Real Outcomes: University of Chicago
CME Provider: Center for Continuing Medical Education at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Staff Spotlight: Tom Weber, EdM, CHCP, Associate Director
“Integrating the Commendation Criteria into our work empowered our team and made patient care better.”
Improving Patient Health
The University of Chicago’s Center for Continuing Medical Education has had a direct impact improving patient health. In their most recent application for Accreditation with Commendation, they showcased a multidisciplinary hip fracture program that reduced hospital length of stay and strengthened coordination of care throughout patients’ recovery. They also demonstrated meaningful gains through a diabetes management initiative that achieved over a 10% reduction in patients’ hemoglobin A1C levels.
Tom Weber, Associate Director at the Center, credits ACCME’s Commendation Criteria with enhancing the Center’s ability to improve patients’ entire trajectory of care. “Much of our success is interprofessional in nature. Thanks to the Criteria, we’re integrating nurses, physician associates, medical students, and social workers into the planning of our CME,” he said. “The Criteria have transformed the way we think about our work.” Tom offers this advice to CME providers looking to innovate: “Use ACCME’s Commendation Criteria to enhance the programs you already have. They will guide you in how to improve your education. They can also empower your team, giving everyone a real voice in the development of your CME.”
With a culture of collaboration and innovation, the Center continues to expand its impact—strengthening clinical practice and advancing the health of communities they serve.
