The other major focus area for the Education and Meetings Department lies in meeting the educational needs of the hospital medicine community. Staff, working with the Education Committee, are exploring new and exciting ways to identify needs and define strategies to deliver relevant programming. The efforts, which will lead to a comprehensive education plan that will drive the activities the next few years, are focused on the following:
- Life-long learning has become the standard for physicians in general and hospitalists in particular. SHM is in the early stages of identifying and developing resources that will be readily accessible on the SHM Web site, such as a hospital medicine reading list on clinical and healthcare-systems topics based on the Core Competencies.
- The Education Committee is exploring the possibility of developing an evidence-based medicine (EBM) primer, which can be used to practice and teach EBM. It will be designed for the practicing hospitalist in a community hospital setting and will define how to research, read, and use EBM journal articles.
- SHM is exploring the use of Web 2.0 to continually assess needs, deliver educational programs, and communicate with members and faculty.
- The needs of academic hospitalists are unique and SHM is dedicated to support this important segment of our constituency. Joining with the Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM), SHM is planning an Academic Boot Camp that will focus on education skills, research, mentoring, and career pathways.
- SHM is developing a comprehensive communication and education program to become the main resource for hospitalists as they engage in Maintenance of Certification.
So, the welcome winds of change blow, bringing the energy and organization needed to accomplish our education and quality goals. We are confident our internal changes will result in moving our agenda forward in ways previously only imagined.
Volunteer Search
Interested in being a part of an SHM Committee or Task Force? Now is your chance! Nominations are open for SHM Committees and Task Forces. This is your opportunity to shape the future of SHM and the hospital medicine movement.
To nominate yourself, visit www.hospitalmedicine.org and click on “About SHM,” then click on “Committees.” Here, you will see a full list of committees, as well as task forces and current members. For each committee you would like to serve on, please submit your name and a one- to two-paragraph statement about why you are qualified and interested. E-mail this information to Joi Seabrooks at [email protected] by Dec. 5. Appointments will be made in February, take affect in May and last one year. TH