The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the Arnold P. Gold Foundation have awarded Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) with the second annual DeWitt C. ‘Bud’ Baldwin Award, which recognizes institutions that “foster a respectful, supportive environment for medical education.”
The award emphasizes the joint responsibility of health system and graduate medical education leadership for delivering high-quality health care while simultaneously supporting the personal and professional development of learners and faculty, according to the Gold Foundation.
Of the 800 institutions that are eligible for the award, 60 were invited to apply for it, and six institutions were selected as finalists. VUMC was one of three institutions to receive the award, along with Virginia Commonwealth University Health System and Riverstone Health.
ACGME accredits residency and fellowship programs and dedicates resources in support of graduate medical education. The Gold Foundation aims to create the gold standard in health care by supporting clinicians in their effort to sustain “humanistic passion” throughout their careers.
The award announcement followed an extensive application process and a site visit by members of the Gold Foundation and ACGME in January. The team spent one and a half days with senior VUMC leadership, program directors, faculty, residents/fellows, medical students and medical school leadership and conducted three walking rounds throughout VUMC, including Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital, interviewing both front line staff and nursing staff.
“Through the site visit, the award committee gained a full understanding of the culture of Vanderbilt, particularly how humanistic our culture is and the level to which we support each other,” said Donald Brady, M.D., senior associate dean for Graduate Medical Education.
“They saw the collaborative spirit and shared responsibility of the Medical Center, graduate medical education leadership, and the School of Medicine to promote an exemplary, humanistic learning environment. They saw that we are human, that issues do arise, and that we collectively take responsibility for addressing those issues to create a positive, supportive learning culture.
“The award validates who we are and our idea of a collegial culture. It demonstrates that our dedication to our Credo and our patient promise is real and has filtered throughout the organization.”
Bonnie Miller, M.D., senior associate dean for Health Sciences Education and Executive Vice President of Educational Affairs for VUMC, joined Brady at the ACGME Annual Education Conference in Orlando, Florida, March 9 to receive the award on behalf of the Medical Center.
“I am very proud that the site visitors found something special in our learning environment, and in our deliberate attention to it. Creating a safe, positive learning culture is an ongoing, active process, and I think the team sensed our strong commitment,” Miller said.
