GME Education Goals and Requirements

Scope of the Pain Problem:
At about $100 billion in annual health care costs, chronic pain is the most expensive health problem in the U.S. today. Pain is the number one reason for doctor visits; 40 million physician visits per year occur consequent to pain. As a result of chronic pain, there are 515 million lost work days per year.

When first seen in a pain medicine clinic, the average chronic pain patient has suffered for about seven years, undergone three major surgeries and incurred medical bills of $50,000 - $100,000. Chronic pain is considered by most experts to be a disease and not a symptom. Additionally, treatment of pain results not only in improved quality of life but also improved health and well-being of patients.

Need Statement:
As part of its mission to provide the best pain relief to patients suffering from pain, the division of Pain Medicine at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (“University Hospitals”) recognizes the need and benefits of robust multidisciplinary graduate medical education for residents and fellows in the field of pain medicine.

Sponsoring graduate medical education in the field of pain medicine furthers our mission in the provision of premier care, responding to the community needs and the assurance of future generations of health care professionals necessary to continue to deliver high quality health care to the community and beyond.

Over their rich history, University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University have educated and trained thousands of physicians that have spanned the globe and enriched their local communities. Through a highly educational multidisciplinary program, the Pain Medicine division at University Hospitals will continue to deliver high-quality professionals in-line with the long held institutional traditions.

Commitment:
University Hospitals is committed to providing the necessary educational, financial, and human resources to support the Division of Pain Medicine. The division of pain medicine at University Hospitals is committed to excellence in its graduate medical education program and the care of patients.

The Division of Pain Medicine at University Hospitals commits itself to the provision of an organized multidisciplinary educational and training program in which residents and fellows develop personal,clinical and professional competence under careful faculty guidance and supervision.

This program will assure the safe and appropriate care of patients and the progression of resident and fellow responsibility, consistent with each physician’s clinical experience, knowledge and skill.

The Division of Pain Medicine at University Hospitals also commits itself to the provision of a scholarly environment. Faculty will engage in scholarly activity, including research, and will make available to residents and fellows opportunities to participate in and learn from the scholarship of the faculty and the medical community.

The Division of Pain Medicine further commits itself to providing committed and competent professionals as part of the teaching faculty. Members of the teaching faculty will be appointed by the Department Chairman, Marc Popovich, MD along with the Division Chief, Salim Hayek, MD and will be selected for their professional ability and commitment to teaching, medical education, patient care, and the scientific and humanistic basis of medicine.

The Division of Pain Medicine will strive to ensure that its educational and training program meets or exceeds all special requirements promulgated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and its Residency Review Committee.

Benefits:
Through a properly structured and closely monitored/evaluated multidisciplinary education and training program of carefully selected residents, the pain medicine division will improve provision of quality care, relationships between pain medicine care providers and the patients and patients’ families. This also may lead to a greater awareness on the part of the consumers of health care as to their responsibilities for their own health and prevention of painful entities.

Additionally, the presence of high quality educational programs in pain medicine has the distinct advantage of providing a mechanism for the recruitment and retention of high quality individuals in the medical care arena interested in furthering and improving Pain Medicine care delivery. The Pain Medicine Graduate Medical Education program provides a firm basis and plays an integral part in the ability of University Hospitals to meet and further its purposes consistent with the philosophy, mission and goals of the institution.