

 

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Education & Accreditation
Graduate Medical Education| UW Medicine

 

Cindy A. Hamra, JD, MA
Associate Dean, Operations & Administration
Graduate Medical Education| UW Medicine

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: 2024 CLER Report Summary

by | Oct 1, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Dr. Jennifer Best

Jennifer Best, MD

Hadar Duman, MHI - Headshot

Hadar Duman, MHI

I am pleased to offer this very brief version of the most recent CLER Site Visit Report from the ACGME. As you recall, the CLER Site Visit was a bit of an uncomfortable “cold shower” to the start of a new academic year. But, like most cold showers, the aftereffect was refreshing. The UWMC-ML 2024 CLER Report provides us a vision for us to make changes to improve patient safety and quality of care in our unique learning and working environments.

I want to thank Dr. Best, Associate Dean for Accreditation and Education and Hadar Duman, Director of Accreditation for condensing the 22-page CLER Report into a 2-page summary. If you are interested in a slightly longer version, I have compiled the 2024 CLER Executive Summary –a 7-page Cliff’s Notes version. This Executive Summary contains more context and is annotated with two intersecting and important resources. The first is the CLER National Report of Findings, 2021, an aggregated compendium of CLER site visits, assessing over 544 sponsoring institutions between 2017 – 2019. This pre-COVID-19 summary is a shadow of the past foundation of CLER. The second document is the new and yet-to-be-approved 2024 Institutional Requirements which attempts to provide us guidance for a CLER future, especially with the proposed new Section V.

Clearly, we have work to do. We can do it better together: “Many hands make light work.”

 

Hadar Duman, MHI
Director of Accreditation

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Education & Accreditation

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

GME News & Notes: September

by | Sep 20, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

We are excited to welcome Maureen Horgan, LICSW, to the GME wellness team as a new counselor.  Maureen specializes in working with anxiety, depression, grief, caregiver stress and moral distress in professional care.  Trainees can schedule with Maureen here.

September is the start of Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month; this year’s theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future.”  September is also Suicide Prevention Month.  The GME Wellness page has many resources and ACGME resources related to suicide prevention are included in the Projects & Resources section.

September News & Notes also includes information about tuition support for trainees, name pronunciation badges, and many professional development opportunities and resources.

Thanks,

Cindy

SOMOS UW Medicine Signature Block

Policies and Processes

  • The GMEC approved revisions to the following policies at the September meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
  • You may have received an email from UWMC and HMC hospital CEOs regarding new meal and rest break requirements. We have received several questions regarding whether these new requirements apply to residents and fellows. These new provisions apply to hospital employees; this does not include trainees, who are School of Medicine employees. Please remember, however, that trainees must be given an opportunity to transition patient care in the instance of fatigue (per ACGME requirements), have time to attend medical appointments (per RFPU CBA), and be given time to express milk (per Washington state law). If you have questions about any of these, please reach out to GME.
  • The GME Office is hiring an Information Systems & Web Support Specialist, who will provide support, website administration, and more. To view the job description or to apply: Information Systems & Web Support Specialist (Req# 238092). Please direct questions to Allison Shults.
  • In alignment with UW Medicine’s approach to generative AI, we are excited to announce the release of the AI Guidelines for Residency and Fellowship Applications. These guidelines provide clear and practical advice on how to responsibly incorporate AI tools throughout the application and recruitment process, including application review and interviews. We encourage you to review the guidelines and share your thoughts via the feedback form available on the webpage. Your input will help us refine and improve these resources as needed.
  • UW Medicine will implement universal masking in patient care areas each year during the respiratory virus season. This precautionary measure aims to minimize the risk of exposure to and transmission of respiratory viruses. For more information about the respiratory virus season and new COVID-19 vaccine, see Fall 2024: A new vaccine for COVID-19.
  • Please review the July 8 ‘Update for AY26 Recruitment and Interview Season’ email from Dr. Byron Joyner for important information regarding interview formats, second looks, sub-internships and observerships. Information is also available on our Recruitment Resources webpage.

Program Information

  • Welcome new Program Administrators:
    • Jonathan Dela Cruz, Addiction Medicine
    • Savannah Tam, Allergy & Immunology and Global Health
  • The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee confirmation:
    • Anshu Bandhlish, Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Pathology
    • John Choe, Internal Medicine (Seattle)
    • David Garcia, Hematology Research
    • Bahar Mansoori, Cancer Imaging
    • Cate Paschal, Laboratory Genetics and Genomics (Interim)
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • September 19: IMGs and Visa Sponsorship; slides and recording now available
    • October 17: Moonlighting and Outside Work
    • November 21: Disability Accommodations
  • The fifth session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series will be Tuesday September 24th from 11:30am to 1:00pm. Please join Cindy Hamra, Associate Dean, GME, for a session on Trainee Remediation and Resources, including introduction of our updated GME Remediation Policy and Grievance Procedure. This session is open to all program leadership including program directors, associate program directors, program administrators, vice chairs for education, etc. For planning purposes, please RSVP by Friday 9/20. We will distribute the Zoom link via an Outlook calendar invite as we get closer to the session date. Please reach out to Amanda Easton and Jenn Johal if you have questions.
  • SAVE THE DATE: The final session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series will be on Monday, November 4th from 1:30 – 3:00 pm. The topic for the session is ‘Supporting BIPOC URiM trainees.’ A separate registration link will be shared for this session as we get closer to the presentation date.
  • Registration for our Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE) series is now open. Please register at: EDGE Registration | UW Graduate Medical Education. We will ask that PDs plan to attend 3 of 4 events each year and APDs and Core Faculty plan to attend 2 of 4 events each year
    • Tuesday, October 22, 2024; 9:00 am – 10:30 am: “Entrustable Professional Activities: Dr. Brenessa Lindeman, University of Alabama-Birmingham
    • Tuesday, March 25, 2025; TBD between 9:00 am and 12:00pm: “Supporting Trainee Disability Accommodations”, Hayley Fisher, UW GME
    • Thursday, April 24, 2025; TBD between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm: “How Our Program Does It” Session: Individualized Learning Plans OR Trainee Professional Development Curricula (concurrent)
  • Navigating Thalamus: Milestones to Success is a new webinar series for program users. This 8-part series (August 26 – October 16, 2024) is designed to help you effectively utilize key features of the Thalamus product suite, guiding you through essential milestones with confidence and ease. Register for the series today.
  • The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is hosting Innovations in Addressing Substance Use and Addiction on September 30, from 9 AM to 4 PM at the HUB. Information including registration: Innovations in Addressing Substance Use and Addiction.
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

People

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: A Diverse Healthcare Workforce Matters

by | Sep 6, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

LEAD-UP (Leadership to Advance Diversity in Underrepresented Populations) is a unique program that began at the University of Wisconsin to cultivate leadership skills for interested residents and fellows from diverse backgrounds. That program proved to be extremely successful, and we are fortunate to have Dr. Angele Theard, Associate Professor UW Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, nurture that program here at the University of Washington. LEAD-UP is meant to connect residents and fellows to leadership skills, mentorship and coaching – tools they can use in their future administrative and leadership roles. As such, this program provides them an opportunity and a voice so that they can make vital changes in their communities. We can solve more problems and create a better world when we have diverse perspectives at the table.

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official

Angele Theard Headshot

Angele Theard, MD

A diverse healthcare workforce matters.

 

Diversity in medicine and leadership development leads to better patient outcomes (1, 2, 3). Diverse patients trust our medical system just a little bit more when they are cared for by someone that looks like them (4, 5, 6). Diverse groups work harder to solve problems and create more innovative ideas (1, 7). Leaders in medicine, together with their multidisciplinary teams, have and continue to work to increase the 7% of Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) fulltime faculty and faculty leaders in the US today. The American Associate of Medical Colleges (AAAMC) reports that 83% of deans in US medical schools are non-URiM compared to the 18% who are URiM (8, 9).

LEAD UP (Leadership Education to Advance Diversity of Underrepresented Populations) is an effort towards changing these statistics through focused programming on leadership development that considers many realities that face URiM learners and faculty.  Discrimination and bias contribute to an unfavorable learning/working environment (8). Additionally, URiM faculty tend to have their professional interests devalued (10). More clinical activity and less time for research, compromises promotion for URiM faculty (8, 9). For these reasons – and others, leadership opportunities for URiM have been limited, despite URiM faculty endorsing high aspirations (10). LEAD UP approximates a multifaceted learning health system approach to education. This program considers skills sets effective for leadership and introduces broad concepts of cultural wealth, professional identity, and values in a learning environment that is supportive and collaborative.  Ongoing feedback is built into the regular small group discussions (5 members of the cohort) and during one-to-one coaching to improve self-awareness. LEAD UP provides URiM residents/fellows an opportunity to enrich their lives while, at the same time, creating the potential for more diversity in our future leaders of medicine. 

Members of our first LEAD UP cohort came from training programs across UWSOM and engaged in relevant and worthwhile discussions. They learned a lot about leadership – and more about themselves and their potential. One LEAD UP participant summarized his experience:

My experience with LEAD-UP provided me with the resources and tools to address my leadership potential in what can sometimes be hostile environments for minorities. Listening to leaders who paved the path for generations to come allowed me to recognize the value in my lived experiences. I am grateful for the opportunity to have explored leadership theories as I transition from trainee to attending. 

Dr. Allen Ghareeb, Fellow, Maternal Fetal Medicine, LEADUP cohort, 2024

I feel that the small group size (5) and hearing from national leaders like Dr. William McDade, Chief diversity and inclusion officer, ACGME; DR. Jesse Ehrenfeld, President of the AMA and our Coach; and  Ms. Lenetra King, FACHE, author of Unwritten Insights: A Career Playbook for Leaders of Color  who looked like our learners and, in many instances, had relatable experiences, helped to facilitate a sense of connection during our 3-hour sessions.  A workshop for understanding the critical importance of self-advocacy and self-care by Dr Bonnie Mason, Medical Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) for ACS, and author of Power Moves: The Doctor’s Guide to Contracts and Negotiations, was engaging and positively personal.  An in-person team-building exercise lead by our own UWSOM leader, Dr. Byron Joyner, Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education and DIO was inspirational.  A snapshot of pre/post trainee survey responses and exit interviews reflected increased interest in and understanding of effective leadership.

I look forward to meeting the next LEAD UP cohort – LEAD UP 2026, and continuing conversations – and learning with last year’s group. I am grateful for the support from GME, OHCE, and our UWSOM program directors and chairs without which this program would not be possible. Thank you!

 

Group photo of LEAD-UP participants

References

 

  1. Childs E, Yoloye K, Bhasin RM, Benjamin EJ, Assoumou SA. Retaining Faculty from Underrepresented Groups in Academic Medicine: Results from a Needs Assessment.South Med J. 2023;116(2):157-161. doi:10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001510
  2. https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2017/10/23/discriminationpoll-african-americans.pdf
  3. Phillips, K. (2014, September 19). How Diversity Makes Us Smarter. Am., 311(4), 42-47. Retrieved August 30, 2024, from https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican1014-42
  4. Gomez LE, Bernet P. Diversity improves performance and outcomes.J Natl Med Assoc. 2019;111(4):383-392. doi:10.1016/j.jnma.2019.01.006
  5. https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/faculty-institutions/data/us-medical-school-deans-trends-type-and-race-ethnicity
  6. Gutierrez-Wu J, Lawrence C, Jamison S, Wright ST, Steiner MJ, Orr CJ. An evaluation of programs designed to increase representation of diverse faculty at academic medical centers.J Natl Med Assoc. 2022;114(3):278-289. doi:10.1016/j.jnma.2022.01.012
  7. Pololi LH, Evans AT, Gibbs BK, Krupat E, Brennan RT, Civian JT. The experience of minority faculty who are underrepresented in medicine, at 26 representative U.S. medical schools.Acad Med. 2013;88(9):1308-1314. doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e31829eefff
  8. Drake AF, Sollecito WA, Horneffer KE, et al. Building diverse leadership in an academic medical center: The ACCLAIM program.J Natl Med Assoc. 2023;115(2):134-143. doi:10.1016/j.jnma.2023.01.004
  9. Brouns JW, Berkenbosch L, Ploemen-Suijker FD, et al. Medical residents perceptions of the need for management education in postgraduate curriculum A perliminary study. Int J Med Educ. 2010;1:76-82
  10. Blumenthal DM, Bernard K, Bohnen J, et al. Addressing the leadership gap in medicine:Residents’ need for systemic leadership development training. Acad Med 2012;87:513-522

 

 

 

 

 

GME News & Notes: August

by | Aug 22, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

Last Friday, August 16, 2024, was GME Professionals Day, which is designated by the Association of Hospital Medical Education (AHME) as a day to recognize and celebrate hardworking GME Professionals.  I’m proud to be part of an excellent GME team here at UW Medicine and thank our colleagues in programs and departments, as well as our wonderful GME Office team. I also love to when our GME community can gather and was delighted to see over 300 members come together for our Mariners Night Out on Friday, August 9th, at T-Mobile Park.

We’re delighted to share photos from the UW School of Medicine Stethoscope Ceremony in July.  Internal Medicine R3, MaKenna Stavins spoke to incoming medical students. Thanks to MaKenna and our partners in UW Medicine Alumni Affairs! In other Alumni Affairs news, we’re excited to share an opportunity for residents to participate in the signature Student-Alumni Informational Discussions (SAID) program (see below for more details).

August’s GME News & Notes includes information about several training and professional development opportunities, recruitment information for programs and other important information.  Please let us know if you’d like anything included going forward.

Thanks,

Cindy

Policies and Processes

  • Please review the July 8 ‘Update for AY26 Recruitment and Interview Season’ email from Dr. Byron Joyner for important information regarding interview formats, second looks, sub-internships and observerships. Information is also available on our Recruitment Resources webpage.
  • Please review the June 20 ‘UW GME Community Commitment’ email from Dr. Jennifer Best regarding individual practices of inclusion and care, selected from and vetted by residents, that foster a culture of belonging.

Program Information

  • The University of Washington’s Schools of Dentistry (UWSOD) and Medicine (UWSOM) are pleased to announce a new collaborative initiative.  The two renowned health education entities will join forces to embark on development of an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency program. The program will be housed under UW Medicine’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) Office and include partnerships with community health partners. Read more on the UWSOD Education page.
  • We are pleased to announce ABIM approval for the launch of an official Integrated Geriatric and Palliative fellowship in the Department of Medicine. This two-year program leads to board certification in both specialties and allows for up to eight months of protected time for scholarship and development as a leader. Applications are currently being accepted for a July 2025 start.
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • August 15: Cancelled
    • September 19: IMGs and Visa Sponsorship
    • October 17: Moonlighting and Outside Work
    • AY25 Lunch & Learn schedule is posted to the GME website.
  • The ACGME is offering a Self-Empowerment Workshop for Coordinators. This online workshop will help both seasoned and new coordinators grow their skills to empower themselves in GME, including detailed and practical strategies for leadership, networking, communication, and professionalism. The workshop will run August 19-27, 2024. Register Today.
  • Rescheduled: The final session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series will be November 4 from 1:30pm to 3:00pm (Zoom). The topic is: Supporting BIPOC and URiM trainees. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. As we get closer, RSVP emails will be sent out for this event along with our fifth session on September 24th “Trainee remediation and resources” from 1:30 – 3:00 pm (Zoom).
  • Join us on September 14th, 2024, for the Life After Residency & Fellowship Seminar, featuring Aimee Lowe, J.D. This event will cover key strategies for transitioning into independent practice, including job search tips and contract negotiation advice. Past attendees have raved about the valuable insights and practical guidance they received. The seminar runs from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM via Zoom—don’t forget to register by September 12th. Registration link: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/housestaff-registration/
  • Registration for our Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE) series is now open. Please register at: EDGE Registration | UW Graduate Medical Education. We will ask that: PDs plan to attend 3 of 4 events each year and APDs and Core Faculty plan to attend 2 of 4 events each year (individual or program choice)
    • Thursday, September 19, 2024; 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: “Coaching to Consequences: Support and Remediation of Challenging Trainee and Physician Behaviors”: Dr. Eva Aagaard, Washington University
    • Tuesday, October 22, 2024; 9:00 am – 10:30 am: “Entrustable Professional Activities: Dr. Brenessa Lindeman, University of Alabama-Birmingham
    • Tuesday, March 25 2025; TBD between 9:00 am and 12:00pm: “Supporting Trainee Disability Accommodations”, Hayley Fisher, UW GME
    • Thursday, April 24, 2025; TBD between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm: “How Our Program Does It” Session: Individualized Learning Plans OR Trainee Professional Development Curricula (concurrent)
  • The AAMC Group on Educational Affairs announced that registration is now open for the 2024 Staff Track Virtual Conference! This annual event brings together staff professionals, specialists, educators, managers, and academic trainers from across the medical education continuum to share knowledge and foster collaboration. The event is Friday, September 13, 2024 at 8:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM ET via Zoom. Please register for this free event.
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of August and September.
  • We have posted an updated letter for prospective residents and fellows from Dr. Joyner on our Prospective Residents & Fellows page. You will find the updated letter there along with a lot of helpful information for the recruitment season (which is also reflected in the letter). Feel free to share this information with prospective trainees and/or link from your own recruitment materials.
  • For residents and fellows who are UWSOM alumni: current MD students need you! In partnership with the UW School of Medicine Alumni Association, the GME Office would like to encourage your participation in the signature Student-Alumni Informational Discussions program. Through SAID, alumni host a small group of students –virtually or in person—for lively conversations about professional practice, residency, work-life balance, finding community, and general advice for navigating medical school. Students are eager to hear from and connect with you! Visit https://uwmedalumni.org/said/ to host a session.
  • A web page dedicated to coordinators, centralizing essential resources in one location, is now available on the ACGME website. ACGME also has two new resources available for Program Coordinators: a Program Coordinator Handbook and a Program Coordinator Handbook Companion: Paving Your Path to Success. Review the Handbook and access the Learning Path. The Handbook has also been added to the UWGME Program Administrators page.
  • Parent trainees are encouraged to join our Parenthood Peer Mentorship Program as either a mentor or mentee. This program is designed to support parent trainees by matching them with peers to share knowledge and support each other. Additional information can be found on the Parenthood Peer Mentorship Program webpage.
  • The GME Office would like to update our trainee photos for use on our website, promotional materials, and articles for The Huddle/other in-house publications. We would very much appreciate programs submitting photos of trainees engaged in training, wellness, learning, or volunteering activities.  Please use our GME Photos Request form to upload any available photos. Please note that for compliance purposes there must be a photo waiver on file for any individual in the photo.
  • UW GME has launched a UW GME WhatsApp group for residents and fellows, including interest groups like “GME Parents” and “Quick Meals on the go!” Additionally, some other WhatsApp groups, such as “UW IMG Residents & Fellows”. We encourage more to join!
  • The GME Office has created a resource regarding information about legal matters for trainees. This document was created with input from Risk Management and Claims Services and is designed to be used by both trainees and programs. The resource is posted to the GME Website and can be found on the Current Residents and Fellows page under UW Resources.
  • Physicians Anonymous is a peer based nonprofit organization which offers free anonymous support groups with med students, residents/fellows and MD/DOs who are suffering from burnout/mental health/suicidal ideation and substance use. There are a couple of groups during the week (free) and they also offer coaching (nominal fees).  The group is fully anonymous so there is no mechanism for documentation or mandating referrals.
  • Get legal services through the WA EAP: If you or your family are facing a legal issue, the Washington State Employee Assistance Program can help with free expert advice from a qualified attorney, plus online support with legal forms, simple wills and a library of legal articles.

People

GME Professionals Day

by | Aug 16, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Dr. Jennifer Best

Jennifer Best, MD

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra, JD, MA

This August 16th, our community is invited to join with others nationally in celebrating GME Professionals Day.

We are biased, of course, in our belief that UW GME professionals are the best in the business, yet moment by moment you prove this to be true. This year, in particular, we want to offer tremendous gratitude to those of you who responded in short order to our request for participants in our ACGME CLER visit.

Welcoming new trainees each year provides opportunities for reevaluation and reconnection with our mission. We are hopeful that you found meaning and hope in new relationships and fresh energy as well as other moments to bask in the Seattle (or PNW!) sun and spend time in activities that bring you joy and restoration.

Without your knowledge, dedication and creativity, UW GME simply could not succeed. As in any organization, we see many opportunities to improve your experience as team members. With your partnership, we will move in these directions so that you can be proud and satisfied to call UW GME “home” for many years.

Thank you for being our backbone and our partners. Thank you for being the best of us.

With admiration and respect,

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

Cindy Hamra, JD
Associate Dean, Administration and Finance

 

 

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: GME Leave Resources

by | Aug 13, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Over the last few years, the GME Office has intentionally built expertise to support trainees and programs regarding “Human Resources (HR)” matters – for example, leave, return to work and disability accommodations. This month, I have asked our GME HR Manager, Bre Leatherman, to share information about leaves of absence and return to work resources for programs[i].  These are important complex topics that we are proud to support for our GME community.

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official

Bre Smith Headshot

Bre Leatherman, MBA, PHR

The ability to take time away from training during significant moments of life is essential to resident and fellow well-being. Whether it is taking time to bond with a new child, to care for a personal serious health condition, or to provide care for a family member with a serious health condition, there are a wide variety of resources to support resident and fellow leaves of absence and return to work.

In AY24, over 95 residents and fellows in ACGME- and CODA-accredited training programs took a leave of absence. The most common questions residents and fellows typically have about leave are: “How much leave can I take? How can I receive payment during my leave? Can leave affect my training? What about my return to work?” These are all important aspects of leave planning that I have included brief information on below:

How much leave can I take?

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave. Most residents and fellows become eligible after 1 year of UW benefit eligible employment.

Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) provides up to 12-18 weeks of partially paid leave. Most residents and fellows new to WA state become eligible after 6 months of WA state employment.

UW Parental Leave provides up to 4 months of unpaid parental leave. Residents and fellows are eligible starting on the first day of their appointment. Birth parents also receive unpaid postpartum recovery leave (generally 6 to 8 weeks). The entire parental leave period may extend up to 6 months, including time covered by FMLA, during the first year after the child’s birth or placement.

How can I receive payment during my leave?

Residents and fellows can use a combination of their available UW Paid Time Off (PTO) and apply for PFML to receive payment during their leave. Most residents and fellows typically receive up to 90% of their pay for 12-18 weeks of PFML upon approval. UW PTO is considered a “supplemental benefit” to PFML, which means residents and fellows can use their UW PTO at the same time they are claiming PFML pay benefits.

Residents and fellows should complete a Leave Planning Template to show how they plan to use any of their available UW PTO during their leave. Completed Leave Planning Templates should be submitted to programs before the start of a leave so they can update MedHub and Workday accordingly on behalf of residents and fellows.

Can leave affect my training?

An important consideration unique to residents and fellows, is how much time off is permitted before an extension of training is required. This is not a uniform answer since it varies based on ACGME, specialty board, and program graduation requirements. Residents and fellows should talk with their program director to understand if leave will impact their training and possibly require an extension of training.

American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) Member Boards with training programs of two or more years in duration may allow for a minimum of 6 weeks away once during training for purposes of parental, caregiver, and medical leave, without exhausting time allowed for vacation or sick leave and without requiring an extension in training.

What about my return to work?

A great resource for residents or fellows returning from parental leave is the GME Family Building and Return to Work Resources webpage, containing information on lactation spaces, childcare options, parent support groups, etc.

Residents and fellows taking leave to care for their own serious health condition should determine if they will require any accommodations upon their return to work. A request for return-to-work accommodations should be submitted to the Disability Services Office (DSO) as soon as possible to allow DSO and GME time to discuss with the program.

Residents and fellows are also encouraged to speak with their program to see if any flexible return to work options are available.

Schedule a Leave Meeting with GME

Resident and fellow leaves of absence can be complex, which is why GME is here to assist. I am always available and happy to meet with residents, fellows, and programs about leave. To schedule a leave meeting, please email smitbre@uw.edu.

GME Leave Resources

Resident and Fellow Leaves of Absence webpage

Leave Planning Template

GME Parental Resources

Family Building and Return to Work Resources webpage

GME Accommodation Resources

Resident and Fellow Accommodations webpage

 

Bre Leatherman
GME HR Manager

[i] The leave of absence and return to work resources apply to UW Residents and Fellows represented by the RFPU-NW CBA in ACGME- and CODA (dental)-accredited programs. Non-ACGME Fellows, Clinician Researchers, and Acting Instructors should contact their department HR for guidance.

Residents and Fellows who hold a stipend title may not be eligible for Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML), as wages paid via stipend do not contribute to FMLA or PFML eligibility. However, other leave types may be available, and the grant may provide a funding source. Trainees that hold a stipend title should consult their program and GME.

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Introducing GME Director of Quality and Safety, Dr. Karen Segerson

by | Aug 2, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

I am thrilled to announce that Karen Segerson, MD has accepted the position of GME Director of Quality and Safety at the University of Washington Medical Center-Montlake (UWMC-ML). This role represents an exciting opportunity to enhance resident and fellow engagement in hospital quality and safety goals and activities. Dr. Segerson brings twenty years of experience in medical education to this critical area of our institution’s mission. Her work embodies the fundamental concept that we can change and improve our future with effort and optimism.

In this position, Dr. Segerson plans to build upon the solid foundation already in place at UWMC-ML. She is looking forward to collaborating with UWMC-ML leaders, in partnership with GME, to strengthen that hospital’s quality improvement and patient safety initiatives. And, by doing so, she hopes to raise the quality of care in all of the other hospitals.

Dr. Segerson is starting her new role just as UWMC-ML has completed its 4th Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Site Visit. New recommendations from the CLER Executive Report will assist her during the critical review of the report. In the meantime, her immediate plans include familiarizing herself with the leaders of UWMC-ML, such as Dr. Santiago Neme, Medical Director and Adam Parcher, Chief Quality Officer. During the first several months in her new role, Dr. Segerson also plans to conduct a comprehensive assessment of current resident and fellow involvement in quality improvement initiatives with the goal of identifying areas for enhanced engagement. She also intends to work closely with the UW Center for Scholarship in Patient Care, Quality and Safety to incorporate cutting-edge educational approaches to Graduate Medical Education (GME)-level programming. Additionally, as ACGME stresses, she aims to strengthen the connection between GME quality initiatives and institutional priorities, ensuring that our efforts contribute meaningfully to the overall quality improvement goals of our hospitals.

Karen Segerson Headshot

Karen Segerson, MD

Above all, she will strive to focus improvement and innovation efforts on issues that are patient-focused, prioritizing equity in their healthcare needs. In this era of technological change and “big” (but not necessarily inclusive) data, Dr. Segerson believes that we need not only to mitigate harm (including technological harm) but to proactively use technological advances to address to improve quality gaps and health disparities.

Dr. Segerson envisions developing a robust system for sharing best practices in quality improvement across GME programs, connecting residents and fellows to our larger health system. This will involve creating platforms for interdepartmental collaboration and knowledge exchange. To this end, she plans to leverage the advancing knowledge in artificial intelligence (AI) to explore innovative ways of integrating this exciting new technology into our quality improvement processes and educational work. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement and leveraging data-driven approaches, Dr. Segerson believes we can significantly enhance the quality of care provided at UWMC-ML while simultaneously enriching the educational experiences in all of our hospitals.

As we move forward, Dr. Segerson is committed to fostering a culture of safety, improvement, and innovation. She looks forward to meeting members of our housestaff and hopes that they will reach out to her with ideas, questions or opportunities for collaboration. Together, she thinks that we can make significant strides in advancing UW Medicine’s commitment to excellence in medical education and patient care.

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

CLER Site Visit 2024: Wellbeing

by | Jul 23, 2024 | Announcements, News

Safe delivery of consistent, high-quality patient care can only be sustained when the clinical learning environment ensures the support and well-being of its physicians and patient care providers. Promoting well-being and equity are part of the guiding principles of Mission Forward, which ensures a healthy future for UW Medicine.

Graphic of CLER domains with Well-being highlighted
Graphic representation of Mission Forward Guiding Principles around Ensure Quality Patient Care

This message addresses Well-Being CLER domain activities UW Medicine and the University of Washington Medical Center, Montlake (UWMC-ML) have achieved since the last CLER site visit in 2019.

The COVID-19 pandemic front-lined our GME workforce, creating a lockdown that began earlier –

and lasted longer in Seattle than in other place in the country. It is difficult to overstate the impact that the pandemic had on the healthcare landscape, especially the well-being of the workforce at the individual level (e.g., illness, leave) and the institutional level (e.g., finance). Mission Forward has helped us recover from the pandemic by focusing on achieving “system-ness” and promoting wellbeing in our community. UWMC-ML, in partnership with GME, has made notable progress in the well-being space to deliver safe, quality care to every patient, every time.

2019 CLER Feedback

During our last CLER visit at UWMC-ML, the Executive Report we received from the ACGME CLER team explored several domains related to Well-Being.

Promoting the Well-Being of the Clinical Care Team

During conversations with the senior leadership team, it was unclear if the UWMC-ML has a comprehensive strategy to support the well-being of the clinical care team.

System Responses

  • New Associate Dean for Well Being – Anne Browning, PhD chairs the School of Medicine (SOM) Well Being Steering Committee and has established multiple well-being resources to support our faculty.
  • Participation in the “Healthcare Professional Well Being Academic Consortium” – UW Medicine has joined other academic institutions in this Consortium for data collection and sharing of best practices. We have had two UW Medicine Well-being surveys. The first survey encouraged department leaders to triangulate the data in context of their department and GME experiences and then to develop a practical action plan to promote wellbeing for their unique department. Data from the second survey is still under analysis.
  • UW Medicine Well Being Grant Program – provided grants to several GME applicants for use at the program and department level. Many grant-awarded initiatives focused on (re)building community after the pandemic.
    • Through a Well Being Grant, the GME Wellness Service piloted lightboxes to enhance mood, improve disrupted sleep and increase well-being during the winter months.

Workload and Work-Life Balance

In the group meetings, CLER site visitors reported:

  • 39% of the faculty members and 40% of the program directors agreed or strongly agreed that the medical center creates an environment that promotes balance between faculty workload and their well-being.
  • 52% of the faculty members and 67% of the program directors agreed or strongly agreed that the volume and intensity of faculty member’s clinical workload adversely impacts their ability to teach residents and fellows.
  • Residents and fellows mentioned that back-up call may be viable for larger services but may not be an option for smaller services.

System Responses

  • Expanded Moonlighting – As of November 2020, more moonlighting shifts were made available over many services, offering opportunities for clinical coverage and additional compensation for residents, fellows, and faculty.
    • The GME Office tracks “Program or Department Advocacy for Enhanced Staffing in Response to High Workloads or Acuity” in the Annual Program Evaluation. (APE). Over the last few years, we have seen a steady decrease in the program needs for advocacy, which is currently at 60% for AY23.
  • Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) – these key roles have been hired for services in which work hours posed persistent challenges for housestaff. Although this may have created some financial challenges, the overall effect on their well-being seems to have improved.
  • Exit Interviews – All Program Directors are offered an exit interview so that the GME Office can better understand their experiences and continue to keep abreast of how best to support individuals in these leadership roles.
  • ACGME Faculty & Resident/Fellow Surveys – GME has been following trending data on these surveys to predict trends on faculty supervision and teaching of trainees in the learning environment.

Fatigue / Burnout / Risk of Self-Harm

  • Residents, fellows, nurses, and other health care professionals indicated that they were not aware of UWMC-MLs’ efforts to proactively recognize and address fatigue among the clinical care team.
  • The residents and fellows” in the group interviews were presented with a scenario in which they are maximally fatigued, yet 55% of the residents and fellows indicated that they would power through to hand-off.
    • The GME Office tracks “Programs or Initiatives in Place Intended to Mitigate Resident and Faculty Burnout” on the APEs. 91% of programs have initiatives in place.
  • When asked about the UWMC-ML’s process to identify residents, fellows, and faculty members at risk of or demonstrating self-harm, the well-being representatives did not identify a consistent process for identifying these individuals.
  • In the group sessions, 49% of the residents and fellows, 48% of the faculty members, and 77% of the program directors reported that they are moderately or very prepared to recognize members of the clinical care team at risk of or demonstrating self-harm.

System Responses

  • Report a Concern and UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tools: Any UW Medicine system-level personnel can advocate for resident and fellow wellness using these tools described in Professionalism.
  • Peer to Peer Support Program – This UW Medicine program is available to and has supported GME PDs and trainees.
  • Program Director Development Series, now Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE) – For the last 16 years, the GME Office has offered faculty development events addressing such issues as “Peer Support” and “Supporting Trainees in Crisis.” Topics change depending upon the need of our learning community.
  • Chief Resident Listening and Support Sessions facilitated by the GME Wellness Team to share best practices for new resident leaders, understand the stress continuum, discover ways to support residents and fellows who are struggling, and determine other possibilities of connecting.
  • GME Wellness Service works with programs (Program Directors, APD’s, Chiefs) to normalize help seeking behaviors, destigmatize mental health struggles and encourage support from the larger system. The service was expanded by 1.0 FTE in June 2022 and its counselors navigated an effective pivot to virtual appointments, which increased access. Several programs have benefited from the “opt out” Wellness session model that can identify risk factors and connect trainees with resources.
  • E-Learning Modules
    • Physician Well Being – this practical training embeds self-screening is given to all incoming trainees.
      • AY23 completion rate was 83%.
    • Prioritizing Ourselves when Fatigued – this standardized training is an opt-in training for residents and fellows focused on practical strategies for fatigue mitigation and the system’s role in addressing fatigue.
  • UWMC-ML Schwartz Rounds and Circle of Support – two interdisciplinary venues for humanizing the work we do as a caring community are held at UWMC-ML.

Being well is a part of all healthy work environments. UW GME and UWMC-ML are committed to supporting all individuals in our community and advocating for systems that enable them to thrive. Our partnership with UW Medicine, including UWMC-ML, is essential and ongoing!

For additional details, please see the CLER Website.

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

GME News & Notes: July

by | Jul 19, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra
Associate Dean, GME

Many of our 520+ new residents and fellows are settling into their new roles at UW Medicine. We’re joined by an excellent new group and we hope you’ll join us in welcoming them!

July News and Notes is the first of the 2024-2025 academic year. This is a monthly newsletter that highlights policy changes, resources, events and opportunities and celebrates accomplishments for members of the GME community. This month includes information about AY26 recruitment, a community commitment and several educational events and resources.

July is Disability Pride Month. Information about GME support for trainees seeking accommodations is here.

Feel free to share any information you’d like to see included in future News & Notes.

Thanks,
Cindy

Black background with angled rainbow stripes

 

Policies and Processes

  • Please review the July 8 ‘Update for AY26 Recruitment and Interview Season’ email from Dr. Byron Joyner for important information regarding interview formats, second looks, sub-internships and observerships. Information is also available on our Recruitment Resources webpage.
  • Please review the June 20 ‘UW GME Community Commitment’ email from Dr. Jennifer Best regarding individual practices of inclusion and care, selected from and vetted by residents, that foster a culture of belonging.

Program Information

  • Welcome New Program Administrators:
    • Ally Haviland, Infectious Diseases
  • The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee confirmation:
    • Eileen Rhee, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
    • Basavaraj Ghodke, Neurointerventional Radiology (Interim)
    • Hanna Hunter, Cancer Rehabilitation
    • Amar Iravani, Theranostics
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • July 18: ADS Annual Update and Program Oversight; recording and slides now available
    • August 15: Cancelled
    • September 19: IMGs and Visa Sponsorship
    • AY25 Lunch & Learn schedule is posted to the GME website.
  • We are thrilled to invite you to an important and informative GME-sponsored Community Lecture: “ Things I Didn’t Learn in Training About Firearms” presented by Dr. Mark Shapiro on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024 from 5:00 – 6:00 pm PST (Zoom). This event is open to the entire GME community, our partners in the WWAMI region, medical students, and all faculty. The event will be available to stream after the event. All participants will have the option to be anonymous and off-camera, with anonymous Q&A available. Registration is now open through Friday, August 16th.
  • The AAMC Group on Educational Affairs announced that registration is now open for the 2024 Staff Track Virtual Conference! This annual event brings together staff professionals, specialists, educators, managers, and academic trainers from across the medical education continuum to share knowledge and foster collaboration. The event is Friday, September 13, 2024 at 8:00 AM PT / 11:00 AM ET via Zoom. Please register for this free event.
  • As a reminder, PDDS is now EDGE! In an effort to enhance inclusivity and because we welcome individuals other than program directors to our events, we are rebranding PDDS as Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE). Specific times for Spring 2025 sessions will be shared in advance of the 90-day UW Medicine clinical schedule deadline.
    • Thursday, September 19, 2024; 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: “Coaching to Consequences: Support and Remediation of Challenging Trainee and Physician Behaviors”: Dr. Eva Aagaard, Washington University
    • Tuesday, October 22, 2024; 9:00 am – 10:30 am: “Entrustable Professional Activities: Dr. Brenessa Lindeman, University of Alabama-Birmingham
    • Tuesday, March 25, 2025; TBD between 9:00 am and 12:00pm: “Supporting Trainee Disability Accommodations”, Hayley Fisher, UW GME
    • Thursday, April 24, 2025; TBD between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm: “How Our Program Does It” Session: Individualized Learning Plans OR Trainee Professional Development Curricula (concurrent)
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of July and August.
  • A web page dedicated to coordinators, centralizing essential resources in one location, is now available on the ACGME website. ACGME also has two new resources available for Program Coordinators: a Program Coordinator Handbook and a Program Coordinator Handbook Companion: Paving Your Path to Success. Review the Handbook and access the Learning Path. The Handbook has also been added to the UWGME Program Administrators webpage.
  • Parent trainees are encouraged to join our Parenthood Peer Mentorship Program as either a mentor or mentee. This program is designed to support parent trainees by matching them with peers to share knowledge and support each other. Additional information can be found on the Parenthood Peer Mentorship Program webpage.
  • The GME Office would like to update our collection of trainee photos for use on our website, promotional materials, and articles for The Huddle/other in-house publications. We would very much appreciate programs submitting photos of trainees engaged in training, wellness, learning, or volunteering activities.  Please use our GME Photos Request form to upload any available photos. Please note that for compliance purposes there must be a photo waiver on file for any individual in the photo.
  • In February, UW GME launched the new UW GME WhatsApp group exclusively for residents and fellows. Since its launch, we’ve welcomed over 220+ trainees to the community, and we have Expanded our Opportunities to include interest groups like “GME Parents” and “Quick Meals on the go!” Additionally, some other WhatsApp groups, such as “UW IMG Residents & Fellows” and “UW Surgery,” have linked up with the UW GME community, further enhancing connectivity and collaboration.
  • The GME Office has put together a resource regarding information about legal matters for trainees. This document was created with input from Risk Management and Claims Services and is designed to be used by both trainees and programs. The resource is posted to the GME Website and can be found on the Current Residents and Fellows page under UW Resources.
  • Physicians Anonymous is a peer based nonprofit organization which offers free anonymous support groups with med students, residents/fellows and MD/DOs who are suffering from burnout/mental health/suicidal ideation and substance use. There are a couple of groups during the week (free) and they also offer coaching (nominal fees).  The group is fully anonymous so there is no mechanism for documentation or mandating referrals.
  • Get legal services through the WA EAP: If you or your family are facing a legal issue, the Washington State Employee Assistance Program can help with free expert advice from a qualified attorney, plus online support with legal forms, simple wills and a library of legal articles.
  • Use your backup care benefit at select summer camps: Your backup care benefit through Bright Horizons applies to discounts at Steve & Kate’s Camps around the Puget Sound, where your child can design their own day of activities.
  • Keep moving with Fitness Day partner discounts: Feeling energized by UW Fitness Day and want to keep moving? The Whole U’s community fitness partners offer great discounts to UW employees on classes and memberships.

People

  • Anne Browning, associate dean for Well-Being at the UW School of Medicine, is featured in “One Fun Thing: Seize Summer” from The Huddle.
  • Nina Clark, General Surgery resident, Cindy Hamra, Associate Dean, GME, and Lisa Hammel, Senior Director of Clinical Risk Management, discussed trainee involvement in lawsuits in an episode of the Behind the Knife podcast.
  • Başak Çoruh, Pulmonary and Critical Care Program Director, has been recognized by the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) as a 2024 Distinguished CHEST Educator. This designation provides national-level recognition of excellence in continuing medical education through commitment, involvement, and leadership in CHEST education programs and activities.
  • Taylor Coston, fellow, is lead author and T. Eoin West, professor (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) is co-senior author of “Severity of inhalation injury and risk of nosocomial pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study” in Chest.
  • Jeremy Hess, Population Health Research Program Director, is featured in “Heat-related emergencies are soaring in the US — can hospitals keep up?” from the New York Times.
  • Austin Johnson, fellow, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, is featured in “LGBTQ+ UW Medicine Employees On Being Our Authentic Selves” from The Huddle.
  • Nitin Kondamudi, fellow, Cardiology, is co-author of “Effects of an Intervention to Improve Evidence-Based Care for People With Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Across Sex, Race, and Ethnicity Subgroups: Insights From the COORDINATE-Diabetes Trial” in Circulation.
  • Oliver McElvaney, fellow, Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, received the LeRoy Matthews Physician-Scientist Award. This is a highly prestigious 5-year career development award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation totaling $570,000. The title of his award is “Clustering and immunophenotyping of acute pulmonary exacerbations of cystic fibrosis.”
  • Congratulations to Internal Medicine residents Gena Lenti and Hallen Pham, this year’s recipients of the Tina Juul-Dam Primary Care Award, voted on by the medicine residents. The award memorializes Dr. Juul-Dam, a third-year resident who died in 2004 while on rotation in Alaska, and celebrates her spirit, dedication to patients, passion for primary care, and motivation of others.
  • Congratulations to the following Department of Medicine members who received grants from the Kuni Foundation to propel adult oncology and cancer vaccine research. Shailender Bhatia, professor (Hematology and Oncology) and collaborators Lisa Tachiki, assistant professor, and Manoj Menon, Hematology and Oncology Program Director, are testing a markedly lower-dose plus reduced-frequency strategy of the immunotherapy drug nivolumab, to potentially make the drug available to patients who would otherwise not have access to the drug. Learn more from Hutch News.
  • Colt Merges and Maggie Wilkins, R1 Boise Internal Medicine, are featured in Sweethearts match in medicine: Two newlywed doctors to serve Idaho’s healthcare needs.
  • Christina McMullen, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Associate Program Director, is featured in “Are the Claims About Cold Plunge Health Benefits True?” from Right as Rain.
  • Natalia Murinova, Headache Program Director, is featured in “Worst head pain ever? It could be a cluster headache” from Right as Rain.
  • Congratulations to Claire Murphy, recent alum, Emergency Medicine, who was awarded the 2024 Harborview Medical Center Humanitarian Housestaff Award (pictured below with Edie Shen).

 

Dr. Claire Murphy receiving the Harborview Medical Center Humanitarian Housestaff Award from Dr. Edie Shen

MaKenna Stavens speaking at the 2024 UW School of Medicine Stethoscope Ceremony

CLER Site Visit 2024: Professionalism

by | Jul 16, 2024 | Announcements, News

During the 2019 visit, the CLER site visitors explored a selected set of topics related to Professionalism, including honesty in reporting, integrity, and mistreatment.

 

CLER graphic with Professionalism domain highlighted

 

Honesty in Reporting and Integrity

  • Forty-six percent of the residents and fellows and 15% of the faculty members indicated that they have documented a history or physical finding in a patient medical record that they did not personally elicit without documenting the original source.
    • The EHR Integrity eLearning Module completion rate was 88% for AY23. Our goal is a 100% completion rate for the EHR Integrity eLearning Module by residents and fellows (see graph on the CLER webpage.)
  • The CLER site visitors presented a scenario to the residents and fellows in the group interviews in which a colleague stays 30 minutes beyond his/her duty hours limit to address a nonurgent clinical task. When asked whether the colleague would report the time, 65% responded that it was somewhat or very unlikely that the colleague would do so.
  • Nine percent of the residents and fellows reported that there had been at least one occasion where they felt pressured to compromise their integrity to satisfy an authority figure while at the University of Washington Medical Center.

Interventions

  • GME Report a Concern Process – The GME Office is deeply invested in more visibly disseminating and demystifying the concerns reporting process, including providing all incoming trainees with a linked QR code “badge buddy.” All reports, which can be made anonymously, are reviewed, and tracked by a group of GME staff to determine appropriate follow-up and next steps. We have seen an increase in utilization from year to year.
    • We track programs that received reports or concerns about professionalism and/or bias in the Annual Program Evaluation (APE), with 25% of programs reporting that they received concerns in AY23.
  • Supportive Leadership Behaviors Assessment – All Program Directors Program directors are evaluated annually by trainees and faculty in their departments. Program directors are also assessed regarding leadership behaviors within the UW Medicine Well-Being Survey Supportive Leadership Behaviors subitems.

 

Respectful Treatment of Others

Individuals across several areas of the medical center described the behavior of some attending physicians, residents, fellows, and nurses as dismissive, disrespectful or, in rare cases, disruptive. Several individuals noted that, although reported, these behaviors were sometimes recurrent or persistent in nature.

Interventions

Much of the improvement in this domain can be attributed to the rapid expansion of the Office of Healthcare Equity (OHCE) and the GME Office, including:

  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Survey: Residents and fellows were represented in the first system-wide EDI Survey.
  • Bias Incident Reporting Tool and Team Response – GME is represented in the review of and follow up for every reported bias incident involving a member of the GME community.
  • Restorative Justice Training and Facilitation – GME leadership was included in the development of the UW Center for Restorative Practices. In addition, all Program Directors were invited to participate in a faculty development session introducing Restorative Practices, which are now being used in training programs and departments to build community and remedy harm.
  • GME Respect Scores: GME continues to collect data on personal and witnessed treatment with respect for all residents and faculty members on all evaluation forms. These data are tracked on the UW GME Accreditation Dashboard and used as a criterion for Special Reviews.
  • Special Review Process – Allows trainees and faculty to raise concerns to the Accreditation Team. All concerns are de-identified and escalated to the Department Chair and DIO to determine appropriate resources or required solutions.
  • Sexual Harassment in Patient Encounters eLearning Module – had a completion rate of 97% for AY23.
  • Leadership curricula for residents and/or fellows – only 25% of programs offer a formal leadership curriculum. A four-session GME Leadership Series for Residents and Fellows was piloted this year.

We aspire to create a community in which all members hold to the highest of ideals and treat each member with honor, respect, and kindness.

For more information on CLER, please check out our GME CLER website.

 

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

CLER Site Visit 2024: Supervision & Teaming

by | Jul 9, 2024 | Announcements, News

The 3-day Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Site Visit at UWMC-ML is only weeks away, 30 July – 1 August 2024. It is important for you to be familiar with the 6 CLER domains. Previous messages have reviewed our progress in the first 2 CLER domains: Patient Safety and Health Care Quality, including Health Care Equity. This message concerns the two cross-cutting CLER domains: Supervision and Teaming.

SUPERVISION:



Graphic representation of CLER domains with Supervision and Teaming highlightedResidents and fellows are on the front line of all our hospital patient-care activities/procedures. Since they are all learners in our system, residents and fellows require progressive supervision throughout their educational program. In this way, learners can feel supported in their work to provide the safest quality patient care.

There is more to supervision than just providing oversight of trainees in the hospital. According to the CLER Pathways to Excellence 2.0, the Supervision rubric ensures that faculty provide trainees individualized, progressive autonomy while educating them about expectations for patient care. Like other hospitals, UWMC-ML is responsible for maintaining a supportive culture of safety through high-fidelity systems that can 1) verify which residents/fellows can perform which procedures and 2) detect and monitor workload vulnerabilities.

2019 CLER Feedback:

  1. Perceptions of Adequate Supervision
    1. 70% of resident/fellows (R/F) responded that they were adequately supervised;
    2. 19% R/F responded that they are occasionally over supervised;
    3. 52% of program directors (PD) responded that residents are adequately supervised;
    4. 32% of PD responded that residents are occasionally over supervised;
  2. Perceptions of Asking for Attending Assistance
    1. 35% of R/F occasionally felt uncomfortable asking an attending for assistance;
    2. 5% of R/F frequently felt uncomfortable asking an attending for assistance;
    3. 49% PD responded that R/F occasionally encountered an attending who made them feel uncomfortable asking for assistance;
  3. Perceptions of Knowledge of Direct Supervision
    1. 88% of R/F indicated that they knew of what they were allowed to do without direct supervision;
    2. 67% of faculty indicated that they had an objective way to know procedures a particular R/F is allowed to perform without direct supervision;
    3. Few PD knew of an online intranet available for nonphysicians to access information about R/F procedural supervision requirements;

Appropriate level of supervision graph showing upward trend from 2020-2024

Four-year survey demonstrating that UW trainees believe they have appropriate levels of supervision

Goals:

  1. Improve adequate supervision.
  2. Educate faculty about levels of supervision and monitoring systems.
  3. Reduce clinical burden on faculty so that they can better train residents/fellows and supervise them.

Status: In progress. We continue to work on ways for residents and fellows to raise concerns about supervision.

Monitoring:

The GME Institutional Supervision and Accountability Policy defines levels of supervision for residents, including supervision of procedures. Clinical staff must verify trainees’ required supervision levels per Joint Commission and ACGME requirements to ensure patient safety.

We use Annual Program Evaluations (APEs) to monitor supervision concerns reported by programs. The graph below shows the percentage of programs that indicated concerns about inadequate supervision over the past four academic years.

Bar graph for Supervision: Did you receive any concerns related to inadequate supervision (over-or under supervised) of trainees)

While most programs report no issues, we continually work on improving supervision to address the concerns raised.

We monitor the use of the GME Supervision Policy Template through the Annual Program Evaluations. The graph below illustrates the percentage of programs utilizing this template across different academic years.

Bar graph representing Use of GME Supervision Policy Template from 2018 to 2023 (upward trend)

This upward trend demonstrates our progress in standardizing supervision practices across programs.

To support the process of monitoring procedures that trainees can do, we revamped our Resident/Fellow Procedure Certifications lookup tool within MedHub (the Residency Management Tool) and enhanced program accessibility by building a resource page on how to maintain it. This tool was re-launched in August 2022 and is available for all program staff to maintain supervision levels accurately. More details can be found on our Procedure Certifications page.

Additionally, all program-level supervision policies are publicly available on our UW GME website.

TEAMING:

UW School of Medicine (SOM) is in the top 3% of sponsoring institutions by size in the country. UW GME has close to 1600 residents and fellows in 126 ACGME-accredited programs and 80+ non-accredited fellowships. One in every three UW Medicine physicians is a trainee in our health system and we train 65% of Washington state’s residents and fellows.

At some point in their training, nearly all of our trainees rotate through UWMC-Montlake (UWMC-ML) – the largest hospital in our consortium – where they work and interact with more than 5000 employees. Faculty and nurses at UWMC-ML have a constant role in supervising teams of care for the best patient outcomes.

The CLER Pathways to Excellence, version 2.0 emphasizes the multi-generational, multi-racial, interdisciplinary and interprofessional space which includes critical partnering with patients and their families to provide the best possible patient outcomes. CLER has identified a new focus area called Teaming which has replaced Transitions of Care. Teaming highlights the dynamic nature of the clinical care team and their interactions in providing patient care. The four focus areas of Teaming are:

  1. Interprofessional collaboration – Encourages teamwork among all members for efficient and effective patient care and best outcomes.
  2. Communication skills – Clear communication, active listening and mutual respect are skills that enhance coordination of safe patient care.
  3. Leadership development – Fostering leadership skill among trainees and faculty ensures effective team management.
  4. Conflict resolution – Addressing behaviors leading to conflict is critical. Teams should learn best ways to resolve disagreements and maintain positive work environments.

CLER Site Visits hope to encourage partnerships, stimulate dialogue to recognize successes and deficiencies in the system and, ultimately, change behaviors to sustain a safe, collaborative working environment.

2019 CLER Feedback: none – new category since our last site visit

Initial Goal: 50% of programs have activities that promote interprofessional teamwork.

Intervention(s):

GME education, including:

  1. Annual UW GME New Resident and Fellow Orientation – stressed the importance of “teaming” during GME Patient Safety presentation to all incoming residents/fellows. Includes introduction to TeamSTEPPS communication skills.
  2. GME Foundations Course in Quality Improvement & Patient Safety – includes an interactive TeamSTEPPs training session.
  3. GME Leadership Skills Series for Residents and Fellows – a new offering this year for residents and fellows across programs, with session topics including team communication, difficult conversations, upstander training and supporting and empowering junior learners.
  4. Annual fall e-Learning module on Patient Safety.

UWMC-ML Initiatives:

  1. Structured Interdisciplinary Bedside Rounds on the Medicine services deliver coordinated, interdisciplinary care by doctors, pharmacists, residents, and nurses rounding together and answering questions regarding patient plans from each other and the patient.
  2. Improving patient flow and transfers has allowed nursing and healthcare teams to work together to disposition patients to the right unit and correct clinical service, thus improving efficiency and acceleration of care.
  3. TeamSTEPPS, used by certain teams, enhances teamwork and communication on the Labor & Delivery (L&D) unit through educational modules and protocols, setting expectations for huddles to improve safe patient care.
  4. Morning Huddles – These include the attending surgeon, anesthesiology provider, OR nursing staff in the morning at 7:05 am or before the first case in the morning. This team huddle connects the key clinical team members for safe delivery of patient care.

Revised Goal: Increase the percentage of programs reporting implementing activities to promote interprofessional team work to 75%. Specific goals for Teaming will be identified based on CLER visit feedback.

Monitoring: GME required that all Annual Program Evaluations (APEs) for AY23 include information regarding activities that promote interprofessional teamwork. Sixty-seven percent (67%) of programs reported that they had at least one activity that promoted interprofessional teamwork.

For more information on CLER, please check out our GME CLER website.

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Welcome New Residents and Fellows

by | Jul 5, 2024 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Dr. Jennifer Best

Jennifer Best, MD

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra, JD, MA

Welcome!

We are thrilled that you are here to begin the next phase of your medical or dental education with us. Many of you have traveled from around the country – and from around the world – to train at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

We have all faced challenges and uncertainty, especially the last 4 years during the COVID-19 pandemic and the social and racial unrest. Many of you have never been to Seattle and might have questions as to whether this will be the right home for you. As you start your new journey, we want you to know that we are here for you. A world-class faculty and staff are committed to teaching you, providing you skills and feedback along the way. We want you to gain all the experience you can and have all the learning opportunities you need to do your work. We want you to feel that you are working in a diverse learning environment, one that is inclusive, equitable, and fair.

There will be uncertainty during your training, not only because you will be learning new things about your chosen specialty but because uncertainty challenges you to discover new things about your community and the world.  You will meet your colleagues and make new friends. You will encounter new interdisciplinary teams with whom you will care for patients, and, along the way, you will learn more about yourself.

Starting your new residency or fellowship program should be an adventure – even for those of you who are UW alumni. Our top priority is to offer you the best and safest clinical learning environment so that you can develop the skills, behaviors, and attitudes you will need to be a successful, independent doctor.

You are one of the amazing, high-caliber physicians/dentists training in one of our 200+ residency and fellowship programs. This sets UW apart from other institutions. The new wave of 520+ residents and fellows is our largest entering class ever! You represent an exceptional, diverse, and exceedingly qualified class filled with colleagues who will enrich each other’s lives and learning experiences. Best of luck to you!

Who you are

Exceptional.

  • In total, you are 520+ incoming residents and fellows
  • Over 300 of you are first year residents
  • You join trainees pursuing 125 ACGME accredited specialties, over 85 non-ACGME specialties and 4 dental specialties

Many US medical school graduates going into your specialty have applied to UW training programs, and you are among the select few to be admitted to our very competitive programs.

Diverse.

Altogether, you are global citizens who have studied around the world, with an increase in countries represented since last academic year:

Graphics demonstrating 25% Born Outside the U.S. 48 Countries Represented 56 Graduated From Medical or Dental School Outside of the US

You show diversity in gender identity, representing an increase in female trainees:

Graphic reflecting Gender Identity: 43% Male, 56% Female, 1% Non-binary

This is no accident. Diversity and inclusion are core values of UW Graduate Medical Education.

Qualified.Graphics demonstrating: 67 Graduated from UW Medical School 82 Graduated from Medical School in the WWAMI Region 117 Have Additional Degrees


Where you are:

Graduate Medical Education (GME).  GME programs sponsored by the UW School of Medicine are designed to train skillful physicians with ingrained habits of life-long learning and well-formed ethical and professional modes of practice.

UW Medicine. Among over 875 institutions, UW Medicine ranks eighth in the number of programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and ninth in the number of trainees.

Graphic demonstrating the above 8th and 9th statistics as well as 1 in 23 Institutions with over 100 ACGME accredited programs

Looking at the number for the 2023-2024 academic year:

Graphic demonstrating: 125 ACGME Programs 4 CODA Programs 87 Non-ACGME Programs 1400+ Trainees in ACGME Accredited Programs 105+ Trainees in Non-ACGME Accredited Programs 35+ Trainees in CODA Accredited Programs

Although trainees most commonly rotate at Harborview Medical Center, the University of Washington Medical Center-Montlake & Northwest, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and the Veteran’s Administration, we partner with over 500 training sites throughout the WWAMI region – and around the world – so you can have the best training.

Pie chart of Top Sites based on trainees rotating through in AY24: VA 700+ Harborview Medical Center 1200+ UWMC-ML 1250+ UWMC-NW 190+ Seattle Children's Hospital 790+

Who we are

GME Office. In partnership with many members of the learning community, we are responsible for the administrative oversight and academic quality of UW’s residency and clinical fellowship programs. Most importantly, we are here for you. Please contact any of us with questions, comments, or concerns. (http://gme.washington.edu/).

 

Congratulations and thank you!

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

Cindy Hamra, JD
Associate Dean, Administration and Finance

 

 

CLER Site Visit 2024: Health Care Quality

by | Jul 2, 2024 | Announcements, News

Health Care Quality is the focus of this report for our Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) site visit scheduled for July 30th through August 1st.

CLER Graphic with Healthcare Quality & Healthcare Disparities highlightedAccording to the ACGME, all programs have a duty to train residents in “patient – and family-centered, compassionate, equitable and appropriate care” (Common Program Requirement: IV.B.1.b).(1)) for all patients. We can achieve our ambitious mission of “improving the health of the public” through UW Medicine’s initiative, Mission Forward, which centers our learners, staff, and faculty on providing high-quality, equitable patient care to every patient, every time. “Mission Forward is a system-wide initiative to ensure a future for UW Medicine that is financially stable, operationally efficient, and promotes the well-being of our staff, faculty, and trainees so we can continue providing high-quality, equitable patient care to our community.”

The UWMC-Montlake (UWMC-ML) Quality Improvement Goals are based on Mission Forward guiding principles. Using these principles, decisions are made about trainee education in patient safety, QI engagement, data sharing and priority-setting to mitigate health care disparities.

 

Graphic representation of Mission Forward Guiding Principles around Ensure Quality Patient Care

2019 CLER Feedback: Inconsistent understanding of QI terminology and methodology amongst trainees

Goal: Improve access to QI training for both trainees and faculty

Status: In progress.

Interventions:

 

Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee (HQSC)
Housestaff Quality & Safety Committee (HQSC) facilitates intentional education in QI through IHI training, QI projects and ½-day QI boot camps. These activities were more successful in the past with scholarly activity, abstract presentations at local, regional, and national meetings and regularly published newsletters, like BRICK, HOUSE and The Safety Nut.
QI Match
QI Match – A keystone project funded by GME, The UW Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality & Safety and the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine as an online project repository matching project leads with trainees, nurses, and others across UW Medicine.
Program Level QI Training
Many trainees have participated in individual and group QI projects for their program and the hospital. Training in QI terminology and monitoring of this education has been variable in our programs.
GME Foundations Course in Quality and Patient Safety
UW Medicine recently funded a 5-hour central, standardized QI course through the Center for Scholarship in Care Quality and Safety for all housestaff and faculty. This has tremendous potential to increase quality of care and patient safety in our system of care. Twenty-three programs enrolled for AY23-24, serving approximately 200 trainees and 23 faculty members.
2019 CLER Feedback: Limited number of residents/fellows had engaged in efforts to eliminate health care disparities.

Goal: Improve education in and opportunities to engage in eliminating disparities

Status: Continued progress.

Interventions:

Office of Healthcare Equity (OHCE)
  1. UW Medicine Healthcare Equity Blueprint 2.0 An inaugural document was released in 2017 and updated in 2021. This document includes various aspects of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) within UW Medicine.
  2. Bystander Intervention Training – Group training to empower bystanders to avert racism, discrimination, and bias.
  3. Bias Incident Reporting Tool (BRT) – OHCE and a multi-unit response team (including GME representation) reviews all bias reports and addresses acute and chronic bias incidents at UWMC-ML and our other medical centers.
  4. Center for Restorative Practices – The School of Medicine (with GME representation) has established this Center which hopes to integrate restorative practices to reduce conflict and strengthen our community.
UW GME Initiatives
  1. Learning Gateway – is building asynchronous training modules for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) to be released in AY25 to the UW Medicine community.
  2. Equity Matters – UW GME is involved in this ACGME initiative to improve accountability and reporting of diversity recruitment and retention efforts.
  3. GMEC EDI Subcommittee – In AY23, the DIO charged the subcommittee with producing a central resource for programs to educate trainees in EDI concepts and practical skills (e.g., cultural humility training)
  4. GME Program Monitoring – Annual Program Evaluation (APE) review allows the Accreditation team to assess and monitor programs’ compliance with ACGME requirements, including trainee participation in QI projects focused on eliminating health care disparities. In AY23, 74% of programs reported trainees were involved with ongoing QI projects aligned with UW Medicine priorities in eliminating health care disparities.
UW Medicine’s Key Initiatives for EDI
  1. Accountability – Earn leadership trust through addressing all bias reports.
  2. Belonging & Safety – Address psychological safety.
  3. Mitigating bias – Develop and sustain long-term solutions to reduce bias and discrimination.
  4. Increasing diversity – Increase leadership diversity through intentional outreach.
REAL Data
UW Medicine’s Patients Are First Dashboard shares aggregated, de-identified demographic data inclusive of race, ethnicity, language, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and zip code with all faculty and housestaff. This is foundational to eliminating disparities.
Resident Initiatives
  1. Housestaff Quality and Safety Committee – HQSC has partnered with Network of Underrepresented Residents & Fellows (NURF) and Resident & Fellow Physician Union –Northwest (RFPU-NW) to complete QI projects that improve care for underserved populations with UW Medicine. One project, Patients Experiencing Incarceration, aimed to improve treatment of incarcerated patients in the Emergency Department at our hospitals.
  2. Network of Underrepresented Residents & Fellows (NURF) hosts Diversity Lecture Series, offering opportunities for residents/fellow and faculty to learn about diversity and disparities. For the last 4 years, NURF has hosted annual Diversity Townhalls for all GME programs and UME conferences. Other offerings include funding to attend affinity-based conferences, collaboration with CMFA to celebrate various cultural observances and build community.
  3. NURF-HQSC Joint Conference – For the last 6 years, this combined resident-run session has focused on Health Care Disparities. Topics have included end of life care, women in medicine and LGBTQIA healthcare concerns.
Department Initiatives
  1. Diversity Sub internships – 14 departments have resident/fellow recruitment committees which attempt to build diverse training teams.
  2. EDI Committees – 67% of our clinical departments have committees that include faculty, residents, and staff.
Revised Goal: same

Dr. Paula Houston, Chief Diversity Officer, and her team in OHCE and working to share data on healthcare disparities, decrease implicit bias, and improve diversity in our medical workforce. Still, we all have work to do to build knowledge and critically evaluate our internal practices to combat racism and create greater equity, including our continued efforts to expand allocated resources.

For more information about CLER, please check out our UW GME website.

Dr. Byron Joyner

 

 

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

CLER Site Visit 2024: Patient Safety Updates

by | Jun 25, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

UWMC-ML is scheduled for a 3-day Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) site visit from 30 July to 1 August. Over the next few weeks, I will outline the progress we have made at UW Medicine and UWMC-Montlake (UWMC-ML), specifically in the 6 CLER domains following our last CLER site visit.

The CLER program consists of 6 domains that have evolved to reflect the current state of GME and the world of health care. All 6 domains are closely related and define how the hospital system functions. By performing CLER site visits, the ACGME hopes to provide feedback to enhance physician education and improve patient care quality in these organizations. This report focuses on Patient Safety, the first and most scrutinized CLER domain.

During our last (2019) CLER site visit, CLER site visitors explored several areas of Patient Safety, including 1) Patient Safety Education 2) participation in the patient safety event reporting system, 3) feedback on patient safety event reports, 4) participation of trainees in patient safety event investigations, and 5) the clinical learning environment’s role in monitoring patient safety. We have made the following progress in these areas.

Patient Safety Education

 

Graphic of CLER domains with Paitent Safety boldedThe CLER Pathways to Excellence, version 2.0 provides a framework for hospital leadership, in partnership with GME, to optimize the clinical learning environment by creating and integrating better education and opportunities for better patient care. As such, in addition to training provided by individual programs, GME ensures that all trainees have multiple exposures to patient safety education throughout their time at UW Medicine. There are many examples:

  1. Patient Safety Orientation – In June of every year, the UW GME Orientation provides introductory educational sessions in Patient Safety.
  2. A Patient Safety e-Learning module is delivered in the fall of every academic year.
  3. Housestaff Quality and Safety Committee (HQSC) hosts a boot camp for trainees desiring in-depth training in special topical areas of patient safety and quality.
  4. Program Level QI Training – The ACGME Common Program Requirements (CPRs) set expectations for all program directors (PD) to train their residents/fellows in QI practices and provide practical experience in patient safety activities. This training has been variable in our system. We have high hopes for the new GME Foundations course.
  5. GME Foundations in Quality and Patient Safety – At its inception, this two half-day intensive course enrolled 23 programs and over 200 trainees. In AY24, GME and the Center for Scholarship in Care Quality and Safety received funding to expand this 5-hour, standardized training to all trainees and faculty. This should increase quality of care and patient safety.

Patient Safety Event Reporting

 

2019 CLER Feedback: Low rate of participation in PSN (now Safety Net) reporting.

Goal to Achieve: 50% increase in the number of Safety Net reports submitted by trainees.

Intervention(s): Over the last 3 years:

  1. Improved feedback to faculty and trainees through the medical director’s office
  2. Education during UW GME Orientation and the fall Patient Safety E-learning
  3. Trainee inclusion in adverse event reviews
  4. Safety Event Classification (SEC), a new addition to Safety Net (formally PSN), has made it easier for UWMC-ML leaders to detect patterns of events and filter by frequency and seriousness which helps to prioritize efforts of prevention

Current Status: Met 1.8% baseline reporting rate for trainees (trainee reports/total reports), 3.6% for Q2 of AY 24

Graph of trainee PSN submissions from Q1 2021 to Q1 2024 with harm and no harm

Data collected from UWMC-ML Patient Safety Net.  Note, data does not include staff injury events.  Events categorized as “Harm” denote that harm actually reached the patient, as opposed to only posing a risk to a patient.

Revised Goal: 5% rate of reporting for trainees (trainee reports/total reports) and faculty (faculty reports/total reports)

Overall, trainees feel that hospital leadership promotes a culture of patient safety and makes every effort to deliver safe and error-free care to patients. Trainees reported that error prevention is discussed and that positive change results from acknowledging and acting upon safety concerns.

Patient Safety Intensive Review (Event Investigation/Adverse Event) Participation

 

2019 CLER Feedback: Low rate of participation in Patient Safety Intensive Reviews (Event Investigations).

Goal to Achieve: 50% of Intensive Reviews (Adverse Event Reviews) each quarter should include trainee participation.

Intervention(s): Over the last 3 years, we devised an elegant solution:

  1. In partnership with GME and Patient Safety Leadership team at UWMC-ML, trainees have been invited to attend intensive (event) reviews.
  2. Copies of the invitations were sent to trainees’ PDs who could remove barriers to attending the Intensive Review (Event Investigations).

Current Status: 100% of Patient Safety Intensive Reviews (Event Investigations) Q1 – Q3 of AY24 had trainees in attendance. Q2* data is not yet complete.

Bar chart of percentage of event reviews with trainee attendance from Q3 2019 to Q2 2024

 

Monitoring of the numbers of individuals participating in patient safety event investigations and Safety Net report submissions is done monthly by UMWC-ML’s Center for Clinical Excellence (CCE). Additionally, this data is reported to the GMEC. 

Conclusion:

 

This work has had a notable impact on our trainees’ perception of our institution’s culture of safety. On our most recent culture of safety survey by Press Ganey, our trainees rated UWMC-ML’s patient safety culture well above the national average at 4.18 (+0.21 above the national average for other academic medical centers) and the faculty rating was also better than the national average (4.01).

There is more work to do. Supporting this work requires multidisciplinary collaboration between our GME leadership, hospital leadership, quality improvement and patient safety leaders, and our nursing colleagues. Dr. Strizich, Director of Quality & Patient Safety for CLER, has chaired our GMEC CLER Subcommittee for the past three years. This committee has representation from our GME team, PDs, program administrators, trainees, our medical director’s office, patient safety leadership, risk management, as well as from our nursing colleagues and is tasked with monitoring and supporting our efforts to improve our clinical learning environment.

We are excited to continue to expand this work and find new ways to enhance the culture of safety within our clinical learning environments.

Be on the lookout for more updates on CLER in the following weeks. Meanwhile, check out our UW GME CLER website.

 

From The Huddle: Welcome, 2024 UW Medicine Trainees

by | Jun 20, 2024 | Announcements, News, Sticky

Headshots of 5 trainees featured in Huddle Welcome article

This June, our office is set to welcome 521 new trainees. Each year, UW Medicine sponsors over 1,600 residents and fellows, which means that about one in three physicians practicing at UW Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center is a resident or fellow — making up a substantial and important part of our physician population.  

Under the supervision of an attending physician, UW Medicine residents and fellows learn and work primarily in UW Medicine hospitals and clinics, Seattle Children’s Hospital and the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.  

These trainees are excited to dive deeper into their chosen specialty or subspecialty at UW Medicine. This year, we asked five incoming residents and fellows to share their goals and desires for their upcoming time as trainees and future in medicine. 

Read more >

GME News & Notes: June

by | Jun 21, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra
Associate Dean, GME

Yesterday the GME Office hosted New Resident & Fellow Orientation with nearly 400 of the over 500 incoming residents and fellows in attendance!  GME Orientation takes months of planning by many members of the GME Team and I’m thankful to this great group for an excellent event!  The Huddle also featured an article on our incoming residents and fellows: Welcome, 2024 UW Medicine Trainees.

In addition to Orientation, June is graduation month for many of our trainees.  We also celebrate Juneteenth, Pride and the first cohort of UW Medicine LeadUp graduates!

June News & Notes includes new policies regarding non-ACGME programs and Physician Impairment, several upcoming events and reminders.  Please reach out with questions or suggestions.

Thanks,

Cindy

showing our PRIDE; UW Medicine signature block

Policies and Processes

  • The GME Office is currently hiring for a second Float Administrator (Req #233223). If you have questions about the position, please contact Gabrielle Pett.
  • The GMEC approved revisions to the following policies at the June meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.
    • Non-ACGME Accredited Programs Policy: Minor revisions, specifically updating name of the GMEC subcommittee charged with oversight of these programs (now the Non-ACGME Program Oversight Subcommittee).
    • Physician Impairment Policy: The GMEC approved significant changes to the GME Physician Impairment Policy, which outlines the protocol for UWSOM clinical training program leadership and residents when there are concerns about a resident’s ability to practice safely due to an impairing health condition. Please direct questions to Cindy Hamra.

Program Information

  • The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee confirmation:
    • Brian Liem, Sports Medicine (PMR)
    • Gail Pokorney, Internal Medicine Alaska
    • Robyn Reed, Pediatric Pathology
    • Russell Ettinger, Plastic Surgery – Integrated
  • The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new non-ACGME program directors for three newly approved non-ACGME clinical fellowships.
    • Andrew Chen, Glaucoma
    • Coutney Francis, Neuro-Ophthalmology
    • Hanna Hunter, Cancer Rehabilitation
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • Join us on July 18 for ADS Annual Update and Program Oversight.
    • AY25 Lunch & Learn schedule is posted to the GME website.
  • Save the Date: The fifth session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series is August 6 from 12:30pm to 2:00pm (Zoom). The topic is: Supporting BIPOC and URiM trainees. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. An RSVP email will be sent out closer to the event.
  • Residents & Fellows are encouraged to register for our June 25, 2024 lecture on ‘Bystander Intervention’ with Jonathan Kanter, PhD and Lee Davis from the Office of Healthcare Equity. Register using this link.
  • Thalamus Demo (Date Change): Program Directors and Program Administrators are invited to join a Thalamus Demo on Tuesday, July 16 from noon-1pm. A calendar invite has separately been sent to programs via email from Gabrielle Pett. The July Program Administrator has been cancelled as the Thalamus meeting noted above was previously set to take place the same day.
  • We’re pleased to invite training programs to enroll in the 2024-2025 GME Quality and Safety Foundations Course. Developed by the UW Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety, this course provides high-quality, efficient instruction in Quality Improvement (QI) and Patient Safety (PS) for residents and fellows. Detailed information on fees and the curriculum is available on the GME Quality and Safety Foundations Course. Enrollment is at the program level, based on total program size.  We’re excited to share that the Dean’s office and GME have provided substantial funding to reduce course costs.
  • As a reminder, PDDS is now EDGE! In an effort to enhance inclusivity and because we welcome individuals other than program directors to our events, we are rebranding PDDS as Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE). Specific times for Spring 2025 sessions will be shared in advance of the 90-day UW Medicine clinical schedule deadline.
    • Thursday, September 19, 2024; 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm: “Coaching to Consequences: Support and Remediation of Challenging Trainee and Physician Behaviors”: Dr. Eva Aagaard, Washington University
    • Tuesday, October 22, 2024; 9:00 am – 10:30 am: “Entrustable Professional Activities: Dr. Brenessa Lindeman, University of Alabama-Birmingham
    • Tuesday, March 18, 2025; TBD between 9:00 am and 12:00pm: “Supporting Trainee Disability Accommodations”, Hayley Fisher, UW GME
    • Thursday, April 24, 2025; TBD between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm: “How Our Program Does It” Session: Individualized Learning Plans OR Trainee Professional Development Curricula (concurrent)
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of June and July.
  • The GME Track Annual update opened on May 15th. To assist you with this process, we have updated the GME webpage with valuable information and resources, including the GME Census timeline, steps for completing the program and resident surveys, and FAQs. Please note that the deadline for the August FREIDA Online Listing is July 12, 2024, with the final deadline being December 13, 2024.
  • The UW GME Office has updated our Recruitment Resources for 2024-2025. There are no substantive changes regarding interview formats from last academic year.
  • The GME Office would like to update our collection of trainee photos for use on our website, promotional materials, and articles for The Huddle/other in-house publications. We would very much appreciate programs submitting photos of trainees engaged in training, wellness, learning, or volunteering activities.  Please use our GME Photos Request form to upload any available photos. Please note that for compliance purposes there must be a photo waiver on file for any individual in the photo.
  • The 2024-2025 SCH QI Scholars Program Request for Applications (RFA) has been released. Applications are due on June 28, 2024. More information is available here: How to Apply | Seattle Children’s (seattlechildrens.org). Please contact Dr. Lori Rutman, Program Director, with questions.
  • In February, UW GME launched the new UW GME WhatsApp group exclusively for residents and fellows. Since its launch, we’ve welcomed over 220+ trainees to the community, and we have Expanded our Opportunities to include interest groups like “GME Parents” and “Quick Meals on the go!” Additionally, some other WhatsApp groups, such as “UW IMG Residents & Fellows” and “UW Surgery,” have linked up with the UW GME community, further enhancing connectivity and collaboration.
  • The GME Office has put together a resource regarding information about legal matters for trainees. This document was created with input from Risk Management and Claims Services and is designed to be used by both trainees and programs. The resource is posted to the GME Website and can be found on the Current Residents and Fellows page under UW Resources.
  • Physicians Anonymous is a peer based nonprofit organization which offers free anonymous support groups with med students, residents/fellows and MD/DOs who are suffering from burnout/mental health/suicidal ideation and substance use. There are a couple of groups during the week (free) and they also offer coaching (nominal fees).  The group is fully anonymous so there is no mechanism for documentation or mandating referrals.
  • Get legal services through the WA EAP: If you or your family are facing a legal issue, the Washington State Employee Assistance Program can help with free expert advice from a qualified attorney, plus online support with legal forms, simple wills and a library of legal articles.
  • Use your backup care benefit at select summer camps: Your backup care benefit through Bright Horizons applies to discounts at Steve & Kate’s Camps around the Puget Sound, where your child can design their own day of activities.
  • Keep moving with Fitness Day partner discounts: Feeling energized by UW Fitness Day and want to keep moving? The Whole U’s community fitness partners offer great discounts to UW employees on classes and memberships.

People

ACGME Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) Site Visit 7/30-8/1 at UWMC-ML

by | Jun 13, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

The ACGME Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) team has invited us to participate in a 3-day CLER Site Visit between July 30th and August 1st. This is a wonderful opportunity for UW Medicine, and UWMC-ML, specifically, to learn more about developing and sustaining an optimal clinical learning environment.

In this rapidly evolving health care environment, it is critical that hospitals support training of residents and fellows in communication, systems-based practices and interprofessional teamwork. Residents and fellows are the front line of patient care in our hospitals, and they should have opportunities to learn about diversity, disparities, social determinants of health and participate in quality care and patient safety.

The ACGME CLER program, created in 2012, was established to encourage hospitals to focus on continuous quality improvement. To this end, CLER site visits provide GME leaders, hospital executives and the local medical community feedback in 6 critical and cross-cutting areas:

  1. Patient Safety
  2. Health Care Quality
  3. Teaming
  4. Supervision
  5. Professionalism
  6. Well-being
 Visual of CLER and Domains: Patient Safety, Teaming, Professionalism, Well-Being, Supervision, Health Care Quality

In addition to the general CLER Site Visit, we have volunteered for the new Patient Perspective Subprotocol. Through this subprotocol, the ACGME hopes to learn more about the patient voice. To do so, a separate set of site visitors will visit simultaneously the in-patient wards at UWMC-ML to ask 14 standard questions regarding their satisfaction with our health system. Examples of questions will be:

  1. Please tell me who is the doctor in charge of your care.
  2. Do doctors and nurses go over your plan of care so that you understand it?
  3. Do you feel that doctors encourage you to ask questions?
  4. Did you feel when there was lack of coordination in planning your care?
  5. Did you receive conflicting information from doctors and nurses?
  6. Do doctors and nurses seem to treat each other with respect?
  7. Do nurses and residents treat each other with respect?

All of the questions can be found on the ACGME site. These questions are substantive and remind us of how teamwork can affect patient expectations.

Although CLER site visits are not graded, there is a requirement that each institution sponsoring graduate medical education has a periodic CLER site visit. These site visits allow a sponsoring institution to qualify for an accreditation status. There are two expectations. First, each sponsoring institution should develop action plans based on the feedback received from the CLER site visitors and implement improvements to address any identified deficiencies. Second, faculty, housestaff, nurses and pharmacists should be invovled in working to improve hospital quality and patient safety. You can learn more about what we are doing in GME by reviewing our CLER website.

During our last 3-day CLER site visit in 2019, CLER field representatives collected information through observations of and interviews from executive leadership, program directors, residents, fellows, nurses, and faculty about the six CLER domains. In the weeks ahead, I will be sharing with you changes and improvements that UW Medicine has made based on the feedback from the last CLER site visit, priorities set by feedback from you and securing resources to make improvements.

Before our CLER site visit, Hadar Duman, Director of GME Accreditation will send requests to many of you to participate in interviews with members of the CLER Site Visit team. Thank you for responding promptly to her requests. And, thank you for cooperating in this exciting opportunity to be better!

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME &
Designated Institutional Official
University of Washington
School of Medicine

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Thank You Graduating Residents and Fellows

by | Jun 7, 2024 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Dr. Jennifer Best

Jennifer Best, MD

Cindy Hamra

Cindy Hamra JD, MA

Dear Resident and Fellow Graduates,

As you embark on the next chapter of your journey, we want to extend our warm gratitude and deep admiration for your dedication, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to your profession – and to your patients. Your time at UW School of Medicine has been marked by both challenges and successes, and through it all, you have demonstrated remarkable resilience and passion.

Throughout your training, you have faced countless obstacles, from demanding schedules to complex cases, yet you have met each challenge with determination and grace. Your tireless efforts have not only expanded your knowledge and skills but have also touched the lives of countless patients and their families. Thank you.

In celebration of your successes, we recognize the many hours of hard work, sacrifice and selflessness that have brought you to this moment. Your achievements stand as a testament to your dedication to excellence and your commitment to providing the highest quality care to those in need. You did that.

As you transition to the next phase of your career, may you carry with you the lessons learned, the relationships forged and the memories shared during your time here, remembering that your journey does not end here. Rather, your time with us has provided you stepping stones to a future filled with endless possibilities and opportunities for you to make a profound impact on the world of medicine.

On behalf of all of those whose lives you have touched, thank you for your service, your compassion and your dedication to healing. Congratulations on this remarkable achievement and, may your future be filled with continued success, fulfillment and joy. You deserve it.

With heartfelt gratitude,

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

Cindy Hamra, JD
Associate Dean, Operations and Administration

 

 

GME News & Notes: May

by | May 24, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra Associate Dean, GME

It’s time to share May’s GME News & Notes.  First, as we approach the Memorial Day weekend, I want to express our gratitude to the members of our GME community who have served.  May is also Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. The Huddle’s ANHPI Heritage Month page contains digital assets and learning resources.

In addition to the multiple events, resources and other items below, a few additional celebrations:

Envisioning a Better Future for Residents and Fellows: Dr. Joyner has created the Vision Fund in Graduate Medical Education to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in our residency and fellowship programs.

Forbes Recognizes UW Medicine as a Best Employer for Diversity: UW Medicine is proud to be among the 41 hospitals and health systems listed by Forbes for prioritizing equity, diversity, and inclusion.

It’s a busy time of year for everyone, and I want to take the time to call out the fantastic GME Team, which always inspires me with their tireless commitment to and work on behalf of our trainees and programs.

Feel free to share anything you’d like to see in future News & Notes.

Thanks,

Cindy

Celebrating Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Policies and Processes

  • GME Float Administrator: The GME Office is currently hiring for a second Float Administrator (Req #233223). If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to contact Gabrielle Pett (nathangl@uw.edu).
  • The GMEC approved revisions to the following policies at the May meeting. All are posted on the Policies and Procedures page of the GME website.

Program Information

  • The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new program directors; ACGME appointments require Review Committee confirmation:
    • Alissa Darden, Pediatrics and Pediatric Medical Genetics and Genomics
    • Sarah Greenberger, Emergency Medicine
    • Borah Hong, Pediatric Cardiology
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • May 16: Final Evaluations + Training Verifications; Moonlighting Update; Workplace Safety – recording and slides now available
    • June L&L: cancelled
    • AY25 Lunch & Learn schedule is posted to the GME website
  • The fourth session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series is Tuesday May 28 from 11:30am to 1:00pm (Zoom). The topic is: Eval-Palooza: Optimizing Your Evaluation System for Effective Outcomes. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. For planning purposes, please RSVP. Please reach out to Amanda Easton if you have questions.
  • We are excited to announce a comprehensive Four-Part Leadership Lecture Series designed specifically for residents and fellows! Each month, we will delve into crucial areas that shape effective leadership in the medical profession, presented by experts in the field. Mark your calendars and join us! Please see the January 18 email from Jennifer Best for more information.
  • Program Directors and Program Administrators are invited to join a Thalamus Demo on Tuesday, July 9 from noon-1pm. A calendar invite has separately been sent to programs via email from Gabrielle Pett.
  • The recording and slides from the May 14 Program Administrator Meeting “ACGME Annual Educational Conference Recap” presentations are now posted. The July Program Administrator has been cancelled as the Thalamus meeting noted above will take place same day.
  • We’re pleased to invite training programs to enroll in the 2024-2025 GME Quality and Safety Foundations Course. Developed by the UW Center for Scholarship in Patient Care Quality and Safety, this course provides high-quality, efficient instruction in Quality Improvement (QI) and Patient Safety (PS) for residents and fellows. Through two interactive 5-hour sessions, it equips trainees with the skills to improve quality and engage with safety systems at UW and Seattle Children’s, helping programs meet crucial ACGME common program requirements. Detailed information on fees and the curriculum is available on the GME Quality and Safety Foundations Course Website. Enrollment is at the program level, based on total program size.  We’re excited to share that the Dean’s office and GME have provided substantial funding to reduce course costs. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the course will host seminars six times per year, including four sessions at South Campus Center (Room 316) and two at Seattle Children’s Sand Point Learning Center (Auditorium).
  • As a reminder, PDDS is now EDGE! In an effort to enhance inclusivity and because we welcome individuals other than program directors to our events, we are rebranding PDDS as Educator Development for GME Excellence (EDGE). Please keep an eye out for new messaging and program description. SAVE THE DATES! AY25 Fall EDGE will be held on September 19th and October 22nd, 2024. NOTE: Each of these dates will feature distinct content.
  • Thank you again to those who attended the Scheduling Workshop Series! A lot of content was covered, and we appreciate your attendance and engagement. If you haven’t already shared, we would welcome your feedback on the series and/or thoughts for future training in this short, anonymous survey. Each of the workshop recordings are now available on the GME MedHub site under “Scheduling Resources” along with other helpful resources below:
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of May and June.
  • The UW GME Office has updated our Recruitment Resources for 2024-2025. There are no substantive changes regarding interview formats from last academic year.
  • The GME Office would like to update our collection of trainee photos for use on our website, promotional materials, and articles for The Huddle/other in-house publications. We would very much appreciate programs submitting photos of trainees engaged in training, wellness, learning, or volunteering activities.  Please use our GME Photos Request form to upload any available photos. Please note that for compliance purposes there must be a photo waiver on file for any individual in the photo.
  • Learn about UW Medicine initiatives that support gender-diverse staff and patient: Fostering Belonging in Gender Diverse People
  • The 2024-2025 SCH QI Scholars Program Request for Applications (RFA) has been released. Applications are due on June 28, 2024. The Quality Improvement (QI) Scholars Program is a year-long training program designed to support physicians and quality leaders seeking advanced training in QI methods. Please read more online at: How to Apply | Seattle Children’s (seattlechildrens.org). Please contact Dr. Lori Rutman, Program Director, with questions rutman@seattlechildrens.org
  • The recent post ‘Inside UW Alert and UW Advisory messages’ features helpful information and a deeper dive into both safety resources.
  • In February, UW GME launched the new UW GME WhatsApp group exclusively for residents and fellows. Since its launch, we’ve welcomed over 70+ trainees to the community, and we have Expanded our Opportunities to include interest groups like “GME Parents” and “Quick Meals on the go!” Additionally, some other WhatsApp groups, such as “UW IMG Residents & Fellows” and “UW Surgery,” have linked up with the UW GME community, further enhancing connectivity and collaboration.
  • The GME Office has put together a resource regarding information about legal matters for trainees. This document was created with input from Risk Management and Claims Services and is designed to be used by both trainees and programs. The resource is posted to the GME Website and can be found on the Current Residents and Fellows page under UW Resources.
  • Physicians Anonymous is a peer based nonprofit organization which offers free anonymous support groups with med students, residents/fellows and MD/DOs who are suffering from burnout/mental health/suicidal ideation and substance use. There are a couple of groups during the week (free) and they also offer coaching (nominal fees).  The group is fully anonymous so there is no mechanism for documentation or mandating referrals.
  • Get legal services through the WA EAP: If you or your family are facing a legal issue, the Washington State Employee Assistance Program can help with free expert advice from a qualified attorney, plus online support with legal forms, simple wills and a library of legal articles.
  • Use your backup care benefit at select summer camps: Your backup care benefit through Bright Horizons applies to discounts at Steve & Kate’s Camps around the Puget Sound, where your child can design their own day of activities.
  • Keep moving with Fitness Day partner discounts: Feeling energized by UW Fitness Day and want to keep moving? The Whole U’s community fitness partners offer great discounts to UW employees on classes and memberships.

People

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: UW Dermatology program involved in ACGME Back to Bedside Narrative

by | May 10, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

One of the joys of this DIO blog is that we can celebrate the accomplishments and amazing work of our residents and fellows.  This month, I’ve invited Drs. Mariam Alam, R4 Dermatology, and Caitlin Crimp, Acting Instructor, Department of Dermatology (and 2023 graduate of the Dermatology residency program) to reflect on their ACGME Back to Bedside project, “Mitigating Bias and Burnout Through Patient-Centered Narrative Medicine.”  In June 2022, Drs. Alam and Crimp received a Back to Bedside grant to develop a narrative medicine curriculum for dermatology residents, with the goal of improving residents’ understanding and connection to patients and mitigating both bias and burnout.

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official

Drs. Mariam Alam and Caitlin Crimp, in front of their Back to Bedside poster with Steph Timm (Manager, Education and Training Programs, Department of Dermatology) at the Annual ACGME Conference

Every person has a story. But often, as doctors, we miss that story. Our days get filled with frenetic clinic schedules, heaps of notes, endless computer clicks, prior authorizations, prescription refills…our patients themselves get lost. Busy, tired, overworked, we stop seeing our patients. A vicious cycle starts. Losing human connection contributes to burn out. Not understanding our patients reinforces biases. The gap between the doctor and the patient widens.

What if we had time and space to just hear our patient’s story? And, could stories in art and literature help us to understand and connect with our patients? With each other? With ourselves?

We received funding and mentorship through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Back to Bedside program to develop, implement and evaluate the impact of a narrative medicine curriculum for the dermatology residency program at the University of Washington.

Our curriculum centers around four narrative sessions per academic year, each of which focuses on an identity or disease group relevant to dermatology. Some of the topics we have focused on include hidradenitis suppurativa, skin of color, hair loss, psoriasis and gender identity. During each session, a patient is invited to come and talk with residents and share their story and answer questions informally.

Following this conversation, residents are asked to read a piece of literature or poetry, look at a piece of art or listen to spoken word relevant to the session topic, and then complete a journal entry in response to a written prompt. For example, following our psoriasis session, residents read an excerpt from “From the Journal of a Leper” by John Updike and responded to the prompt “Write about a patient’s suffering who moved you.” This writing exercise is followed by discussion among the residents, reflecting on their conversation with the patient and the associated narrative medicine exercise.

We hypothesized that bias and burnout would decrease through implementation of this curriculum, and asked resident participants to complete a survey, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Harvard Implicit Association (IAT) tests at baseline, midpoint and following completion of the curriculum, and we have data for our first half of the two-year curriculum.  Although Harvard IAT scores remained stable, self-reported bias and experienced bias increased, perhaps suggesting increased awareness of bias and self-reflection. Self-reported burnout increased over the course of the academic year, however more residents reported using writing and self-reflection as tools for coping with burnout and combatting bias.

Residents also provided overwhelmingly positive feedback for the curriculum. As one resident wrote, “This was an incredible experience. I felt I was able to ask questions during the panel that I wouldn’t necessarily ask in the constraints of a patient visit. It has prompted me to ask more questions to patients regarding the impact of their condition on their daily lives.”

As we develop year three of the curriculum, we aim to create a sustainable, long-standing narrative medicine curriculum for dermatology residents. Our long-term goals include expansion of the curriculum to UW dermatology faculty, outside dermatology programs and adaptation of our model for non-dermatology specialties.

Listening to each other, sharing our stories connects us. And, over time, it may chip away at burn out and bias. It’s a simple plan: time, space, someone to tell a story, and someone to listen.

Mariam Alam, MD and Caitlin Crimp, MD

Headshot of Mariam Alam, MD

Mariam Alam, MD

Caitlin Crimp Headshot

Caitlin Crimp, MD

See other articles on Dr. Alam’s and Crimp’s projects:

Drs. Alam & Crimp Receive Funding for ACGME Patient Engagement Project

Narrative Medicine Patient Panels Combat Bias & Burnout Through Storytelling

Back to Bedside Project Summaries

 

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Improving the Clinical Learning Environment and Incorporating EDI

by | Apr 30, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

There are many things that are changing besides the weather.

With the imminent departure of Dr. Lindee Strizich, the current GME Director of Quality & Patient Safety at UWMC-ML, we are thinking about ways to improve our efforts and efficiency around the Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) site visit. We haven’t had one since January of 2019. Since then – and considering the COVID-19 pandemic, the ACGME has developed better procedures and practices to provide hospitals with feedback in the six CLER domains: patient safety, healthcare quality, teaming, supervision, well-being, and professionalism.

In addition, the ACGME recently introduced the new CLER domain of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (EDI), recognizing that these qualities are essential to improving patient and learner experiences –and achieving equity in healthcare. EDI replaces supervision as a stand-alone domain.

The ACGME CLER program is built upon the concept of continuous quality improvement. The purpose of the CLER site visit is to ensure that GME programs, in partnership with their hospital leadership, are meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving healthcare environment and are collectively aligned with the six cross-cutting domains listed above, including the new EDI domain.

Under Dr. Strizich’ leadership of the CLER committee, we have continued to develop ways to engage residents and fellows in quality and patient safety activities. These activities are critical to our learning environment and are mutually beneficial: housestaff learn from adverse events during intensive reviews and the hospital leadership, including risk management, learns about resources that are central to create safer learning environments for residents, fellows, and patients.

Three years ago, as the chair of the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), I charged an EDI subcommittee to help improve all aspects of EDI in our learning environment. But EDI is not just a clinical issue; it is a systems issue. As a result, we have been thinking of better ways to align our goals with those of the hospital leadership so that we are not duplicating efforts but working together to boost those efforts.

Nationally, most hospitals have been making improvements in the six CLER domains, as demonstrated by the ACGME’s annual report on CLER. With these positive changes, and given that EDI is now folded under the CLER framework, we have decided to consolidate the work of our EDI subcommittee within the GMEC CLER Subcommittee. This group will consist of trainees and faculty with expertise to address EDI needs for our community.  In addition, we will establish an ad hoc EDI workgroup.  This new group will collaborate with other individuals and entities in our organization, improving the work we are already doing to deliver care that demonstrates cultural humility for all patients and their families.

Some of our current EDI efforts include support of the Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF), which is involved with the recruitment of new residents and fellows. We also work collaboratively with the Office of Healthcare Equity (OHCE) to expand awareness of education in, and policies that will create an antiracist environment in the SOM. The GME EDI Workgroup will be engaged in deciding which of the many projects we need to pursue aligned with these and other groups.

There is a lot to do – and GME wants to be involved by partnering with other UW Medicine entities to engage residents, fellow, nurses, staff, and faculty in developing a just culture where everyone is treated better.

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

GME News & Notes: April

by | Apr 18, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra Associate Dean, GME

It’s a busy, exciting time as we begin to onboard the approximately 500 new residents and fellows who will join our training programs this summer.  Thanks in advance to program and department colleagues who work with the GME team on this big initiative.  Please reach out to Shinetra Pryor (pryor@uw.edu) for support or questions.  The April DIO blog reported on our great institutional Match results for this year.

The GME Office is offering several educational events for both program leadership and residents and fellows over the next few months.  We are also hiring a second GME Float Administrator to join our team.  Information about these is in the April GME News & Notes.

Thanks,

Cindy

Policies and Processes

  • Do you have questions about visa eligibility and requirements for program applicants? Resources for programs are posted on the Visas page on the GME website, including the September 2023 Lunch & Learn presentation on IMGs and Visa Sponsorship.  The next Lunch & Learn on this topic is scheduled for September 19.
  • GME Float Administrator: The GME Office is currently hiring for a second Float Administrator (Req #233223). If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to contact Gabrielle Pett (nathangl@uw.edu).
  • Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement for 2024-2025: the AY25 RFPA was approved by GMEC on January 11 and is now available on the Policies and Procedures, Current Residents and Fellows, and Prospective Residents and Fellows pages of the GME website.

Program Information

  • Welcome New Program Administrators:
    • Nick Cheung, Family Medicine
    • Jeanine Hughes, Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Medicine
    • Amy Ravenhorst, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Brain Injury Medicine, Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, and Sports Medicine
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • Please consider supporting the UW SoM Medical Student Association fundraising drive. They have been working with the UW Bookstore to design and put together shirts, sweaters, crewnecks, and zip-hoodies to be marketed and sold to raise money for MSA to support medical student events and initiatives. The drive is scheduled to conclude on April 22nd, but they are working to extend the deadline. Purchase your gear at https://www.ubookstore.com/uwsom
  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • April 18: GMEPAC AY26; slides and recording now available
    • May 16: Final Evaluations + Training Verifications; Moonlighting Update; Workplace Safety
  • The third session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series is Tuesday April 23 from 11:30am to 1:00pm (Zoom). The topic is: Tales from the CCC: Insider Stories on Elevating Trainee Assessment. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. For planning purposes, please RSVP. Please reach out to Amanda Easton and Jenn Johal if you have questions.
  • We are excited to announce a comprehensive Four-Part Leadership Lecture Series designed specifically for residents and fellows! Each month, we will delve into crucial areas that shape effective leadership in the medical profession, presented by experts in the field. Mark your calendars and join us! Please see the January 18 email from Jennifer Best for more information.
  • Program Administrator Meeting, May 14 from 8:30 – 9:30 am: ACGME Annual Educational Conference Recap
  • Thank you again to those who attended the Scheduling Workshop Series! A lot of content was covered, and we appreciate your attendance and engagement. If you haven’t already shared, we would welcome your feedback on the series and/or thoughts for future training in this short, anonymous survey. Each of the workshop recordings are now available on the GME MedHub site under “Scheduling Resources” along with other helpful resources below:
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of April and May.
  • In February, UW GME launched the new UW GME WhatsApp group exclusively for residents and fellows. Since its launch, we’ve welcomed over 70+ trainees to the community, and we have Expanded our Opportunities to include interest groups like “GME Parents” and “Quick Meals on the go!” Additionally, some other WhatsApp groups, such as “UW IMG Residents & Fellows” and “UW Surgery,” have linked up with the UW GME community, further enhancing connectivity and collaboration.
  • The GME Office has put together a resource regarding information about legal matters for trainees. This document was created with input from Risk Management and Claims Services and is designed to be used by both trainees and programs. The resource is posted to the GME Website and can be found on the Current Residents and Fellows page under UW Resources.
  • Physicians Anonymous is a peer based nonprofit organization which offers free anonymous support groups with med students, residents/fellows and MD/DOs who are suffering from burnout/mental health/suicidal ideation and substance use. There are a couple of groups during the week (free) and they also offer coaching (nominal fees).  The group is fully anonymous so there is no mechanism for documentation or mandating referrals.
  • Housestaff Emerging Academy of Leaders (HEAL) is a networking and professional development program designed for residents, fellows, and supporting faculty. HEAL participants attend virtual monthly sessions designed to provide them with key knowledge and skills that are necessary for their career success. The program is designed to further develop and provide housestaff (residents/fellows) from across the nation with the additional components needed, ideally, for a successful transition into the role of academic faculty. The HEAL-UTSW team is excited to start off HEAL-UTSW2024 next month, May 2024, and would love to see you there! Please complete your HEAL-UTSW application by May 13th.
  • Safety Net is the new event reporting tool that replaced Patient Safety Net (PSN); there is now an icon for Safety Net on all UW Medicine desktop computers for easy access and all new reports should be entered using Safety Net. The Safety Net User Resource Page includes training materials, online support and transition plans.

People

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Match Results

by | Apr 5, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

This month, we celebrate the incoming class of residents and fellows who will join us this summer! For the fourth year in a row, our residency and fellowship programs virtually recruited the most competitive medical students from around the country – and the world!  This year, 91 of our 200+ total ACGME and non-ACGME training programs participated in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and 23 participated in the San Francisco Match.

Both the NRMP Main Residency and Specialties (Fellowship) Matches were the largest on record, with 41,503 positions available in the Main Residency Match and 13,365 positions in the Specialties Match.  Each year the NRMP publishes comprehensive reports on results of the Main Residency and Specialties Match, drilling down to data on results by state, specialty, individual program and institution.  These reports can be found in the Match and Data Analytics section of the NRMP website.

This year, the UWSOM offered, 296 positions in the Main Residency Match and 196 in the Specialties Match.

Main Residency Match

  • In the Main Residency Match, the 27 participating UWSOM residency programs had a match rate of 95.5% (and 99.7% after the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, or SOAP) compared to 93.8% nationally.
  • From 2019-2022 we saw small year-to-year decreases in the number of UWSOM graduates matching to our residency programs, followed by an increase in UWSOM graduating residents matching in 2023.  We saw a slight drop this year (49 graduates), but this reflected 17% of matched applicants and a higher match percentage than in 2021 and 2022.

NRMP Main Residency Match (UW) Match Results and Characteristics of Matched Applicants from 2022, 2023, 2024

Specialties Matching Program

  • In the Specialties Match, the 64 participating UWSOM fellowship programs offered 196 positions with a match rate of 86.7% compared to 83.7% nationally.
  • The Match outcomes for some of our UW fellowship programs appear reflective of national trends in several specialties that have seen an increase in positions offered in the Match (e.g., Addiction Medicine, Infectious Diseases and many of the Pediatric fellowships), coupled with a decrease in the number of active Match applicants.
  • Of the 23 UWSOM positions unfilled in the Match this year, 17 have been filled post-Match.
  • 41 of the 170 spots filled in the Match were filled by UWSOM residents, a slight increase over last year.

NRMP Specialties Matching Service (UW) Match Results and Characteristics of Matched Applicants from 2021, 2022, 2023

UW NRMP Match: Filled/Quota/Match Percentage (2020-2024)

Increasing Diversity in our Training Programs

UW Medicine is creating a healthcare system that works for everyone. To that end, it is essential that we prioritize diversifying the medical workforce. This is not just a moral imperative. It is a practical one, as diversity can lead to better health outcomes and a more effective healthcare system overall.

This year our programs reported increases in both Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as Underrepresented in Medicine (URM) candidates who matched in our medical and dental programs. As we work together to increase and, more importantly, sustain inclusivity and diversity in our workforce, we can continue to model, teach and actually provide better equity for all patients in our community.

For the third year, the GME Office and NURF hosted Town Halls to help our programs attract underrepresented and vulnerable minority candidates. One of the NURF Town Halls had more than 600 participants. I want to congratulate program and department leadership, residents and fellows, and the Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (NURF) for their tremendous efforts in our journey to diversify our learning community.

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Husky Giving Day: GME Vision Fund

by | Apr 4, 2024 | Announcements, News

Byron Joyner Headshot

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra, JD, MA

Dr. Jennifer Best

Jennifer Best, MD

Huskies do BIG things together on Husky Giving Day! This year we ask that you consider supporting the GME Vision Fund which promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion programs for physicians in training.

We know that patients have better outcomes when they are cared for by physicians with shared lived experience. Our commitment to UW Medicine’s mission of improving the health of the public means training the excellent physicians who will care for our patients. In doing so, we need to recognize the diversity that exists across our patient population and recruit and retain residents and fellows who have diverse social and experiential backgrounds.

The Vision Fund was created with a grant from Dr. Byron Joyner (Vice Dean of Graduate Medical Education) who was motivated by the need to increase the diversity of our residents and fellows and interest in improving the lives patients who have historically had worse healthcare outcomes. The fund received a $10,000 personal donation from Drs. Paul and Bonnie Ramsey, which was matched by a $10,000 grant from the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, where Dr. Paul Ramsey is a Trustee Emeritus. We ask that you follow in the spirit of these leaders and help us to continue to grow this vision by contributing to this endowed fund in Graduate Medical Education.

The Vision Fund advances GME’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs and related efforts in this area. The fund is designed to also directly support residents, fellows and faculty who are committed to diversity-related work in our communities, whose record of research, teaching, service, and outreach reflects a commitment to health equity and healthcare disparities, and/or who participate in the UW Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows initiatives.

Join us in supporting the Vision Fund to accelerate first-rate graduate medical education and better patient care.

#HuskyGivingDay

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

Cindy Hamra, JD, MA
Associate Dean, Operations and Administration

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

 

Giving is stronger when we give together; UW Medicine

 

GME News & Notes: March

by | Mar 22, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra Associate Dean, GME

We’ve had a lot of great events in the last month: on February 23, the GME Team celebrated Thank a Resident Day by sharing lunches and treats for our residents and fellows.  Many members of our community attended the ACGME annual educational conference in Florida in early March, and several gave presentations and Review Committee updates and presented posters.  Finally, March 15 was Match Day, and we look forward to welcoming our incoming trainees over the next few months.

March is Women’s History Month, which celebrates women’s contributions to history and their present and future impact on society. Information about this year’s theme and resources can be found on The Huddle.

Husky Giving Day is 4/4!  We invite you to contribute to the GME Vision Fund, which advances our diversity and inclusion programs and efforts.

There are several wonderful GME educational events planned in the next few weeks and months as well.  These and other resources are captured in the March News and Notes.

Thanks,

Cindy

Celebrating Women's History Month UW Medicine

UW GME community at Annual ACGME Conference
Drs. Mariam Alam and Caitlin Crimp, in front of their Back to Bedside poster with Steph Timm (Manager, Education and Training Programs, Department of Dermatology) at the Annual ACGME Conference
Hadar Duman, GME Director of Accreditation, presenting at the Annual ACGME Conference
UW GME staff celebrating Thank a Resident Day at HMC
UW GME staff celebrating Thank a Resident Day at UWMC-ML

Policies and Processes

Program Information

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • March 21: Annual Program Evaluations (APEs), slides and recording are now available
    • April 18: GMEPAC AY26
    • May 16: Final Evaluations + Training Verifications & Workplace Safety
  • The second session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series is Tuesday March 26 from 11:30am to 1:00pm (Zoom). The topic is: Supportive Structures for Feedback and Other Conversations That Matter. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. For planning purposes, please reach out to Amanda Easton and Jenn Johal if you would like to attend and have not yet RSVPd.
  • We are excited to announce a comprehensive Four-Part Leadership Lecture Series designed specifically for residents and fellows! Each month, we will delve into crucial areas that shape effective leadership in the medical profession, presented by experts in the field. Mark your calendars and join us! Registration opened in February.  Please see the January 18 email from Jennifer Best for more information.
  • The time of year has come when we know many of you are beginning to consider and set up your schedules for the upcoming year. Please mark your calendars for our Scheduling Workshop Series on April 2, 3, & 4! Please see the GME Calendar for detailed information including Zoom links for each event.
  • Level up your MedHub knowledge with MedHub Ready – a FREE webinar series – available to all MedHub GME Office Users on Wednesday, March 27 at 11:00am PT. This webinar covers GME Evaluations. Registration and agenda information are now available.
  • Upcoming Program Director Development Series: This is a reminder to register for our Spring Program Director Development Series on April 8th. Please register at: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/pdds-registration/. This season we are excited to offer two transformative sessions dedicated to the advancement of resident and fellow well-being and the refinement of recruitment program strategies. All sessions will be held on Zoom.
  • The UWSOM is sponsoring the 2024 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Summit. The focus will be collaborating to address workforce needs within the WWAMI region and beyond. Registration for the Summit is now open! Join us on April 25-26, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska.
  • The Lasker Foundation’s 2024 Essay Contest is open now through April 2, 2024, at 2PM ET. Winning essays will be published in the July 2024 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and on the Lasker Foundation website. The contest is open to medical students, interns, residents, doctoral and postdoctoral fellows in the biomedical sciences and grad students in health – and awards several winners up to $5,000 for educational expenses. This year’s essay contest theme is: Identify a specific unmet need in biomedical knowledge or a scientific question that is insufficiently addressed in biomedical research today. For more information, detailed guidelines, and stories on past winners, please visit the essay contest webpage.
  • Space still available for CRISP: CLINICAL RESEARCH INTENSIVE SUMMER PROGRAM: Applications are still being accepted for this new course designed to provide clinical investigators with hands-on experience in key clinical research skills to accelerate their career development. The program runs July 8–26, 2024 at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center campus in Seattle. A draft daily curriculum may now be viewed on the website under “Class Schedule & Draft Daily Topics.” Read more on the CRISP webpage.
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of March and April.
  • The ACGME’s Back to Bedside initiative is designed to empower residents and fellows to develop transformative projects that foster meaning and joy in work and allow them to engage on a deeper level with what is at the heart of medicine: their patients. This initiative supports resident- and fellow-directed innovations. Proposals are due by April 22, 2024. Learn More.
  • 2025 ACGME Awards: Nomination materials are available on each award’s page in the Awards section of the ACGME website. All nominations are due March 27, 2024. Please reach out to the GME office if you plan to submit an application.
  • Safety Net is the new event reporting tool that replaced Patient Safety Net (PSN); there is now an icon for Safety Net on all UW Medicine desktop computers for easy access and all new reports should be entered using Safety Net. The Safety Net User Resource Page includes training materials, online support and transition plans.

People

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: GME Alumni

by | Mar 8, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

It’s time to celebrate our amazing learning community. I am excited to share the results of a recent survey of our residency and fellowship program alumni. This survey is an initiative included in our new GME Strategic Plan which will enhance our expertise in analyzing data, bridging information systems and delivering better reports. This month, I’ve asked Allison Shults, GME Residency Management System (RMS) and Information Systems Manager, to write about the alumni survey findings. I salute our alumni!

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official

Allison Shults Headshot

Allison Shults

As RMS & Information Systems Manager with the GME Office, I oversee our community’s use of MedHub, which is our Residency Management System (RMS). I work closely with the data it collects from our users. In my role, I have the unique privilege of supporting many GME Strategic Plan initiatives by analyzing and sharing data that reflects our amazing learning community. Whether highlighting GME’s long history (our first accredited training program was 1952!) or the portfolio of programs and trainees we support (200+ programs and 1600+ trainees each year!), there is a myriad of data that tells the story of GME and illustrates how far and deep our community reaches. I would like to share our story with you.

I’m excited to focus here on our incredible resident and fellow alumni. They represent the best in medical education and serve as leaders in their communities. They are engaged during their training and remain engaged – whether through learning in CME courses, staying on as faculty, practicing in the WWAMI region, or being recognized for their contributions to public health and well-being.

But don’t just take my word for it – the data speaks for itself:

 

Alumni Practice Where They Trained

Studies repeatedly show that trainees are likely to practice in the same state as their residency program, and our alumni are no exception. We recently surveyed our graduates from the last 5 years (2018-2023) and found that 38% of 322 respondents are currently practicing in the WWAMI region (36% specifically in Washington)! In reality, this number is likely much higher considering our vast alumni base.

Reflecting GME’s mission to build physician-leaders that represent and enhance the communities we serve, it is exciting to see that our graduates also practice in diverse settings:

Pie chart of ares in which alumni practice. 19% Urban Underserved; 6% Rural; 16% Suburban; 60% Urban

Not only do our alumni show a desire to work locally, but they also show a desire to lead. In our survey, 31% of respondents report holding a leadership position in their current organization. Multiple alumni have been recognized for their leadership in hospitals, research, mentorship, and much more.

 

Alumni Stay Engaged With GME

GME alumni recognize the impact of their training and continue to stay engaged in the UW community as both fellows and faculty. Over the last ten years, we have seen more than 700+ trainees stay on as UWSOM faculty, and 22% of UWSOM residents matched to UWSOM fellowship programs last academic year.

Alumni interested in further positions at UW were interested in: Both 23%; Faculty 44%, Fellowship 33% Alumni interested in a fellowship or faculty role at UWSoM who were offered an interview: 82%

 

Our program leadership recognizes the many talents of our trainees and interviewed 82% of alumni who were interested in a further position at UWSOM [FIGURE 2].

GME is proud to have a community dedicated to supporting and enhancing the learning environment for our trainees, and the success of those efforts shined through in the survey. When asked whether our alumni felt their program prepared them for their position, a resounding 96% agreed (68% strongly agree and 28% agree) and 88% agreed that they would recommend their training program to others.

96% Alumni who feel their program prepared them for their current position; 88% Alumni who would recommend their residency or fellowship program; 73% Alumni who feel more confident in their knowledge and practice than their peers

 

Alumni are Awarded for Their Impact

Given the data on our alumni’s success, it should come as no surprise that they continue to be recognized across the University and their communities. Alumni of UWSOM residency and fellowship programs have been recognized by the UW School of Medicine Alumni Association in each award category, including one Lifetime Achievement Award winner, one Lifetime of Service Award winner, and many more:

27 distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Award winners in last 44 years; 11 Early Achievement Award winners in last 16 years; 11 Alumni Service Award winners in last 23 years; 11 Alumni Humanitarian Award winners in last 25 years

It’s clear from the data that UW GME alumni are shining examples of their training who represent their peers and UW School of Medicine well.

The GME Office celebrates the many contributions our alumni make and the successes they share with us. We are looking forward to continuing to receive valuable feedback from sources like our alumni survey. The GME Strategic Plan has created a renewed focus on advocating for our learning community and committing to enhancing the quality of the clinical learning environment, but we can only do this by first understanding the current landscape. We are implementing new initiatives to gain more insight which can help us navigate the future and create long-term successes.  Personally, I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

Allison Shults
RMS and Information Systems Manager

2024 Thank A Resident (and Fellow) Day

by | Feb 23, 2024 | Announcements, News

HAPPY THANK A RESIDENT DAY / WE (heart shape) our residents. This annual celebration of humanism is hosted by The Arnold P Gold Humanism Honor Society

 

On this Thank A Resident Day, the UW GME team offers its gratitude to every one of our residents and fellows. It is our team’s privilege to support, serve, and advocate for you as you pursue your paths to improving the health of communities across the world!

 

Today, we thank you for:

  • Advocating for what your patients need, even when it is hard.
  • Being there, even when you are tired.
  • Caring for each other, even when it means extra work.
  • Discovering solutions after asking hard questions.
  • Enriching our community with your life experiences and unique perspectives.
  • Forging ahead and speaking up when you see injustices and inequities.
  • Getting to know one another and building community
  • Helping junior residents and sharing your knowledge with students
  • Inspiring others with your courage

We work each day to do the same for you because we know you are the future.

 

Each one of you is a source of pride for your friends and loved ones, your program directors and faculty, your patients, and this institution. We hope you also pause for a moment today to feel deeply proud of yourselves, where you are now, and where you are heading. So many good things are ahead!

Gratefully,

 

Jennifer Best, MD
Associate Dean, Accreditation and Education

Cindy Hamra, JD
Associate Dean, Operations and Administration

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for GME and DIO

 

Photo collage of trainees

 

 

HAPPY THANK A RESIDENT DAY / WE (heart shape) our Fellows. This annual celebration of humanism is hosted by The Arnold P Gold Humanism Honor Society

 

GME News & Notes: February

by | Feb 22, 2024 | Announcements, Events, GME News & Notes, News

Dear GME Community,

Cindy Hamra Headshot

Cindy Hamra Associate Dean, GME

Please join me in welcoming our new Appointment Manager, Shinetra Pryor who joined the GME Team on January 31st! Shinetra is joining us from the UWSOM Geriatric and Palliative Care fellowship programs where she was the Program Administrator.  Shinetra has worked within UW Medicine since 2007 and joins GME with a wealth of knowledge.  She was also recently awarded the Recipient of the inaugural Department of Medicine Outstanding Staff Award!

Thank a Resident Day is Friday February 23rd.  Thank a Resident Day is sponsored by the Gold Humanism Honor Society and takes place each year to collectively show gratitude and appreciation for residents and how integral they are to the healthcare team. We’re planning GME Outreach events and encourage programs and departments to plan to celebrate as well!

Finally, in February, we celebrate Black History Month.  Since there are so many wonderful resources, we’ve added a section in the newsletter directing to many of them.

Thanks,

Cindy

CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY UW Medicine

Black History Month

Policies and Processes

  • The AAMC, in collaboration with the ACGME, is administering the AAMC Resident Readiness Survey, a process of collecting and sharing information back to medical schools about their graduates’ readiness for GME. Program directors currently training any PGY-1 resident who is a 2023 graduate from any of the 174 participating medical schools have been invited to respond to the Resident Readiness Survey administered via GME Track. We encourage program directors who have not completed entering the information to do so before February 23, 2024. They should log into GME Track, click the Resident Readiness tab at the top of the screen.
  • Residency and Fellowship Position Appointment (RFPA) Agreement for 2024-2025: the AY25 RFPA was approved by GMEC on January 11 and is now available on the Policies and Procedures, Current Residents and Fellows, and Prospective Residents and Fellows pages of the GME website.

Program Information

  • The GMEC has approved appointment of the following new Non-ACGME program directors:
    • Brittany Barber, Head and Neck Oncology and Microvascular Reconstruction Fellowship
    • Craig Birgfeld, Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery
    • Meghan Flanagan, Breast Oncology Surgery
  • The ACGME has a weekly e-Communication.  If you wish to receive it, email ACGMECommunications@acgme.org. 

Events of Interest

  • GME Lunch & Learns
    • February 15: Washington Physicians Health Program (WPHP), slides and recording are now available
    • March 21: Annual Program Evaluations (APEs)
    • April 18: GMEPAC AY26
  • GME Event Follow up: Navigating Parental Leave During Residency and Fellowship – recorded virtual event held on February 6, 2024 has been posted on the GME website, including several resources. Bre Leatherman is available to answer any questions you may have.
  • The first session of our Cultivating Skills in Feedback and Critical Conversations Education Series is Tuesday February 27 from 11:30am to 1:00pm. In response to your feedback, we will be offering an in person session with lunch provided and a virtual option.  The focus of the 2/27 session will be: Why Feedback Matters – The Impact of Feedback Culture and Remediation on Programs, Learners and Leaders. Program directors, associate program directors, program administrators and faculty are welcome. For planning purposes, please RSVP by Friday, 2/16. Please reach out to Amanda Easton and Jenn Johal if you have questions and we hope to see many of you there.
  • We are excited to announce a comprehensive Four-Part Leadership Lecture Series designed specifically for residents and fellows! Each month, we will delve into crucial areas that shape effective leadership in the medical profession, presented by experts in the field. Mark your calendars and join us! Registration will open in February.  Please see the January 18 email from Jennifer Best for more information.
  • Upcoming Program Director Development Series: This is a reminder to registration for our Spring Program Director Development Series on March 19th or April 8th. Please register at: https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/pdds-registration/ .This season we are excited to offer two transformative sessions dedicated to the advancement of resident and fellow well-being and the refinement of recruitment program strategies. All sessions will be held on Zoom.
  • Registration for the ACGME Meaning in Medicine 2024 Annual Education Conference is open! The conference is in Orlando, FL March 7-9, 2024. Support for meeting attendance is ensured by the clinical chair in every new Program Director Appointment Letter. Several members of the UW GME team will be attending the conference and we would like to know if you’ll be attending and/or presenting. Once we have a sense of UW representation, we are hoping to find time for UWSOM colleagues to get together for an onsite lunch or photo.  Please contact Amanda Easton if you or members from your department will be in attendance.
  • The UWSOM is sponsoring the 2024 Graduate Medical Education (GME) Summit. The focus will be collaborating to address workforce needs within the WWAMI region and beyond. Registration for the Summit is now open! Join us on April 25-26, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska.
  • Space still available for CRISP: CLINICAL RESEARCH INTENSIVE SUMMER PROGRAM: Applications are still being accepted for this new course designed to provide clinical investigators with hands-on experience in key clinical research skills to accelerate their career development. The program runs July 8–26, 2024 at the Fred Hutch Cancer Center campus in Seattle. A draft daily curriculum may now be viewed on the website under “Class Schedule & Draft Daily Topics.” Read more here.
  • Other GME Events can be found on our calendar.

Projects and Resources

  • First Page of GME Annual Program TimelinePlease review the GME Annual Program Timeline for important dates for the months of February and March.
  • On February 14, a new safety event reporting tool called Safety Net will replace Patient Safety Net (PSN), a legacy system that has been in use at UW Medicine for nearly 20 years. There is now an icon for Safety Net on all UW Medicine desktop computers for easy access and all new reports should be entered using Safety Net. Safety Net is an online reporting tool that will help us improve the process of submitting and tracking safety reports so that we can continue to prioritize the safety of our patients, staff, faculty and trainees. For a detailed guide on using the system, please view the instructional video on ‘How to enter an event report in the Safety Net System.’ Safety Net seamlessly integrates reports from Risk Management and Patient Relations thanks to the collaborative effort of teams across UW Medicine. The Safety Net User Resource Page includes training materials, online support and transition plans.
  • 2025 ACGME Awards: Nomination materials are available on each award’s page in the Awards section of the ACGME website. All nominations are due March 27, 2024. Please reach out to the GME office if you plan to submit an application.
  • Please remember that the UW Medicine Bias Reporting Tool is a place to share incidents of bias including racism, sexism, ableism, discrimination of any form or other behaviors that do not reflect the prioritization of inclusion and equity expected in all areas of our community. The GME Concern Reporting tool is also available to members of the GME community to report concerns about the learning environment.
  • The ACGME’s Back to Bedside initiative is designed to empower residents and fellows to develop transformative projects that foster meaning and joy in work and allow them to engage on a deeper level with what is at the heart of medicine: their patients. This initiative supports resident- and fellow-directed innovations. Proposals are due by April 22, 2024. Learn More
  • Please review “Access to UW Medicine Care for Employees” from The Huddle for information about help for UW Medicine employees and their families to gain better access to UW Medicine facilities and providers.
  • The GME Office is supporting a project called the Names & Pronunciations Initiative, which aims to not only highlight the importance of name pronunciations, but also improve communication by providing physical badges (for those who want one) which include users’ written phonetic name pronunciation. Anyone interested in learning more about the project or who wants to order a pronunciation badge can do so here: https://www.names-pronunciations-initiative.com/. If you have any questions, please email Sudiptho (UW MS4) at sudiptho@uw.edu.

People

Dr. Joyner’s Blog: Strategic Plan Update

by | Feb 9, 2024 | Announcements, News

Dr. Byron Joyner

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA

I am very excited about our new, 6-year GME strategic plan  We’re excited about this plan, which shapes our priorities, guides our work and allows us to request resources.  It’s also an important way for GME to communicate to our stakeholders about the breadth and depth of our work on behalf of this community.  For the February DIO Blog, I’ve invited Cindy Hamra, Associate Dean for GME to share an update on the GME Strategic Plan.  We’ll continue to share updates a few times each year to keep you updated on our progress.

 

Byron Joyner, MD, MPA
Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education, Designated Institutional Official

Cindy Hamra, JD, MA

In August, we introduced the new GME Strategic Plan, which will be effective from July 2023 through June 2029.  This is our fourth strategic plan since I have been in the GME Office and it’s by far been our most inclusive and robust process.  We learn from each iteration.

The process of developing the final version of our strategic plan took about 11 months and included a SWOT survey to GME stakeholders, data analysis by a group of GME team members, reviewing guiding documents including ACGME requirements, the UW Medicine Strategic Plan, and the Office of Healthcare Equity Blueprint.  We identified several themes and framed them according to our strategic values, which have guided our work since 2019.  Although contexts may change, our strategic values have not.  A snapshot of the resulting plan looks like this:

UW GME Office - Strategic Values - AY2024-2029. Advocacy; Communication; Expertise; Integration; People; Quality and Value

We’ve shared this resulting plan with many groups since July 2023, including this video.  Our team has simultaneously been working on implementation – planning out the projects and work that we want to accomplish.  I’m excited to share some of the many projects that are already complete or underway!

Strategic Value Strategic Initiative Project / Work
Advocacy Improve communication to programs and trainees regarding grant funding impacts Develop GME Grant Funding Policy – complete
Communication Leverage collective expertise of senior GME educators and share educational / administrative best practices Develop template for new Vice Chair for Education (VCE) roles that can be used by departments in oversight of the educational mission – complete
Communication Leverage collective expertise of senior GME educators and share educational / administrative best practices

Engage departmental VCE to inform GME practices and community education and enhance program support – in progress

 
Communication Gather community for relationship building to enhance well-being in the workplace

GME Office Professional Development Discussion Series – in progress

 
Expertise Strengthen support for and oversight of non-ACGME programs Develop Visa Matrix for departments to navigate requirements for fellows in faculty and non-faculty titles – complete
Integration Proactively align educational structures with UW Medicine’s clinical strategy

Patients experiencing incarceration eLearning module – in progress

 
Integration Proactively align educational structures with UW Medicine’s clinical strategy HealthierHere eLearning module – in progress
People Build trust / credibility with trainees at-large Enhance mechanisms for receiving and responding to trainee feedback (e.g., special reviews, chief residents listening sessions, trainee forum) – in progress

The table above reflects a fraction of the work that is underway.  We welcome input from and participation by our community.  If you’re interested in joining this work, feel free to reach out to me.

We’ll continue to share updates with you for the duration of the plan.  In the meantime, feel free to reach out if you have questions or feedback.  We believe this work will make our GME community stronger and the learning experience better for our residents and fellows.

 

Cindy A. Hamra, JD, MA

Associate Dean, Operations & Administration
Graduate Medical Education| UW Medicine