UPDATE TO THE BOARD OF REGENTS – July 2008

Daniel W. Rahn, MDPrintable Version

 

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 July 7, the University of Georgia announced in a press release that four candidates had been identified for the new position of dean of the MCG‐UGA partnership campus. The candidates, as part of their second interviews, conducted seminars in Augusta and Athens during the month of July.

 

2. On July 8, the Medical College of Georgia announced that the MCG School of Medicine had received full accreditation (eight years, the longest period possible) from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting body for the country’s medical schools.

 

3. Additionally, MCG also received news that the LCME found the plans for a four-year medical campus in Athens in partnership with the UGAS to be well conceived and presented. The LCME will conduct a limited site visit to the Athens campus April 19‐21, 2009, as part of their monitoring of the implementation of this initiative.

 

4. On July 22, the MCG and UGA expansion teams, including senior leadership, convened at the University of Georgia to discuss recent LCME actions and progress on curriculum development, faculty development and recruitments, facilities, clinical programming, and other key activities of the partnership.

 

5. Immediately following that session, Presidents Rahn and Adams and Drs. Miller and Mace met to discuss strategy and progress of the expansion at a leadership level.

 

6. Recruitment for the department chairs for basic and clinical sciences, assistant dean for curriculum, assistant dean for student and multicultural affairs, and for an initial cohort of six basic science faculty has commenced with posting of positions with the academic clearinghouse (see attached grid). Active outreach for candidates has begun in anticipation of formal search committee activities.

 

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT

1. On July 21, more than 80 faculty and staff from MCG and UGA convened at the University of Georgia for an education retreat focused on strategies to recruit basic science faculty to teach basic science courses for the MCG‐UGA partnership campus. Topics included problem‐based learning methods for small groups—an opportunity that is well suited for a class size as planned in Athens.

 

2. Eleven faculty positions are in various stages of recruitment.

 

3. The model for phase 1 curriculum has been agreed upon and is being populated with basic science and clinical content.

 

4. Clinical site development in Athens and Gainesville continues.

 

ADMISSIONS

1. The School of Medicine admissions office continues to move forward with the implementation of process and procedural changes that reflect current expansion efforts, including augmentation of the Admissions Committee to integrate University of Georgia faculty.

 

2. The School of Medicine admissions office is processing Early Decision Program applications for the 2008- 2009 admissions cycle using the new policy and procedural changes. The vendor of the electroni admissions program will be on site July 28-30 to work with admissions staff and MCG’s information technology staff as part of the production and testing phases of program implementation.

 

3. The electronic admissions program is scheduled to “go live” in September enabling a paperless admissions process for the Regular Decision Program. This implementation will streamline the administrative process, as well as enable committee member participation from both campuses.

 

FACILITIES

1. On July 22, Drs. Rahn and Miller toured the initial Mill facility with UGA project director Danny Sniff, who reported to the MCG‐UGA planning team that the renovation project was on time and under budget. Interior demolition began on July 21. The facility is programmed for the education of up to 50 students per class. Approximately 75 to 80 percent of the project will be complete by the April 2009 LCME site visit; projected completion date is June 2009.

 

REGIONAL CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

1. Dr. Kathryn R. Martin, the newly appointed assistant dean of the Southeast Georgia Clinical Campus of the MCG School of Medicine, assumed her responsibilities on July 1.

 

FINANCIAL

1. At the aforementioned July 22 meeting in Athens, Presidents Rahn and Adams met with senior leadership from UGA and MCG to review and finalize the budget request to the Board of Regents for continued planning and implementation of the partnership campus. That request is expected to be submitted to the Board of Regents by the end of next week for action in August.

 

2. The MCG and UGA chief financial officers continue discussions about a five‐year plan for expansion in Athens. That plan is expect to be ready within the next month.

 

LEGISLATIVE/COMMUNITY RELATIONS

1. On July 8, President Rahn met with the MCG Community Advisory Council and shared a brief update of the physician education expansion project, in addition to discussing other important and ongoing institutional initiatives.

 

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.

 

Key Near-term Events

 

1. The MCG/UGA memorandum of understanding has been reviewed by all parties. Drs. Miller and Mace
will be meeting soon to finalize the language.

 

2. The Gilbert Manor acquisition is being negotiated with representatives from the city of Augusta, the
Housing Authority, the Attorney General’s office, and the facilities office of the Board of Regents. This
action is scheduled to be presented in executive session at the August BOR meeting.

 

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