National Initiative VIII - Call for Applications

The Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers (AIAMC) is now accepting applications for participation in our National Initiative (NI) VIII JEDI: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.  Completed applications are due no later than June 1, 2021 and must be emailed in Word format.  All applicants will be notified of selection in late June, followed by pre-work this summer and our first meeting in October.

To learn more about participation in National Initiative VIII, plan to attend one of two information webinars to be held on Friday April 30th at 11:00 am EDT and Tuesday, May 11th at 3:00 pm EDT.  The webinars are free, but pre-registration is required.  To register for one of the webinars, visit https://aiamc.org/event/35/registration.

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

NATIONAL INITIATIVE VIII

ANNOUNCEMENT TO AIAMC-MEMBER AND DLINICAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT COMMUNITY

APRIL 15, 2021

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION FORM

NI VIII JEDI: Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion will be an eighteen-month initiative that features monthly teleconferences or webinars and four meetings.  Monthly cohort teleconference groups will be structured by themes based on focus areas identified in the applications, with best practices from all cohort groups shared at the meetings.  Learning session topics will include discussions of diversity and inclusion in healthcare; strategies to counteract unconscious bias; and the importance of fostering an inclusive environment. 

The AIAMC's fourteen years of experience with seven successful National Initiatives provides a rich and unique resource to the CLE community.  We have engaged numerous key leaders, including the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), American Hospital Association (AHA), American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) and look forward to their continued input and support.  The AIAMC is also an inaugural member of the National Collaborative for Improving the Clinical Learning Environment (NCICLE), facilitated by the ACGME and represented by more than 30 major health care organizations working to improve the education experience and patient care outcomes within clinical learning environments.

Why JEDI?

Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are more than words, more than ideals, and more than the attainment of a particular quantifiable goal¹. They embody the realization of difference and of inequity and understanding of power and privilege².  Inclusion is at the foundation of effective interdisciplinary care and, with diversity, core to excellence.  Participants in NI VIII will be equipped to measure JEDI in their learning environments; develop strategies to address inequities and advance diversity; and help their organizations perform better as they will become more innovative and quicker to problem-solve.  Workforce diversity as a means to eliminate health disparities is well-documented in literature^{3 4}, and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) updated the Common Program Requirements in July 2019 to reflect the urgency for a systematic recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce.  

BACKGROUND OF THE AIAMC AND OUR NATIONAL INITIATIVES

ROLE OF THE AIAMC

Founded in 1989, the AIAMC is the only national organization addressing the unique needs of independent academic medical centers.  Our members share a common commitment to delivering exceptional patient care through education and innovation.  For 32 years, the AIAMC has supported members in achieving exceptional health and well-being outcomes for the communities they serve by fostering an environment of learning, networking, and collaboration.  More than 70 hospitals and health systems across the United States are members, representing nearly 600 senior academic leaders.

National Initiatives I thru VII

The AIAMC National Initiative (NI) is the only national and multi-institutional collaborative of its kind in which residents have led multidisciplinary teams in quality improvement projects aligned to the institution's strategic goals.  Sixty-seven hospitals and health systems and more than 1,200 individuals have participated in the AIAMC National Initiatives since 2007 driving change that has resulted in meaningful and sustainable outcomes improving the quality and safety of patient care.  Projects of participating institutions must align with that institution's strategic goals, and engagement of the C-Suite and a multidisciplinary team is required.  For more information on each National Initiative's area of focus and academic publications, visit https://aiamc.org/national-initiative. 

OBJECTIVES AND OUTCOMES OF NATIONAL INITIATIVE VIII

At the end of NI VIII, each participant will have engaged their health professions education enterprise in stimulating a culture of JEDI in their clinical learning environments.  Specific goals and outcomes for NI VIII include:

• Assess the clinical learning environment regarding knowledge and attitudes toward JEDI
• Establish and measure training programs for learners and others related to JEDI
• Engage the C-Suite in a review of JEDI practices as they affect the clinical learning environment
• Significantly and measurably advance the clinical learning environment's efforts in JEDI, disseminating results within your organization's Micro, Meso and Macro environments
• Participate in a collaborative national effort to identify and share best practices
• Author one or more peer reviewed scholarly products at the conclusion of the Initiative

SELECTION AND EXPECTATIONS OF NI VIII PARTICIPANTS

Application:  A completed application is required for consideration, and a member of the selection committee may follow up with a phone consultation, if needed.  Completed application forms are due to Kimberly Pierce Burke, AIAMC Executive Director, in Word format via email kimberly@aiamc.org no later than June 1, 2021.

Team: Each selected participant must have a team identified prior to the start of NI VIII, composed of:

A.  Identified Team Leader who will be responsible for:

• The project from conception to completion including establishing and maintaining a collaborative, interprofessional collaborating team charged with aligning team aims with measures and methods to improve care
• Submitting all reports, documents, and NI VIIII required evaluations on time
• Ensuring that the team is represented at all NI VIII meetings, local on-site meetings and monthly conference calls or webinars

B.  Composition of each team must include:

• Resident(s)/Fellows(s): Ideally, these team member(s) should be available to participate throughout the entire project, i.e., graduate on or after June 2023, to ensure continuity of team membership throughout the entire project period (Summer 2021 thru Spring 2023)
• Representation from your hospital or health system's Office of Diversity
• If possible, an individual representing the perspective of a community partner to the organization
• Faculty, Program Director(s), and/or DIO seeking opportunities to align with the ACGME's Common Program Requirements Section I.C., V and VI.B6

Meetings:  Attendance of the team leader or his/her designee at all meetings is required.  Other team members may attend as schedules and budgets allow.  The four learning sessions will be held as follows:

Note that meetings two and four will be held in conjunction with the AIAMC Annual Meeting

Conference Calls and Webinars:  In addition to attending the four meetings, NI participants will be required to participate in monthly activities including conference calls and webinars.  During these activities, timely and educational topics will be presented, progress reports will be shared, and participants will network and brainstorm with one another regarding how to more successfully implement sustainable and positive change.  

Financials:

AIAMC Members:  The participation fee for AIAMC member institutions selected is $4,000.  Payment options are available.  In addition to the $4,000 participation fee, member institutions will be responsible for covering any costs incurred for travel to on-site meetings.  The participation fee will cover one registration for each of the four meetings.  If additional team members wish to attend the meetings, they may do so at a rate of $200 per person per meeting.

Non-Members:   The participation fee for non-AIAMC member institutions selected is $6,000.  Payment options are available.  In addition to the $6,000 participation fee, institutions will be responsible for covering any costs incurred for travel to meetings.  The participation fee will cover one registration for each of the four meetings.  If additional team members wish to attend the meetings, they may do so at a rate of $200 per person per meeting.

Alternatively, institutions eligible for membership may join the AIAMC at the regular annual dues rate of $6,250 and participate in National Initiative VIII for just $2,000.  A membership application form https://aiamc.org/become-member must be submitted by June 1st to be eligible for the 50% new-member discount. 

For More Information:

David Kountz, MD, MBA, FACP, Vice President, Academic Affairs, and Co-Chief Academic Officer, Hackensack Meridian Health, at david.kountz@mhmn.org

Virginia "Ginny" Mohl, MD, PhD, DIO and Medical Director, Education, Billings Clinic, at vmohl@billingsclinic.org

Kimberly Pierce Burke, AIAMC Executive Director, at kimberly@aiamc.org

¹. Gomez LE, Bernet P.  Diversity improves performance and outcomes.  JNMA 2019;111(4):383-392.

². Marcelin J et al.  The Impact of Unconscious Bias in Healthcare: How to Recognize and Mitigate it.  J In Dis 2019;22(S2):S62-S73.

³. Cooper and Powe Commonwealth Fun Report: Disparities in Patient Experiences, HEalth Care Processes, and Outcomes: The Role of Patient-Provider Racial, Ethnic, and Language Concordance 2004

⁴. AAMC: Data Warehouse, MSQ_R, GQ_R, and IND_IDENT_R tables as of December 30, 2020. MSQ_R last updated 1/9/2020. GQ_R last updated 8/26/2020. IND_IDENT_R last updated 12/3/2020.