Task Force to Design and Implement a Center for Excellence in Health Science Education

Revised Plan for Process and Committee Membership (March, 2003)
Prepared by Hilary J. Schmidt, Ph.D.

Charge

To develop and implement a plan for Basic Integrated Support and Resources for Education, (One Stop Shopping), to enable and cultivate excellence in health science education.

Overview of Scope and Outcomes

Based on the Dean's Response to Strategic Planning, this charge encompasses three related tasks:

1. To create a system that will consolidate delivery of all education support services including logistics, faculty development, design and development of new resources and media, student assessment, course and program evaluation, and education research.



2. To finalize a concept for a Clinical Performance Assessment Facility to support all Health Sciences needs.



3. To develop a plan for expanding our capabilities for using simulations, robotics, mannequins, virtual settings and other forms of simulation in the service of teaching, learning and assessment.

• Identify and analyze "best practice" models and state-of-the art approaches in place or under development at other comparable institutions.



• Identify all existing resources at the Columbia University Medical Center that could be harnessed to implement the concept and create synergies and economies of scale.



• Write a vision statement that would be adapted to support fundraising.



• Submit a written proposal for the fully developed concepts, including cost and space estimates, staffing requirements, recommendations for administrative placement (including relationship to the other components of the Center), and implementation and business plans. (This will require close collaboration between the subcommittees)



• The overarching steering committee will integrate these reports into a detailed business and implementation plan.

Structure and Process

Steering Committee: I propose a small steering committee with two subcommittees. The steering committee will refine and monitor the process, contribute to the visions, review and critique ideas at each stage, and ensure broad input of ideas from all key constituents (e.g. Curriculum committees, department chairs, hospital etc). The steering committee will ensure comparable processes across the sub-committees, and integrate the visions of each sub-committee into a final plan and report. The sub-committees will assume primary responsibility for fulfilling the charge related to each of the subtasks mentioned above. The Academic Deans and Program Directors will appoint members that draw upon existing expertise and grass roots efforts as described below. There will be some overlapping membership to ensure informed cross talk and planning. I propose that the steering committee consist of the Academic Deans and Program Directors from each school and the chairs of each of the subcommittees, and an outside expert from a comparable institution with expertise in these issues (See attached list).

Subcommittee for Integrated Support for Education - "One-Stop-Shopping": The subcommittee for creating basic integrated support for education will be comprised of at least two of the most outstanding and innovative course leaders and teachers from each of the schools. These individuals, through their experience and positions will be intimately aware of the teaching challenges and resource needs (from basic logistics to assistance for course development, web-based teaching, computer labs for teaching, etc), and knowledgeable about the existing disparate resources. By bringing together this group of talented faculty who represent the diversity of education needs and vision, we expect to foster a synergy that produces a far-reaching vision for education excellence at Columbia University Medical Center. The Academic Deans will be responsible for identifying these individuals. A representative from each of the education support units (CERE, The Curriculum Design Studio, Center for Academic Information Technology, CCNMTL, Biomedical Communications, Facilities, and Classroom Management, Digital Knowledge Ventures), will be added to the committee to develop a feasible implementation plan for fulfilling the vision, integrating and if necessary augmenting the current services and resources for the education programs.

Sub-Committee for Simulation/Clinical Performance Assessment Facility: The committee on simulation will build upon a newly formed group, organized under the leadership of Drs. Ken Forde and Pat Molholt (see attached list). This group has already convened to bring together all of those already involved or interested in the use of simulation in the service of education. They have already begun to build a team that will develop a concept and plan for Simulation at Columbia University Medical Center. I recommend that this group group be formally charged as the core members of the subcommittee, with the expectation that additional members will be added to ensure appropriate representation of possible collaborator, and all schools and interests. Since standardized patients are a form of simulation, I suggest that this group (or a sub-group of this committee) undertake review of the existing plans for the Clinical Performance Assessment Facility. Dr. Rita Charon (who wrote the original proposal for the assessment facility), and representatives of faculty from each school, the hospital, who are knowledgeable about the needs for standardized patients and other types of simulation must participate. Members of this committee should be selected based on their ability to accurately represent the types and amount of use anticipated to support the core educational programs. They will be required to estimate the demands, usage patterns and current resources for their constituents. Academic Deans from medicine, dentistry, occupational and physical therapy, public health, nursing, and the hospital executives should recommend these individuals.

Supporting Requirements

Hospital Buy-in: The hospital must be on board and participate as an equal partner in both the Clinical Performance Assessment Facility and in the Simulation Concept to make this viable and facilitate fund raising.

Commitment to a time frame for building these resources and fund-raising from the outset: Faculty have expressed concern that unless excellence in education is made the highest priority these efforts will not be realized fully or in a timely manner.

Staff and Resources: An administrative assistant has been approved and we are in the final stages of selecting the best candidate and hiring. I have not yet found a replacement for a portion of my administrative responsibilities, and continue to search.