ACGME e-Communication - December 21, 2020

December 21, 2020

The ACGME will be closed Thursday, December 24, 2020 to Monday, January 4, 2021. Happy New Year!

NEW! Frequently Asked Question Added
FAQs are added when necessary to clarify information regarding the ACGME's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. View all of these FAQs on the Frequently Asked Questions page in the COVID-19 section of the ACGME website.

ACGME Required Accreditation and Recognition Activities
Q: Does the ACGME provide any consideration regarding accreditation and recognition site visits for programs at Sponsoring Institutions in the Emergency Category regarding COVID-19 response status or for programs at Sponsoring Institutions that are in the Non-Emergency Category but have been affected by severe pandemic-related disruption?

A: In response to the pandemic, the ACGME has adjusted programming and scheduling to continue conducting accreditation and recognition site visits while supporting and responding to programs and Sponsoring Institutions facing varying levels of COVID-19 surge. The following guidelines have been developed to further clarify current expectations and plans regarding accreditation and recognition site visits for programs:

  1. The ACGME will not schedule an accreditation or recognition site visit for a program from a Sponsoring Institution with Emergency categorization. A program, with approval from the Sponsoring Institution, may request an exception be considered for a site visit for a program application.
  2. A program with approval from its Sponsoring Institution may request postponement of a scheduled program accreditation or recognition site visit when the Sponsoring Institution enters Emergency categorization. The ACGME will review each such request and will make and communicate a decision to the requesting Sponsoring Institution and program as soon as practicable. A postponed program accreditation or recognition site visit will be rescheduled once the Sponsoring Institution returns to Non-Emergency categorization.
  3. A program may be scheduled for an accreditation site visit for an alleged egregious event while its Sponsoring Institution is in Emergency categorization.
  4. A Sponsoring Institution may be scheduled for an accreditation or recognition site visit during Emergency categorization.
  5. A Sponsoring Institution or program that is not in Emergency categorization may request the postponement of a scheduled accreditation or recognition site visit due to severe pandemic-related disruption to graduate medical education. The ACGME will review each such request and will make and communicate a decision to the requesting Sponsoring Institution or program as soon as practicable.

Access the ACGME's COVID-19 Section
Visit the COVID-19 section of the ACGME website for access to a range of materials, including ACGME Guidance Statements, Frequently Asked Questions, Letters to the Specialty Communities, institutional and well-being resources, and more.


ACGME Annual Educational Conference Banner

REGISTER NOW!

Conference Speakers Announced!

Don BerwickDr. Donald Berwick is the president emeritus and senior fellow, Institute for Healthcare Improvement and former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He will explore the current scientific understanding of the nature and impact of social determinants of health, and their relationships with societal commitments to equity, compassion, solidarity, and justice.

Camara JonesDr. Camara Jones, senior fellow and adjunct associate professor at Morehouse School of Medicine, will discuss systematic racism and barriers to achieving health equity, and will provide tools for moving to action.

View the full conference schedule and learn more about #ACGME2021!


Exhibitor, Sponsor, and Job Recruiter Registration Open

Learn More about Exhibits and Sponsorships
Reserve a Booth or Sponsorship
Apply by January 22, 2021

Email questions to exhibitor@acgme.org.


Program Requirements and Recognition Requirements for Review and Comment
The following Program Requirements and Recognition Requirements and accompanying Impact Statements posted for review and comment, here:

DEADLINE APPROACHING! Comment Deadline: December 30, 2020
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

DEADLINE APPROACHING! Comment Deadline: January 4, 2021
Clinical Informatics
Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery
Gastroenterology
Geriatric Medicine
Hospice and Palliative Medicine
Internal Medicine-Pediatrics
Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Nephrology
Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Transplant Hepatology
Sleep Medicine

DEADLINE APPROACHING! Comment Deadline: January 6, 2021
Clinical Biochemical Genetics
Emergency Medical Services
Laboratory Genetics and Genomics
Medical Biochemical Genetics
Medical Genetics and Genomics
Medical Toxicology
Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine

Comment Deadline: January 20, 2021
Allergy and Immunology
Neurology
Psychiatry

NEW! Comment Deadline: February 3, 2021
Abdominal Radiology
Craniofacial Plastic Surgery
Musculoskeletal Radiology
Neuroendovascular Intervention (proposed name change for Endovascular Surgical Neuroradiology)
Neurocritical Care
Nuclear Radiology
Pediatric Radiology
Plastic Surgery


NEW! Learn at ACGME Presentation: Engaging the C-Suite
Nancy Howell Agee, president and CEO of Carilion Clinic in Virginia, describes strategies for engaging the clinical C-Suite on the many well-being issues confronting clinicians and institutions. She also provides examples of how Carilion Clinic used employee metrics and patient outcomes to assess the effectiveness of that institution’s interventions and achieve their clinician journey to wellness.

Watch in Learn at ACGME


Journal of Graduate Medical Education (JGME) Calls for Papers on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice
JGME is seeking submissions related to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in graduate medical education (GME). These manuscripts may be submitted in any JGME category. Topics can range from recruitment, selection, and onboarding to curriculum, teaching, learning, assessment, clinical learning environment, and faculty development. 

Read the full Call for Papers

Authors should indicate in the cover letter that the submission is in response to the diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice call. Papers on this topic will be reviewed preferentially at any time.

Email questions to JGME@acgme.org.


DEADLINES APPROACHING! Subspecialty Proposals
As part of the ongoing effort to encourage the participation of the graduate medical education community and the public in the process of reviewing potential new areas for accreditation, the ACGME offers a 45-day comment period to the community of interest regarding proposed new specialties and subspecialties.

The following proposed subspecialties, and accompanying proposals, are available for review here.

Comment Deadline: January 4, 2021
Healthcare Administration, Leadership, and Management

Comment Deadline: January 4, 2021
Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesiology


DEADLINE APPROACHING! Draft Milestones Available for Comment
New drafts of the Milestones listed below are available for review and comment. The Milestones reporting data, along with other survey results and comments, informed the changes. The Work Groups also created Supplemental Guides to enhance understanding of the Milestones.

Deadline: Friday, January 8, 2021
Pediatrics


DEADLINE APPROACHING! Volunteers Needed for Work Groups
Volunteer for a Work Group reviewing the current Milestones and determine what, if any, changes need to be made, by specialty. Members of the GME community are invited to serve on these work groups.

Nominees must be proficient in one or more of the Competencies, be familiar with the Milestones, and need not be physicians. Participants will be selected based on multiple criteria, including level of expertise, specialty and regional diversity, and need.

Deadline: Sunday, January 8, 2021
Clinical Informatics
Craniofacial Surgery
Osteopathic Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine

Email questions to milestones@acgme.org.


Milestones Mid-Year Reporting Open Until January 14
The reporting window will be open through Thursday, January 14, 2021. Milestones assessments can be submitted via the ACGME's Accreditation Data System (ADS) at any point during this time. A list of specialties that have transitioned to Milestones 2.0 can be found on the Milestones page.

For technical assistance, email ADS@acgme.org.
For content questions, email milestones@acgme.org.


Review Committee News / Notices: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Case Log Resources Update for Residency Programs
The document, “Case Log Information: Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency,” consolidates previous Case Log documents and provides additional guidance, such as logging instructions, when residents may choose the Surgeon role, and answers to frequently asked questions. This will help to standardize logging, ensure proper credit is given toward required minimums, and teach residents how to correctly record their procedural experiences in the Case Log System. It is available on the Documents and Resources page of the Obstetrics and Gynecology section of the ACGME website.

Soon, a checkbox will be available to record robotic cases on the individual CPT code rather than the case entry page. While not yet in place, this change is reflected in the Case Log Information document.


Review Committee News / Notices: Obstetrics and Gynecology
Case Log Update: Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery
The Case Log System has been updated to reflect changes made to the index categories and the newly established minimum procedural requirements for female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Programs can now track fellows’ progress meeting the minimums in a report available in ADS (Case Logs > Reports > Specialty Specific Reports).

Also updated is the “Case Log Information: Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery” document, available on the Documents and Resources page of the Obstetrics and Gynecology section of the ACGME website. Notable revisions include:

  • The minimum category “Robotic” has been changed to “Laparoscopic/Robotic.”
  • While the procedural minimums are effective with the 2021 graduates, citations related to the minimums will not be issued at least through the 2023 graduates. Programs may receive an Area for Improvement.
  • Guidelines are provided for residents and fellows logging the Surgeon role for the same procedure.

Review Committee News / Notices: Ophthalmology
The Review Committee will host a webinar for program directors and coordinators Monday, January 25. Topics include the revised Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Ophthalmology effective July 1, 2021, annual program reviews in the time of COVID-19, and recent activities of the Committee and the ACGME. Attendees should bring questions as ample time will be provided for discussion Committee members. The webinar will be recorded and available in Learn at ACGME within a week of the live presentation.

Register Now
Monday, January 25, 2021
7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Central

The Review Committee will also host virtual one-on-one sessions for program directors and coordinators Thursday, January 28, 2021 from 2:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. Central.

Registration for one-on-one sessions is due Friday, January 15, 2021. Sessions are 15 minutes and may address questions about requirements, program citations/areas for improvement, and the ACGME accreditation process. Assigned times will be sent out with a Zoom link and password after the registration deadline.

To register, email the program name, program number (10 digits), names and email addresses of all attendees and topic(s) to ebreibartwhite@acgme.org.


Review Committee News / Notices: Urology
Case Log Update: Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery

 

The Case Log System has been updated to reflect changes made to the index categories and the newly established minimum procedural requirements for female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. Programs can now track fellows’ progress meeting the minimums in a report available in ADS (Case Logs > Reports > Specialty Specific Reports).

Also updated is the “Case Log Information: Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery” document, available on the Documents and Resources page of the Urology section of the ACGME website. Notable revisions include:

  • The minimum category “Robotic” has been changed to “Laparoscopic/Robotic.”
  • While the procedural minimums are effective with the 2021 graduates, citations related to the minimums will not be issued at least through the 2023 graduates. Programs may receive an Area for Improvement.
  • Guidelines are provided for residents and fellows logging the Surgeon role for the same procedure.

Career Opportunities
The ACGME currently has the following open positions:

Administrative Assistant, CLER Operations
Associate Executive Director
Media Communications Manager
Payroll and HR Coordinator

Click on the position linked above for details and to complete an application.