Tufts Health Care Institute (THCI) and University of Florida College of Medicine are pleased to be partnering on a full-day faculty development conference focused on two of the new ACGME required competencies: Systems-based Practice and Practice-based Learning and Improvement. The conference is scheduled for Friday, February 28th at The Doubletree University of Florida Hotel and Conference Center, 1714 SW 34th in Gainesville, Florida. Collaborating with THCI and UF is the Florida Area Health Education Center.

With some additional funding from the Center for Health Services Financing and Managed Care, Health Resources and Services Administration, US Department of Health and Human Services, we are able to invite GME faculty from other institutions in nearby states and offer this program at an affordable rate of $125. Enrollment is limited to 60, and registrations will be accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis. The deadline for registration (if space is still available) is Monday, January 27th, 2003. This program is appropriate for residency program directors, assistant directors, and other faculty responsible for educating physicians-in-training.

The agenda for the program is enclosed and covers knowledge, skills, and assessments related to the two competencies, presented with cases, small-group learning activities, and didactic content.

If you are a GME leader or administrator, please forward this invitation to the program directors in your institution.

Faculty who are national experts in these competencies will lead the program:

• Patrick Alguire, MD, Director of Education and Career Development at the American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM) and Professor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical School;
• Ralph Halpern, MSW, Director of Content Development and Program Evaluation at THCI;
• Robin Richman, MD, Senior Clinical Leader at THCI and Assistant Clinical Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine; and
• John Wisniewski, MD, MHSA, Associate Dean and Medical Director for Ambulatory Services and Associate Professor at the Medical College of Ohio.

Conference registration and payment for attendees from outside University of Florida must be made to THCI by calling 617-636-1000, or on the web at www.thci.org. Scroll down to "Noteworthy," on the home page and click on "register." The registration form on the web can also be printed and faxed to 617-636-0429. The registration fee for this program is $125, and includes a continental breakfast, lunch, a course book, and the day-long, faculty-led sessions. A written curriculum guide, with 12 lesson plans and other resources, will also be available for purchase.

There are no available overnight rooms at the Doubletree for the night of 2/27. Therefore, a limited number of affordable hotel rooms have been reserved for conference attendees for Thursday, February 27, 2003, at the following hotels:

• Hampton Inn, 4225 SW 40th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32608
  To make room reservations, please contact the hotel directly at 352-371-4171, and use confirmation #87223954. Room rate is $69 + tax.
  
  Free shuttle service to the Doubletree conference center is available at 7:15 A.M., Friday, 2/28.

• Sheraton Gainesville Hotel, 2900 S.W. 13th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608
  To make room reservations, please contact the hotel directly at 888-627-8043, and use code UF-THCI ACGME competency conference. Room rate is $79 + tax.
  
  Free shuttle service is available from the airport to hotel. Free shuttle service to the Doubletree conference site is available at 7:15 A.M., Friday, 2/28.

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Coplon, PhD, at 617-636-1000, or at jennifer_coplon@tufts-health.com, or email us at thci@tufts-health.com.

We look forward to your participation in this special program.

About Tufts Health Care Institute Established in 1995, THCI (www.thci.org), formerly Tufts Managed Care Institute, is a not-for-profit, educational organization and is a leading independent source of educational and training programs on systems-based practice and care management for the health professionals. THCI provides practical teaching materials ? including online learning and assessment tools, and curriculum guides ? and regularly hosts faculty development conferences and workshops. These activities support the training of clinicians to better meet the goals of professional groups, such as the ACGME, in a timely, cost-effective manner.

Florida Area Health Education Centers Network (AHEC)

The Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network is a statewide system for health professional education and support founded upon 10 regional Area Health Education Centers. Each AHEC is supported at one of the state's five medical school: University of Miami, Nova Southeastern University, University of Florida, University of South Florida, and Florida State University. The AHECs draw upon the resources of the academic health centers to address local health care issues. Since 1990, the Florida AHEC Network has addressed the health care needs of Florida's vulnerable populations through innovative strategies designed to extend academic health resources, provide information and support for community providers, influence health professions education, and influence the future health professional workforce.