NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. HM10 kicked off with a pediatric hospitalist leading the way. Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, a chief medical officer with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and one of pediatric HM’s own, was a part of the opening panel discussion that reviewed the implications of healthcare reform. And as the pediatric track coursed over the next two days, amidst the hustle and bustle of value-laden content, the final pediatric presentation just might have escaped routine notice.
Two days after its electronic release, a live preview of the “Pediatric Hospital Medicine Core Competencies” debuted at HM 2010.1 (The core competencies were printed as a supplement in the April issue of the Journal of Hospital Medicine.)
Erin Stucky, MD, SFHM, talks about the new Pediatric HM Core Competencies.
Mary Ottolini, MD, of Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., graciously thanked Erin Stucky, MD, Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, and Jennifer Maniscalco, MD, Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, for their collaboration in the core competencies effort, which represented the culmination of years of perseverance and dedication. The core competencies underwent a rigorous development and review process; notably, draft copies were sent to more than 30 academic and certifying societies and stakeholder agencies for input. Vibrant discussion ensued as pediatric, family practice, and med-ped hospitalists engaged in both thoughtful reflection and optimistic forecasts of the relevance and utility of a practical framework to define the field.
These guidelines, however, are just the beginning. Much dialogue centered on the future role of the core competencies in such arenas as education and professional development. It became clear that work remains if pediatric hospitalists are to make the best use of this sentinel publication.
Nonetheless, this journey that is the advancement of a vibrant—and now well-defined—field of medicine has a stellar launching pad from which to take flight. HM10
Dr. Shen is a pediatric hospitalist and director of the hospital medicine program at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas.
Reference
- Stucky ER, Maniscalco J, Ottolini MC, et al. The pediatric hospital medicine core competencies. J Hosp Med. 2010;5(S2):1-82.