New CORE training program strengthens knowledge, skills

Residency directors participate in live and on-line training programs

A new training program for CORE residency directors started this past summer with participants evaluating the sessions positively, reported Olivia Ojano-Sheehan, assistant director of faculty development.

“It is going vey well,” Ojano-Sheehan reported to the CORE Academic Steering Committee in September. The program, a yearlong fellowship certificate program, consists of a curriculum that combines two live sessions and nine on-line sessions among participants. The first of the two live meetings were held in August in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The July and September sessions were held on-line.

“There are many benefits to the on-line component. Participants can access the modules anytime/anywhere and they have the opportunity to reflect on the readings and assignments.” Ojano-Sheehan said. The live August meeting included a discussion about leadership and how to lead during times of change, she said.

Other topics in the August meeting also included basic standards, GME financing, portfolio development, and strategic planning.

Ojano-Sheehan noted that the program is designed to strengthen the knowledge and skills of program directors to aid in their success. Often, one participant noted, such training is not traditionally offered to osteopathic program directors, while most allopathic program directors routinely go through such administrative training.

The program was created through funding from grants provided by the Cuyahoga Falls General Hospital (now Summa Western Reserve Hospital) Foundation, and the CORE New Initiative Fund. Seven Summa Western Reserve Hospital program directors are participating through their hospitals grant, while six program directors from other CORE hospital sites are being funded from the initiative fund.

Fellows participating in the inaugural class include Greg Bloxdorf, D.O., and Andrew Filiatraut, both of St. John Westshore; Mark Day, D.O., and James Schoen, D.O., both of Grandview; John Kasper, D.O., Southern Ohio Medical Center; and Katrina Rakowsky, South Pointe Medical Center.

The fellows from Summa Western Reserve include Aaron Chokan, DPM; Tina Mager, D.O.; Jason Fried, D.O.; Shorin Nemeth, D.O.; Ron Russ, D.O.; Jeff Tharp, D.O.; and Schield Wikas, D.O.

Future topics to be covered include recruitment, preparing for a program internal review/program inspection, and writing a corrective action plan, legal issues in residency training, among others.