NEWS

Baystate Medical Center Wins National Innovation Award for Medical Education

The Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers (AIAMC) presents this award annually to its institutional members that best exemplify creative and innovative approaches to medical education and research that result in better patient outcomes. AIAMC's 2007-08 National Initiative:  Improving Patient Care through GME has created resident-driven quality improvement efforts shared across multiple programs and systems across the United States.  Baystate was honored for their key role in this successful venture which has resulted in improved patient outcomes. 

Kevin Hinchey, MD, Program Director of the Internal Medicine residency at Baystate, has been involved in the research group working on patient hand-offs and presented his study at the Alliance session at the AAMC meeting last November. Hal Jenson, MD serves as a member of the Steering Group for this national initiative and also as a Board member of the AIAMC.

Kimberly Pierce-Boggs, Executive Director of the AIAMC, states, "Those of us in academic medicine realize that residents play an important role in patient care at teaching institutions; however, residents are generally not visible in safety and quality efforts.” Baystate was selected to participate based upon their demonstrated leadership in utilizing graduate medical education as a key driver to improve quality, patient safety, and the cost-effectiveness of care.

The Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers is a national membership organization made up of 60 major academic medical centers and health systems committed to quality patient care, medical education and research.  For more information on the AIAMC and its membership, visit www.aiamc.org

New Psychiatry Residency Receives Initial Accreditation

Baystate's 10th Residency Program Approved for16 Residents

The RRC for Psychiatry granted initial accreditation for Baystate's new Psychiatry residency program at its April 4, 2008 meeting. The 4-year program will accept 4 residents per year. Steven V. Fischel, MD, PhD, will serve as Program Director.

The program's faculty will include experienced clinician educators, many of whom are also nationally recognized experts in the fields of Geriatric Psychiatry, Child Psychiatry, and Psychosomatic Medicine. Residents will gain experience in a variety of settings including the inpatient psychiatric unit, child partial hospital program, inpatient consultation service, substance abuse treatment programs, geriatric psychiatry program, and hospital and community-based adult and child outpatient programs. 

According to Dr. Benjamin Liptzin, Chair of the Department of Psychiatry, they are already receving inquiries from interested medical students.

Summer Student Scholar Program Has Accepted 2 Medical Students & 12 Undergraduates for Its 2008 Program

The 10‑week summer program offers the students the opportunity to participate a research project from start to finish and present project outcomes to the scientific community. Formal classroom training and personalized application in research design, implementation, and publication make this summer experience an outstanding opportunity for any undergraduate student or first-year medical student considering a career in biomedical research.

Reseach project details for the 12 undergraduate students and 2 medical students follows.

Final Presentations will be held on August 8 at 9:00 am at the Baystate Health Education Center, 361 Whitney Ave. If you wish to join us please RSVP to Kristi McLeod at kristi.mcleod@bhs.org.