DEM Fellowship in Emergency Medicine Administration
The Keck School of Medicine of USC Department of Emergency Medicine (DEM) Administration Fellowship is a unique academic experience for emergency physicians interested in pursuing careers in healthcare administration. Because of the relationship the DEM has with Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), the fellowship provides additional opportunities within the arenas of public health and public policy.
Objectives:
- Gain a greater understanding of clinical operations at the DHS, hospital, and departmental level
- Learn the tenets of quality assurance and actively participate in process improvement geared to core measures, patient safety and satisfaction
- Participate in operations-related data collection, analysis, policy development, implementation, and compliance auditing
- Complete an Master Medical Management or executive Master in Health Administration at the University of Southern California
- Participate in administrative research and submit at least one manuscript for publication
- Engage in scholarly activity, including facilitating monthly Journal Club for the DEM Division of Administration
Entry Requirements:
Applicants must have:
- Completed an ACGME-accredited residency program in emergency medicine (4 years)
- A current California medical license (or eligibility for one)
- A current DEA license
- A complete, updated CV
- 2 letters of recommendation
Once accepted, applicants must successfully apply for either the Master in Medical Management or the executive Master in Health Administration at USC. Successful completion of the degree program is necessary to satisfy fellowship requirements.
Quality:
Quality assurance is an integral part of hospital operations and, as such, will be a focused area of training for our fellow. Training in this realm will include attendance at hospital and department level quality meetings, participation in quality improvement and/or patient safety oriented projects, and involvement in CMS/ Joint Commission hospital surveys. Fellows will leave this training with a working knowledge of process improvement, national patient safety goals, and strategies to improve the patient experience.
Clinical Operations:
Exposure to clinical operations is vital to any career in administration. It is expected that the fellow will attend and actively participate in the bi-monthly Clinical Directors Meeting at LAC+USC, and the DHS Emergency Medicine Expected Practices Clinical Meeting (DEEP-C). Based on the fellow’s interests, additional clinical meetings at LAC+USC (departmental and hospital-wide), DHS and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) will be available.
Education:
Didactic teaching is inherent to the fellowship, given the requirement to successfully complete either the Master in Health Administration or Master in Medical Management. The fellowship directors will work with program coordinators for didactic coursework to identify opportunities to identify practical applications of materials presented in these programs. Also, lectures on clinical administration will be given by administrative faculty in the DEM.
Research:
Within the newly formed Division of Administration in the Department of Emergency Medicine, administrative faculty members have a dedicated focus on research as it pertains to operations and quality improvement. Collaborations between administrators, residents, other disciplines and divisions result in many opportunities for participation by the EM Administration Fellow. To augment this training, the fellow will be expected to attend monthly research meetings with the Research Division and to run the monthly journal club attended by Administration Division members. With the guidance of the fellowship directors, the fellow will produce at least one manuscript for publication in a peer reviewed journal during training.
EM Administration Journal Club:
The Division of Administration will hold monthly journal clubs, which can be attended by faculty, fellows, interested residents and nursing staff. The fellow will be responsible for distributing a journal article of her/his choice to attendees beforehand, and s/he will present the relevant findings of the article and lead a discussion on the topic.
Leadership/Meeting Participation:
Fellows will attend at least one leadership conference during their fellowship. Membership and participation in subcommittees within the American College of Physician Executives (ACPE), the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), the American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM), and/or the Society for American Emergency Medicine (SAEM) will be encouraged. Funding to attend the required conference will be made available through department CME funds.
Coding/Billing:
Coding and billing is an essential topic within EM Administration. To this end, the fellowship directors will work with the fellow to help arrange opportunities to learn more about coding and billing.
Evaluation:
Throughout his/her training, the EM Administration fellow will have periodic evaluations with the fellowship directors for the purpose of ensuring successful completion of the program as well as providing ample opportunity for mentorship and tailored training to optimize the fellow’s experience. In addition to these evaluations, the fellow is encouraged to schedule monthly meetings with the fellowship directors to discuss ongoing issues, projects and opportunities to help optimize the experience.
Contacts:
Michael Menchine MD: [email protected]