NEWS

Encouraging Results From ACGME Institutional Site Visit

On November 17, Mark Arner MD, the ACGME site visitor, met with Baystate's faculty and residents, toured the facilities and reviewed documentation. Dr. Arner indicated that he was favorably impressed by Baystate's graduate medical education programs, and had very positive comments about the completeness and organization of the Institutional Review Document developed by Martha Anderson, GME Program Analyst. According to Dr.Hal Jenson, Sr. Vice President of Academic Affairs, "Dr. Arner commented at the exit interview on the well-organized paperwork, the busy Simulation Center, the library and other facilities, and even the unseasonably mild weather. Most importantly, though, was his observation that the residents and faculty appeared 'engaged and happy'."

Results won't be available until after the ACGME's Institutional Review Committee meets in April 2010 to review Baystate's documents.

A New Recruitment Tool for Investigators—ResearchMatch.org

Baystate Medical Center is a member of the Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (www.tuftsctsi.org), which is a recipient of a Clinical & Translational Science Award (CTSA) sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (www.ctsaweb.org).

ResearchMatch (https://www.researchmatch.org) is a project that the CTSA has developed to promote participation in research and to help make research work better. ResearchMatch is a not-for-profit registry of volunteers who are willing to learn more about and participate in research studies. The goal of ResearchMatch is to bring together the needs of the volunteer with the needs of the researcher in a secure and convenient way.

ResearchMatch is presently open for subject participant registration.  All individuals interested can join ResearchMatch without any obligation to participate in any specific study or at any specific time. (Link to information for participants.)

January 2010 is the projected date when the site will be available to investigators.  IRB approval of a protocol and advertisement is required to use the site for recruitment.  Investigators are not required to have an IRB approved protocol to look at aggregate data. (Link to information on eWorkplace for investigators.)

To Utilize ResearchMatch

• Obtain IRB approval for protocol and advertisement

• Complete a ResearchMatch Acknowledgement Form

• Submit Letters of approval to ResearchMatch

• BMC ResearchMatch Liaison review

• Recruitment commences

Internal Medicine Residency Program Stimulates Interest at Fall APDIM Meeting

The participation of 3 Baystate Internal Medicine faculty at the Fall Meeting of the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine in October 2009, generated substantial positive feedback about their residency program.

Dr. Kevin HInchey, Program Director, presented a plenary session titled "How They Do That—Competancy Based Progression".

Dr. Michael Rosenblum, Associate Program Director, ran a workshop on Competency Based Progression (CBP) that prompted a number of other programs to plan to visit Baystate to see Internal Medicine's Learner, Manager, Teacher model.

Dr. Lauren Meade, Associate Program Director, chaired the EIP Milestone Group. She is leading the way with forging a relationship with the ABIM to bring milestones to all of internal medicine.

Susan DeJoy, CNM, MSN, FACNM, Director, Midwifery and Community Health Awarded Clinical Star Award

Ms. DeJoy received the prestigious Clinical Star Award from the American College of Nurse Midwives Foundation in November. The award is granted to midwives who have a minimum of 25 years of clinical practice and have demonstrated excellence in clinical practice and positive mentoring of younger midwives in the profession.

James Nichols MD Invited to Give Keynote at Point of Care Testing Meeting

Dr. Nichols' keynote presentation, “Contemporary Clinical & Regulatory Issues in Point of Care Testing” was given at the November 2009 meeting in New Orleans sponsored by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry. 

Baystate Animal Care Facility Inspected by USDA

As a registered research facility with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Baystate Animal Care Facility (BACF) is subject to annual, unannounced inspections by the USDA.  Dr. Paula Gladue visited the BACF on November 5 to perform this inspection of the BACF and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) files with the finding that both are in full compliance with all federal regulations and guidelines.