Adena achieves continuing medical education accreditation

Adena Health System has once again established itself as a leader in the Ohio health care industry by providing continuing medical education (CME) at the innovative PACCAR Medical Education Center, located on Adena's campus in Chillicothe.

The arduous task of achieving approval for CME Accreditation was granted to Adena by the Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA).  The application process is intensive and accreditation can only be achieved after successfully demonstrating to the OSMA task force that an infrastructure of dedicated staff and educational facilities are in place.  The PACCAR Medical Education Center, that opened in September 2008 and is home to the David Meade Massie Virtual Hospital (DMMVH), was instrumental in the achievement of this goal.

The DMMVH is a premier medical simulation area that enables health care practitioners to utilize advanced devices such as METI mannequins and the METILive interface system to adequately demonstrate their competency and skills during various medical procedures.  The PACCAR Center also incorporates an audience response system that allows for immediate feedback so the lecturer can adequately tailor the presentation to specific points of interest.

Dr. John Gabis is the Executive Director of the PACCAR Medical Education Center and knows that a crucial part of CME is the implementation of an evidence-based approach to compare current versus best practice performance using the process of gap analysis.  The importance of this comparison provides health care practitioners with the opportunity to be properly educated regarding the national averages and goals for the appropriate level of medical care.  Implementing these strategies is equally as important as teaching them.

During a recent oncology symposium at the PACCAR Center, this goal was achieved by mailing follow-up evaluations to participating physicians to verify that they were incorporating the new techniques discussed during the meeting.  In all, seventeen CME events were held in 2009 since accreditation was granted in August, and over fifty are planned for 2010.  As the Adena CME Coordinator, Monica Copp was instrumental in the planning and development of the CME Accreditation process, and her role has been pivotal in terms of the advanced medical education that is now available at Adena.

Another exciting feature of the PACCAR Medical Education Center is the green construction that was used when building the facility, along with the ongoing association of these environmentally conscious themes during various CME events.  The PACCAR Center recently received certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and has also been awarded the Silver Rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).  One of the added benefits of the LEED rating is that CME guests are provided with information about the green concepts associated with the PACCAR Medical Education Center.

The excellent technological resources that are in place allow for physicians to receive world class CME, such as the Third Annual Cardiovascular Symposium in October of 2010, while at the same time appreciating the opportunity to do so in a uniquely designed educational environment.  By interconnecting groundbreaking ideas with state-of-the-art facilities, Adena is becoming the definition of physician education in Southern Ohio.

For more information about the PACCAR Medical Education Center, please log on to www.adenapaccar.com or call 740.779.8800.