Continuing Medical Education at Sacred Heart Medical Center


Mission Statement

To provide a variety of educational formats for evidence-based education to fulfill identified needs and produce changes in physician practice that result in improved competence, performance and patient care. With an emphasis on multidisciplinary programs, content is based on competencies, needs assessments and clinical requirements. PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center utilizes available data to create and develop programs that improve patient outcomes. Oversight of the program is performed by the Continuing Medical Education Committee through review of content and quality of each CME offering in accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education® essential areas and their elements and the Oregon Medical Association's Physician Recognition Award accredited provider information.

Content Areas

The office of Continuing Medical Education provides educational activities based on competencies related to medical education. Activities are organized around specific medical specialties or subspecialties; disease process or public health topics; research findings or research methodologies; changes in the health care delivery system; lifestyle/wellbeing and/or theories; and techniques and technologies that improve the quality of medical care. CME programs are unbiased, evidence-based and accurate. They consider the educational needs of the target audience and contain current information delivered by individuals who are experts in pertinent fields.

Target Audience

Educational activities are offered to staff and non-staff physicians, as well as multidisciplinary patient care professionals as deemed appropriate by the Continuing Medical Education Committee. Although CME activities are developed specifically for physicians, it is recognized that certain activities hold value to other health care professionals, including physician assistants, nurse practitioners, psychologists and others. Therefore, CME programs are offered to non-physician staff throughout the Regional Network of Care within Oregon. Also in recognition of the continuum of medical education, medical students and clinical educators are welcome to attend educational activities.

Types of Activities

The office of Continuing Medical Education provides various types of educational activities, including:

  • Live Activities, such as single- and multiple-day conferences, seminars, symposia, review courses and updates with educational formats, techniques and tools oriented to the needs of adult learners. In this forum, interactions between educators and participants are encouraged through case presentations, tumor boards and speaker panel discussions with question-and-answer sessions, specialty track breakout sessions and hands-on sessions. Venues for these activities vary and include joint sponsorships that are sometimes conducted out of state.

  • Regularly Scheduled Series, such as medical grand rounds, pediatric grand rounds, palliative care grand rounds, tumor boards, journals clubs and case reviews offered in multiple clinical disciplines and locations.

Expected Results

Detailed program evaluations, participant surveys and CQI results extract data on improved physician performance, improved patient outcomes and the achievement of excellence in patient care. Assessment tools are selected based upon individual learning objectives and available resources. The results of CME activities are as follows:

  • Live activities: Satisfaction, pre- and some post-activity knowledge assessment, self-reported change in behavior.

  • Regularly scheduled series: Annual post-activity knowledge assessment and self-reported change in behavior.

Assessment of Results

The CME Committee promotes educational processes and methodologies to support accuracy and measurable assessment of the program and activities.

Accessibility

PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center encourages persons with disabilities to participate​ in CME activities. Please email the CME office at tbell@peacehealth.org​ or call 541-222-2334 to request accommodations to attend any programs