Making CME Relevant: License Renewal Reminders

By: Nanette Bahlinger, Jenny Mataj and Heidi Watts

The joke at our institution was that there were so many CME-certified activities that physicians could earn credit by walking down the hall. Why then, was it so difficult for some physicians to earn enough CME credits to maintain their license? Like most states, Tennessee requires physicians to obtain a minimum number of CME credits for license renewal, and for years it fell to colleagues in Provider Support Services (PSS) to ensure compliance for all credentialed physicians at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This process involved accessing the CME database to check individual transcripts — an enormously time-consuming task for PSS staff — that was not always appreciated by physicians whose credit totals fell short of the state’s standard.

Almanac Highlights Series: Boosting Immunization Performance for High-Risk Patients in an Academic Safety-Net Hospital

By: Lauren C. Betancourt, MPH; Julie Boyle, RN; Nancy Figueiredo, RN; Briana McNeill, BS; Jason Reich, MD; and Michael R. York, MD

A rheumatology clinic based in an urban safety-net hospital demonstrated historically low performance in vaccinating its immunosuppressed patient population against pneumococcal disease. In order to mitigate patients’ disproportionately high risk of infection, our quality improvement (QI) team was configured to improve the clinic’s immunization performance. Our team, consisting of clinical specialists and administrative CME departmental stakeholders, used the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Model for Improvement to shepherd the effort.

Educational Grants: What to Consider Before You Hit 'Submit'

By: Pam Beaton, CHCP FACEHP; Amy Edouard (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center); Amanda Glazar, PhD CHCP; and Gail Radecki, CHCP

In August, the CE Provider/Supporter Interactions SIG introduced a new article series centered on adding value to The Insider’s Guide to Medical Education Grants by providing a nuts-and-bolts approach to various aspects of the grant process. In this, the second article in the series, we discuss grant development and submission. What follows are some good practices and points for consideration that we hope will be useful as a quick guide for anyone responsible for developing and submitting grants for their organization or institution. After you read this article, we encourage you to take time to reflect on your current process and identify opportunities for improvement.