FBHC AWARDED 6-YEAR ACCREDITATION BY ACCME

The Foundation for Better Health Care is pleased to announce that it recently was awarded "Accreditation with Commendation" by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. This designation, awarded in March 2003, was awarded by the ACCME following its review of the CME work of the FBHC over the last four years.

In achieving Commendation status, the FBHC joins a small, elite group of CME providers with this designation by the ACCME. Specifically, the FBHC received a total of four Exemplary Commendations--three commendations in Essential Area 2: Educational Planning and Evaluation and one commendation in Essential Area 3: Administration. In the area of planning and evaluation, the ACCME noted 1) the FBHC's use of multiple needs assessment data 2) the FBHC's expertise in developing and communicating the purpose and objectives of a CME activity and the way it links objectives to needs and desired results, and 3) the FBHC's accomplishments in using evaluation methods that measure--before the activity, immediately after it, and in longer-term "look-back" studies about the activity--the effectiveness of the educational intervention in meeting identified educational needs as measured by practice application.

In the area of administration, the ACCME recognized the FBHC's organizational framework of management, editorial, and project staff, as well its use of multiple advisory boards and thought-leaders. Also, the ACCME noted the extensive array of resources employed by the FBHC, such as its multiple information-technology and production capabilities. The FBHC is proud of achieving Accreditation with Commendation status and is committed to implementing this level of excellence into all of its Continuing Medical Education activities.