On Feb. 24, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) informed UB that its pediatric surgery and general surgery residency programs were no longer on probation and were granted full accreditation.
Last year, ACGME cited the general surgery program for the following issues: teamwork, engagement of the residents in planning and quality and lack of a robust system for monitoring duty hours.
Roseanne Berger, the senior associate dean of Graduate Medical Education, told The Spectrum in August the main issue with the pediatric surgery program - a fellowship program - was a shortage of pediatric surgeons to adequately train UB's two fellows.
Berger also said general surgery and pediatric surgery are in the process of modifying their programs to comply with ACGME's new standards.
"This very welcome decision on both the surgery and pediatric surgery residency programs at UB completely validates the changes implemented by the programs in order to address issues raised by the ACGME," Michael Cain told the UB Reporter.
UB closed its dermatology residency program in June last year. It was then reconfigured and was accredited, effective 2013.
According to the Reporter, changes that the surgery residency program has undertaken since 2011 include:
- Increased emphasis on teamwork and improved opportunities for communication between junior and senior residents and faculty.
- Implementation of protected conference time for residents.
- Requirement that residents undergo conflict resolution and teamwork training in a very productive collaboration with the UB School of Management.
- Specific criteria for faculty engagement, as well as new accountability measures.
- The hiring of nurse practitioners and physician assistants by partner hospitals.
- Enhancement of simulation and interdisciplinary skills training.
email: news@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
