Mission Statement

In order to fulfill the mission of providing the highest quality of health care, St.Vincent Hospital will support a program for continuing medical education. The basis for Continuing Medical Education will be to provide physicians with the opportunity to learn and continue their education through individual and group learning activities. The Continuing Medical Education Committee will monitor the quality of all programs conducted by St.Vincent Hospital which carry Category 1 and Category 2 credit.

The overall goals of CME at St.Vincent are outlined below:

Purpose: St.Vincent Hospital will develop and promote its own continuing medical education activities with the support of the Medical Education Department. Departments will be encouraged to design and implement programs based on perceived needs of medical staff, or needs identified through hospital data such as quality assurance studies. Limited resources (financial and office support) will be made available by the Medical Education Department. Each program will be reviewed for quality on an individual basis to determine access to these resources. In the event a program receives financial support from the CME budget, all residual funds will become property of the Medical Education Department and deficits will be absorbed by the CME budget as well. A superior quality of all CME programs will be maintained by monitoring adherence to the guidelines for accreditation issued by the Indiana State Medical Association.

Content Areas: CME activities will consist of a variety of medical disciplines reflecting the diverse specialties represented within the St.Vincent Hospital organization.

Target Audience: CME activities will be designed to target primarily St.Vincent Medical Staff and residents and in some cases physicians and residents state-wide. In addition, on-going distance learning initiatives will target Indiana Rural Health Care Delivery Systems by providing CME activities via a web portal.

Type of Activities: St.Vincent Hospital will offer a broad range of CME opportunities to include traditional CME such as live conferences and workshops, as well as recurring activities. Self-directed learning opportunities (enduring materials) will also be made available to include books, journals, CD-ROMs and internet CME.

Expected Results: The goal of the CME department is to provide ongoing CME opportunities reflecting the Core Values of our institution including Reverence, Integrity, Wisdom, Creativity, Dedication, and Service to the Poor. The department's challenge is to optimize the quality of medical care by providing physicians with the current and most useful developments in the medical field. The department will continue to offer knowledge and information in both technical and scientific fields that will enhance the physician's ability to practice medicine innovatively and compassionately respecting the "dignity and diversity of life".

Revised May 2005

Approved by Continuing Medical Education Committee August 12, 2005

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Sister Mary Frances Loftin
Chairman, St. Vincent Hospital Board
August 12, 2005