Physicians' Institute Projects

The Collaborative Grants Model™

The Physicians' Institute (a nonprofit subsidiary of the Medical Association of Georgia) has become a national leader in developing and managing collaborative educational projects that provide managed educational grants and projects to Continuing Medical Education (CME) providers, with a focus on outcomes-based and performance improvement activities.  The Physicians' Institute currently has had collaborative relationships with 16 state medical societies and other organizations representing 1500 CME providers:

• Association for Hospital Medical Education          
• Florida Medical Association       
• Healthcare Partnership – University of Arizona          
• Illinois State Medical Society       
• IMQ - California Medical Association           
• Indiana State Medical Association       
• Kentucky Medical Association       
• Massachusetts Medical Society       
• MedChi, The Maryland State Med Society       
• Medical Assoc of The  State of Alabama         
• Medical Association of Georgia       
• Medical Society of Delaware       
• North Carolina Medical Society       
• Oklahoma State Medical Association       
• South Carolina Medical Association       
• University of Virginia Health System

 

The overall aim of the Physicians’ Institute Collaborative Model is to improve the quality and impact of local CME.  These collaborations give the Physicians’ Institute tremendous reach into locally-provided CME based on locally identified professional practice gaps in community hospitals, health systems, and state chapters of specialty societies. If it is true that “all CME is local,” then this collaborative model is ideal for CME.

The Physicians’ Institute focuses on two approaches to delivering education.  The first is a unique model of pooled funding, the Collaborative Grants Model™.  This model features secondary grants to CME providers, integrated evaluation services, educational design consultation, project management, and aggregate outcome reports.  Depending upon the project, standardized curriculum, monographs, video-based content including simulated patients, and audio-visual services may be provided.  The Collaborative Grants Model™ has been:

 • Vetted and approved by the Accreditation Council for CME;
 • Awarded the “Member Sections Great Idea Award” (2009) by the Alliance for CME; and
 •Awarded the “Best Collaboration Award” (2009) by the Alliance for CME.

To date, the Physicians’ Institute has developed and managed twelve distinct Collaborative Grants initiatives which have included sixteen Collaborative organizations, representing 251 CME projects located in 21 states in the following clinical areas: Depression and Anxiety; Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Diabetes, Tobacco Cessation, COPD, Alzheimer’s and other Dementias,  Chronic Pain, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Low Back Pain, Stroke, Blood Management, and Sepsis.  Aggregate reports and outcomes information are available for completed projects.

Recognizing the need for quality, in-depth training and education for health care providers and CME professionals, the Physicians’ Institute is also focusing on Process Improvement Training (PIT).  The Physicians’ Institute’s PIT training modules include CME Outcomes, Performance Improvement, and Motivational Interviewing. 

The Physicians’ Institute offers a website that includes an online grants management system, educational videos, and related resources at www.physiciansinstitute.org.