Accreditation Program
Program Overview
Welcome to the Illinois
State Medical Society accreditation Web page. The Accreditation Council
for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) recognizes the Illinois State
Medical Society (ISMS) as the authorized body for conducting a voluntary
accreditation program for institutions and organizations providing intrastate
continuing medical education (CME) in the state of Illinois or in a region
including states contiguous to Illinois. By offering intrastate accreditation,
ISMS seeks to assure both physicians and the public that any educational
activities provided by accredited providers meet the high standards of
educational design as promulgated by ISMS through its Accreditation Essential
Areas, Elements and Policies, and Standards for Commercial Support. In addition, it is only accredited providers that can award AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Accreditation is granted on the basis of the provider's demonstrated ability
to plan and implement CME activities in accordance with accreditation requirements.
The ISMS Committee on CME Accreditation adopts necessary procedural rules and prescribes forms to be used in the conduct of CME accreditation. It reviews applications and survey team reports for intrastate CME sponsors, and makes decisions on the granting of initial accreditation and continuation of accredited status. The committee is responsible for maintaining ISMS' recognition as the state CME accreditor through the ACCME. The committee also takes a leadership role in providing education for continuing medical education planners and site surveyors.
An integral part of the accrediation program is the site visit, used to gather materials, document and verify that the applicant has met the Essential Areas for accreditation. Physicians throughout the state, including members of the ISMS Board of Trustees, councils, committees, and medical educators, function as site surveyors to gather the necessary information, interview appropriate individuals and observe local CME activities. The Site Survey Team then makes recommendations to the ISMS Committee on CME Accreditation which determines the sponsor's accreditation status and reports this to the ISMS Board of Trustees.
It is important to note that the ISMS does not accredit individual CME activities. Institutions and organizations are accredited for their overall program of CME. The overall program consists, at least in part, of one or more educational activities, developed according to these Essential Areas. The designation of credit for specific CME activities is not within the purview of ACCME or ISMS as accrediting bodies, but it is the responsibility of the accredited provider. You can find the following documents in this section:
SEE THE ACCREDITATION PROGRAM FAQ
The document, Accreditation Program: Essential Areas, Glossary of Terms, Accreditation Policies, and Decision Making Criteria has been developed to explain in detail the meaning and application of the Essential Areas and to provide information to providers on how to comply with the Essential Areas. This document includes guidelines that are intended to assist sponsors in meeting the requirements for accreditation.
The Accreditation Application is the official document that must be submitted by accredited providers or those seeking initial accreditation as part of the overall accreditation process. The other documents, Surveyors Report; Committee Decision; and Documentation Review Form are the Policy Statements & Actions used by surveyors and the Committee on CME Accreditation during the accreditation process.
All providers are welcome to download these documents. Organizations seeking initial accreditation must first complete a Preliminary Questionnaire, which can be obtained by contacting the ISMS Division of Education and Accreditation.
Illinois
State Medical Society
Division of Education and Accreditation
20 North Michigan Avenue
Suite 700
Chicago, IL 60602
Telephone:
312-782-1654, Ext. 4746, 6442, or 2463
Toll free: 800-782-ISMS
Fax: 312-782-2023