ACPE Creates New Chief Medical Officer Academy with The Joint Commission

News provided by

American College of Physician Executives

Jun 12, 2014, 14:00 ET

Tampa, FL (PRWEB) June 12, 2014 -- As the person responsible for overseeing the delivery of care, the chief medical officer (CMO) is one of the most important roles at a hospital or health system.

It’s also one of the most difficult, and growing more so as health care continues to change from a system based on volume to one based on value. And, as the liaison between the administration and the medical staff, it can also be somewhat isolating.

“Often the people picked to be CMO don’t have the skills they need,” said Peter Angood, MD, FRCS(C), FACS, FCCM, president and CEO of the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE). “They are selected because they are excellent clinicians and they get along well with the other members of the medical staff, but they may not have the background experience necessary in management or leadership.”

To help chief medical officers and those who aspire to the position, ACPE created the CMO Academy, a four-day course that covers the skills needed to be effective in this demanding role. The course was developed in conjunction with The Joint Commission, which accredits and certifies health care organizations throughout the U.S., and will be offered at ACPE’s Summer Institute in Seattle, WA, July 10-13.

Two of the modules will be offered online in distance learning format:

  • From Autonomy to Teamwork
  • Essentials of Health Law

The other modules will be taught at the Summer Institute and cover a variety of topics, including:

  • Building and leading effective teams
  • An introduction to health care finance and economics
  • Engaging physicians
  • Quality and safety
  • Group decision-making and meeting management
  • Governance essentials

The course will also offer a firsthand perspective from The Joint Commission on accreditation, regulation, patient safety, emergency management and process improvement. Two of the modules will be taught by Ana Pujols McKee, the executive vice president and chief medical officer for The Joint Commission. In addition, Angood – the former chief patient safety officer and vice president at The Joint Commission – will serve as moderator for the course.

Whether they are new to the CMO role or have experience, participants will leave the course with a greater understanding of the knowledge they need to excel in this increasingly important position, Angood said.

“CMOs are in a unique position to create real change when it comes to patient safety and quality,” Angood said. “The CMO Academy will give them a strong foundation and the confidence needed to leverage their roles effectively.”

To learn more or to register, please visit acpe.org. To schedule an interview with Dr. Angood, contact Carrie Johnson, ACPE public relations manager, at cjohnson(at)acpe(dot)org.

Carrie Johnson, American College of Physician Executives, +1 (813) 636-2807, [email protected]