Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) has been chosen to be a part of the newly formed Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Institute for the Transformation of Medical Education (Kern Institute), a national initiative to transform medical education across the continuum from pre-medical school to physician practice.
The National Transformation Network, a collaborative of medical schools from around the country, includes VUSM and founding partner schools Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, University of California – San Francisco School of Medicine, University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School and University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. The Medical College of Wisconsin leads the Kern Institute.
“We are honored and grateful to be selected as one of the participating schools in this new consortium so generously supported by the Kern Institute,” said Bonnie Miller, M.D., Senior Associate Dean for Health Sciences Education, VUSM, and Executive Vice President for Educational Affairs for Vanderbilt University Medical Center. “The National Transformation Network includes education leaders from across the country and it will be exciting to collaborate with them on innovative projects across the continuum of physician learning.”
The Triple Aim of Health Care (enhancing patient experience, improving population health and reducing cost) is widely accepted as the key to optimizing health system performance and reducing the burden of suffering from illness and disease. The Kern Institute aims to drive a national movement to transform medical education by proposing an equally important Triple Aim for Medical Education: character, competence and caring. These elements of physician development are critical to partnering with patients, families and communities for compassionate, evidence-based care delivered with integrity.
The total initial investment in the Kern Institute is $52.5 million, which includes the gift from the Kern Family and Kern Family Foundation, as well as contributions from MCW, National Transformation Network partner medical schools and other philanthropic support.
For more information, visit http://www.mcw.edu/kerninstitute.