Medical educators, health care executives and policy-makers from across Georgia and the nation will gather in Atlanta Oct. 15-16 for a leadership summit designed to develop a statewide strategy for expanding graduate medical education.

The Graduate Medical Education Leadership Summit, sponsored by the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine, will be held at the Atlanta Airport Marriot Hotel.

Expanding residency education, the specialty training that follows medical school, is critical to meeting Georgia's need for more physicians, says Dr. D. Douglas Miller, dean of the MCG School of Medicine. Georgia, one of the fastest-growing states in the nation, ranks 40th in the number of physicians per capita, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, which has asked all medical schools to expand their class size. With about 2,000 residents in training, Georgia ranks 37th in residents and fellows per capita, according to graduate medical education census data. Experience shows many residents practice medicine in the cities where they trained; Georgia ranks 14th in the nation for retention after training, according to the American Medical Association.

Dr. David C. Leach, retired CEO of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, which accredits the country's residency programs, will give the summit keynote address, "The Formation of Health Professionals: Learning Healthcare by Heart," at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Karen S. Fisher, senior associate vice president, health care affairs, AAMC, will discuss federal funding of graduate medical education at 8 a.m. Thursday. David F. Squire, executive director, Utah Medical Education Council, will share Utah's experience with a statewide graduate medical education consortium at 9:30 a.m. and Robert M. Dickler, senior vice president, health care affairs, AAMC, will discuss the public's involvement in graduate medical education at 11 a.m.

Working groups that follow will focus on basic components of graduate medical education for newcomers as well as global topics of physician workforce issues, graduate medical education governance and leadership and funding in academic and community settings.

The summit will result in a report to help inform policy decision about how best to move forward, says Dr. Miller. The report, which should be complete by mid-November, will first be presented to the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, then to the governor and legislature.

All five medical schools in Georgia - MCG, Emory University School of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine - will participate in the summit. The schools are in varying stages of expanding class sizes but parallel expansion of graduate medical education also is essential to growing the state's physician workforce, Dr. Miller says. This means increasing the number of hospitals across Georgia that offer residency training and likely growing existing training programs.

"It's a statewide challenge that requires a statewide solution that lends itself well to a statewide consortium management approach," says Dr. Miller. "We hope MCG School of Medicine's organization of this summit demonstrates our commitment to moving this process forward and our sense that time is of the essence as it relates to expansion and the health needs of the state. We are fortunate to have the support of the governor and his office, the chancellor and regents as well as strong legislative interest. We are fortunate as well to have the enthusiasm of medical school and health care leaders across the state who are committed to ensuring quality health care for Georgia."

Dr. Miller is leading the MCG School of Medicine expansion, which will boost student enrollment 60 percent to 1,200 by 2020. Expansion planners call for at least 100 additional MCG residents as well. The school currently has about 430 residents and fellows in 40 training programs.

Other summit presentations include: "Why Statewide Physician Manpower Planning?", 9 a.m., MCG President Daniel W. Rahn

"The Power of Collaboration Toward a 'Healthy Georgia,'" 9:10 a.m., James R. Lientz Jr., chief operating officer, Office of Gov. Sonny Perdue

Georgia's Investment in Medical Education," 9:20 a.m., Ben Harbin, chair, Appropriations Committee, Georgia House of Representatives, and Jack Hill, chair, Higher Education Committee, Georgia Senate. ###

For more information visit mcg.edu/som/expansion/gmesummit.

Source: Toni Baker
Medical College of Georgia