In 2014, the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) streamlined some of the CME accreditation requirements for hospitals and other organizations. Having encouraged these changes, the California Medical Association (CMA) and its Institute of Medical Quality (IMQ) quickly moved to adopt the ACCME revisions. IMQ also simplified the California-specific requirements for cultural and linguistic competency.

In addition to the streamlined accreditation requirements, IMQ significantly expanded its outreach efforts to help CME providers understand and comply with the new accreditation criteria and policies. IMQ has also created a CME Provider Portal on its website, with an abundance of tools and resources to support CME programs.

As a result of these efforts, IMQ is pleased to report that more organizations are achieving full four-year accreditation with fewer interim reports and that there is a steady rise in those achieving the six-year "Accreditation with Commendation." In addition, organizations seeking initial two-year accreditation are more likely to become accredited on their first try.

Last year, organizations accredited by IMQ conducted 7,401 CME activities that equaled 60,839 hours of instruction. Of these activities, 98 percent were conducted without commercial support.

Many CME activities are planned as part of an organization’s strategic efforts to improve quality and patient safety, by focusing on core competencies such as improving medical knowledge, skills and interpersonal communication. Anyone interested in learning more about accreditation and how CME can benefit your organization is encouraged to contact IMQ.

CME Essentials Workshop
For organizations considering CME accreditation for the first time, or those seeking to reestablish their CME programs, IMQ offers a one-day CME Essentials Workshop as an introduction to CME requirements. The Essentials Workshops are offered quarterly, alternating between Northern and Southern California, with the next scheduled for August 14 at the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association in Oakland. For more information or to register, click here.

Contact: Jena Resner, M.D., at jresner@imq.org, or Julie Hopkins at jhopkins@imq.org.