MHS Receives Initial Institutional Accreditation For Graduate Medical Education

Memorial Healthcare System has received initial institutional accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), clearing the path for the six-hospital system to apply for accreditation for the following residency programs: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), Internal Medicine and Pediatrics.

The initial accreditation was approved retroactively to July 1, 2015.

The news that Memorial is now accredited to pursue residency programs comes at a time when Florida needs more of these spots available to help meet future demands for physicians.

Nationally, Florida ranks 42 out of 50 states in terms of Graduate Medical Education spots per 100,000 populations, and a study published in 2005 by the Association of Medical Colleges estimate a shortage of physicians in the next 10 years in areas of primary care, medical and surgical specialties to the tune of 46,000 to 90,000 nationwide.

Among the study’s recommendations is to support graduate medical education programs to help with this shortfall.

“Having a graduate medical education program at Memorial Healthcare System will help to address future physician needs in our community, while supporting the development and growth of high-end clinical programs and improving patient access,” said Stanley Marks, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Memorial Healthcare System.

“The medical graduates who become part of our program will have access to a high caliber faculty of physicians, many of whom are considered innovators in their field. They will thrive in Memorial’s culture of quality, service and patient safety, learn many valuable lessons and gain thoughtful insights and expertise that can prepare them to become the best physicians in the future,” he added.

Memorial is well poised to train future physicians given its evolution as a tertiary and quaternary institution that provides services such as adult and pediatric cardiac transplant, bone marrow transplant, trauma, intensive care and other services.

In the last five years, Memorial has expanded its Memorial Physician Group, employing close to 200 physicians in a variety of specialties and with faculty experience. Memorial Rehabilitation Institute recently went through a $6 million expansion, including the installation of leading edge technologies and better tools to diagnose, treat and heal.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital was recently recognized by U.S. News and World Report among the top 50 children’s hospitals in the nation in pediatric orthopedic surgery, pediatric urology and pediatric cardiology and heart surgery.

On the research front, Memorial Office of Human Research has approximately 130 active, federal and industry-funded studies underway in a wide range of conditions. Overall, Memorial can offer medical residents a rich academic environment and training through its future residency programs.

The next steps include submitting application for these residency programs and pursuing approval for the inaugural program, which is targeted to open in 2017. Memorial also will pursue accreditation for additional residency programs for OB/GYN and General Surgery in 2019 and Emergency Medicine in 2020.

Memorial Healthcare System is the third-largest public healthcare system in the country and is a national leader in quality care and patient satisfaction. Its facilities include Memorial Regional Hospital, Memorial Regional Hospital South, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Memorial Hospital West, Memorial Hospital Miramar, Memorial Hospital Pembroke and Memorial Manor nursing home. The system received the following recognition: Modern Healthcare magazine’s “Best Place to Work in Healthcare,” Florida Trend’s “Florida’s Best Companies to Work For,” and Becker’s Hospital Review’s “150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare.”

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