Expansion Project Update – February 15, 2008

 

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The Medical College of Georgia’s overarching intent of the Physician Education Expansion Project is to contribute to a healthier Georgia by assuring that Georgians have access to high quality health care—the right care provided by the right provider in the right location at the right time.

 

Activities of note over the February 1 through February 15 reporting period include:

 

ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES

1. The MCG School of Medicine dean met on February 6 with the UGA provost to review governance structure, faculty appointments, leadership recruitments, facility upgrades, and other issues required for LCME accreditation of an Athens branch campus.

2. On January 26 and February 12, the dean and lead faculty discussed the initial findings of the pre‐feasibility study for Athens‐Gainesville graduate medical education (residency) programs with the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce and encouraged statewide coordination of GME and MD education expansion funding.

 

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

1. MCG has begun developing a strategy to identify physicians in the Athens area to participate in case‐based and clinical skills teaching during the first two years of the medical curriculum.

 

ADMISSIONS

1. The Admissions Office of MCG School of Medicine has conducted benchmarking case studies of admissions processes from four LCME accredited medical schools that have or are in the process of establishing four year branch campuses and/or clinical campuses.

2. A subcommittee of the MCG School of Medicine Admissions Committee has been formed to assess its current procedures and to explore changes that might be required due to the expansion to Athens and clinical campuses in other regions of the state.

 

FACILITIES

1. On February 8 and 11, consultants working on the Gilbert Manor redevelopment initiative and validation of the School of Medicine program for the Medical Education Commons and the School of Dentistry design met at MCG to facilitate coordination of efforts to produce a new cost projection for the Medical Commons facility, including integration of shared space between the

Schools of Medicine and Dentistry.

 

2. The University of Georgia Real Estate Foundation purchased the historic Athens Factory, better known as the O’Malley’s building, to be renovated into a medical teaching facility. The Foundation will renovate the facility and lease it to UGA to house the first class of MCG medical students that will be educated in Athens.

 

REGIONAL CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

1. Interviews are being conducted for the assistant dean of MCG’s Southeast Georgia Clinical Campus based in Savannah.

 

2. MCG continues to recruit faculty for the Southwest Georgia Clinical Campus and has added a new teaching site in Columbus and another one in Albany this month.

 

FINANCIAL

1. The chief financial officers of MCG and UGA and the chief operations officer for the MCG School of Medicine met on January 31 to review the current plans for the initial education facility in Athens, equipment needs for that facility, and the timing of spending for future faculty and administrative hires.

 

LEGISLATIVE/COMMUNITY RELATIONS

1. Representative Jeff Lewis, a member of the House Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee, was appointed by Chairman Bob Smith to review budget items associated with medical school expansion.

 

2. Senator John Wiles, Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee, expressed intent to hold separate hearings on the MCG/UGA collaboration.

3. Representative Sharon Cooper, Chairman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, has invited MCG to give a presentation on MCG medical school expansion at their meeting on February 21.

4. The Senate Study Committee on the Shortage of Doctors and Nurses has issued its final report, which, in general concept, supports expansion of the MCG School of Medicine, including expansion of graduate medical education in Georgia. To date, the House Medical Education Study Committee has not issued its report.

5. The FY2009 budget recommendations for the Georgia Board of Physician Workforce include $110,000 for a medical education study to evaluate the capacity of Georgia's teaching institutions to expand residency programs.

6. On February 11, President Rahn hosted the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee on the MCG campus to present an overview of the expansion project and to field questions.

 

KEY UPCOMING EVENTS

As noted in the first update, MCG’s ongoing expansion efforts are guided by a comprehensive operational plan that outlines short- and long-term critical tasks and target dates. The first report outlined major pushes over the coming months and specific expected outcomes over the next 90 days.

 

As a refresher, MCG’s key expected outcomes for three months (February 1 to April 30) include:
1. Identify additional community‐based sites and voluntary faculty
2. Search committee selection of two finalists for southeast clinical campus assistant dean
3. Finalize plans for the initial facility in Athens
4. Finalize regional campus governance and faculty model
5. Reach agreement amongst key stakeholders on first expanded class start date

 

Submitted by:
Daniel W. Rahn, MD
President, Medical College of Georgia
and Senior Vice Chancellor for Health and Medical Programs,
University System of Georgia