Current News and Activities of the Chapter
CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION (CME) REQUIREMENTS FOR WASHINGTON
The Washington State Board of Medical Examiners and the Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine both require all licensees to earn a minimum number of CME Credits that include content-specific CME. The requirements are detailed below:
WASHINGTON MEDICAL COMMISSION CME REQUIREMENTS:
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200 Total credit hours every four years: Physicians licensed by the Washington Medical Commission must complete 200 hours of Continuing Medical Education every four years.
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6 Credit hours addressing Suicide Assessment, Treatment, and Management: This is a one-time requirement to be completed during the first full continuing education period after January 1, 2016, or during the first full continuing education period after initial licensure. Beginning July 1, 2017, the training must be on the model list developed by the department of health.
WASHINGTON BOARD OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE AND SURGERY CME REQUIREMENTS:
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150 Total credit hours every three years: Licensees of the Washington Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery must complete 150 hours of Continuing Medical Education every three years. Certification of compliance with the requirement for continuing medical education of the American Osteopathic Association, or receipt of the AMA Physicians Recognitions Award or a current certification of continuing medical education from medical practice academies shall be deemed sufficient to satisfy the requirements.
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6 Credit hours addressing Suicide Assessment, Treatment, and Management: Licensed osteopathic physicians must complete a board-approved onetime training that is at least six hours long in suicide assessment, treatment, and management. This training must be completed by the end of the first full continuing education reporting period after January 1, 2016, or the first full continuing education reporting period after initial licensure, whichever is later. Beginning July 1, 2017, the training must be on the model list developed by the department of health.
The American College of Surgeons has posted summaries of these State CME Requirements for your convenience.
The Washington Chapter and the American College of Surgeons (ACS) are committed to providing members with the highest quality educational resources and supporting you in meeting your Continuing Medical Education (CME) requirements, for example:
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Monthly online AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and Self-Assessment Credit through your member subscription to the Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Three online Safe Pain Control courses totaling 4 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
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Clinical Congress 2019 Webcast packages offer up to 175 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and 175 Self-Assessment Credits which can be tailored to a physician’s interests or requirements
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Coming soon! A new online 8-module course, Optimizing Perioperative Pain Management: An Evidence-Based Approach, will offer 8 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
State requirements are subject to change. Please contact mycme@facs.org or your state medical board if you have any questions or concerns. Individuals must check with their state to verify that the course content does meet the specific CME requirement.
On January 10, 2018 the Washington State Chapter of the American College of Surgeons sponsored a lobby day at the state capitol in Olympia to raise awareness about the “Stop the Bleed” program and the need for additional funding for trauma services in our state.
More than 60 providers, including surgeons from all over the state of Washington, as well as nurses, paramedics, and students actively participated. The following organizations/institutions were represented:
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett; Spokane Surgery; Harborview Medical Center, Seattle; Cascade Medical Center, Leavenworth; Confluence Health, Wenatchee Olympic Medical Center, Port Angeles; Airlift Northwest; Skagit Valley Hospital, Mt. Vernon; Madigan Army Medical Center; North Kitsap Fire and Rescue; Mary Bridge Children's Hospital, Tacoma; Harrison Medical Center, Bremerton; EvergreenHealth Medical Center, Kirkland; PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center, Vancouver; King County Medic One; St. Clare Hospital - CHI Franciscan Health, Lakewood; Redmond Fire; St. Anthony Hospital, Federal Way; Pierce County EMS; MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital; Kittitas Valley Healthcare, Ellensburg; King County Medic One; Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center; Providence Holy Family Hospital, Spokane; Deaconess Hospital, Spokane
At four training stations in the capitol building, we engaged over 350 people in basic bleeding control training, demonstrating wound packing and tourniquet placement. In addition, we presented two wall-mounted bleeding control kits to the leadership of the Senate and the House for placement next to the AEDs in their chambers. Surgeons held individual meetings with legislators to discuss how they could help make Washington citizens safer in the event of a significant injury. We began conversations to garner support for future legislation to add “Stop the Bleed” training to CPR training which is currently a high school graduation requirement in Washington state. In addition, we asked that bleeding control kits be placed in all public schools, government buildings, and public transportation facilities. Finally, we asked legislators to recognize the importance of the state trauma system as the backbone to disaster response and consider increased funding to support the system. We received very positive feedback on our visit and were asked to schedule a time to come back for full bleeding control training for the security personnel and legislative caucuses.
Thanks to the support from the American College of Surgeons through a Lobby Day Grant, and with additional funds from our own Washington State ACS Chapter, as well as, the Washington State ACS Committee on Trauma, we organized and hosted this first-of-its-kind event in our state. We were very fortunate to have Dr. Eileen Bulger, the Chair of the ACS Committee on Trauma, and Past-President of our WA State Chapter lead the effort. Her guidance and encouragement made this lobby day possible. The executive council of the WA ACS Chapter would especially like to recognize Maria Paulsen, the Washington State “Stop the Bleed” Coordinator and Secretary/Treasurer for the WA State COT Board of Directors, for her unique dedication and commitment to the program.
Finally, a sincere thanks to all the members of the Washington State ACS Chapter, as your membership dues made this event possible. We hope to host additional events in the future to address the needs of our patients through the work of the surgeons and entire EMS community in Washington State.
Surgeons from all over Washington state participated in our first Stop the Bleed Lobby Day in Olympia.
Front row: Sam Arbabi, Chair, WA State Committee on Trauma; Heather Evans, Secretary Treasurer, WA State ACS Chapter; Monica Vavilala, Director, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center
Second Row: David Carlbom, Director Paramedic Training, Seattle Fire Department; Hugh Foy, President, WA State ACS Chapter; Eileen Bulger, Chair ACS Committee on Trauma; Paul Lin, Past President, WA State ACS Chapter; Matt Eckert, President-Elect, WA State ACS Chapter
Third Row: Brad Younggren, Director Emergency Services, Evergreen Hospital; Adnan Alseidi, Councilor, WA State ACS Chapter; Tony Escobar, Pediatric Trauma Medical Director, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital; Brent Rowe, Councilor, WA State ACS Chapter; Ashley Meagher, Trauma Fellow, Harborview Medical Center
Top Row: Robert Tessler, Senior Fellow, Harborview Injury Prevention Center and Research Center; William Finley, The Everett Clinic/Providence Regional Medical Center Everett; Kate Osborne Mary Bridge Surgery and Trauma; Timothy Bax, Spokane Surgery
WA State COT Chair Dr. Saman Arbabi with Dr. Monica Vavilala, Director of the Harborview Injury Prevention Center, present a multi-person bleeding control kit for the Senate Chamber to the Speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives.
King County Senior Paramedics, Ben Jack and Rick Arnone demonstrate wound packing and the application of a standard issue tourniquet for lower extremity bleeding control. The Stop the Bleed training program is simple and straightforward to empower the public to act before emergency responders arrive.
WA ACS Chapter President Dr. Hugh Foy leaves the capitol building with one of our bleeding control demo kits, created by Maria Paulsen.
