Expansion Project Update – April 2008

 

Printable Version

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

The overarching intent of the University System of Georgia’s 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 latest reporting period include the following:

 

ADMINISTRATION

1. On April 16, President Rahn presented an update on the physician education expansion project to the Board of Regents, providing an overview of progress on key challenges.

2. On April 17, Presidents Rahn and Adams, Dean Miller, and Provost Mace met with the LCME Secretariat in Washington DC to discuss the appropriate pathway and timeline for development and accreditation of the MCG/UGA partnership campus in Athens.

3. On April 22, MCG and UGA representatives met to review the initial draft of the template for submission to the LCME for an accreditation visit. Revisions are on‐going by the MCG/UGA team.

4. Korn Ferry International, the firm engaged to assist with the campus dean search for the partnership campus in Athens, has identified a preliminary list of candidates.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

1. MCG and UGA faculty continue to work on developing a similar curriculum for both campuses. This will be accomplished by changing the current phase 1 (first year) curriculum at the Augusta campus and then implementing it also on the Athens campus. MCG faculty recently endorsed a model that includes a“fundamental principles” module followed by a series of integrated organ-based modules. The overall model is similar to the phase 2 (second year) curriculum at MCG that will be implemented in Athens.

 

2. We continue to work on identifying potential clinical faculty to teach clinical skills in the first two years for the Athens campus. Ongoing efforts are taking place to develop clinical sites to support the students’ clerkship education in the third year.

 

ADMISSIONS

1. The working group charged by the School of Medicine Admissions Committee has made recommendations to the Admissions Committee and to the Dean regarding structural and procedural changes to support the expansion. The Dean and the admissions Committee have endorsed the recommendations, and the Admissions Office is working to implement changes.

 

2. As reported in update # 4, the School of Medicine is exploring an electronic admissions management platform that will be needed to facilitate an expanded multi‐campus admissions process. The vendor of the platform met with MCG’s information services, Enrollment and Student Services, and School of Medicine admissions staff on April 4. Contractual and implementation agreements are being established.

 

FACILITIES

1. The programmatic peer review and validation process for the medical education and educational commons facility is nearing completion. A draft report, including cost projections, should be available for review within two weeks.

 

REGIONAL CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

1. The second round of interviews for the assistant dean for MCG’s southeast Georgia clinical campus in has been completed. The search committee expects to make a recommendation within the next two weeks.

 

2. The Associate Dean for Regional Campus Coordination and the Assistant Dean of the MCG’s southwest Georgia clinical campus attended the American Association of Medical College’s Group on Regional Medical Campuses annual spring meeting in Boca Raton, Florida, hosted by the Florida Atlantic University regional campus of University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

 

3. MCG agreed to co‐host next year's Group on Regional Medical Campuses annual spring meeting in Savannah in collaboration with Mercer University. The date is to be determined.

 

FINANCIAL

1. At the close of the legislative session, the following appropriations were included in the FY09 budget sent to the Governor:

 

a. $7.2 million in new dollars for medical education expansion in addition to the $2.8 million in continuation funding

b. $3 million to support planning for a new facility to support expansion of the medical education program in Augusta on the MCG campus

 

2. On April 14, the MCG and UGA chief financial officers met to reach final resolution on expenses associated with the FY08 budget. Mr. Bowes and Mr. Burgess agreed to establish a process and schedule for the review of the FY09 budget, approved by the Board of Regents this month and outlined above, and to create a timeline for preparing the FY10 budget request.

 

LEGISLATIVE/COMMUNITY RELATIONS

1. The legislative session concluded April 4. HB 990, the FY09 budget, has been transmitted to the Governor for signature. The Governor has until May 14 to sign and/or line item veto the budget.

 

2. On April 8, Paul Umbach traveled to Rome, Georgia, to meet community, business, education, and health care leaders to present the January 2008 Tripp Umbach report, answer questions, and engage in a dialogue about the expansion project.

 

3. On April 21, President Rahn and Executive Vice Chancellor Herbst traveled to Carrollton, Georgia, and met with representatives from Tanner Medical Center, the University of West Georgia, and the community at large about the expansion project and possible future participation in medical education.

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

As noted in the first update, 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 through April 2008. The May update will include a list of outcomes for the coming quarter.

 

Key Near-term Events

1. Airport interviews for the campus dean position will be held May 28 and 29 in Atlanta.

2. The parent committee of the LCME will meet in June for final action on continued accreditation of the MCG School of Medicine MD degree program, following the accreditation site visit that occurred this past January.

 

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