Graduate Medical Education at Vidant Medical Center and the Brody School of Medicine is changing the future of physician training | Eastern NC Now

    News Release:


The internal medicine residency program is putting patient safety and quality improvement first with a new chief resident position

    Greenville, NC     For nearly four decades, Vidant Medical Center and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University have been working together to provide sophisticated health care while at the same time providing sophisticated training for physicians. With the start of the new academic year, the Graduate Medical Education (GME) program has instituted a new position that keeps patient safety and quality improvement on the forefront of physician training.

    New to GME this year is a chief resident of patient safety and quality improvement in the internal medicine residency training program. For its inaugural year, Dr. Letitia Cameron is carrying the chief resident title. It is a role and responsibility she takes seriously. "Seeing the residents get engaged and learning something new is the most rewarding part of the job for me," said Cameron. In addition to serving in this new capacity, Cameron is also a chief resident of internal medicine. By serving in both roles, Cameron says she will be able to develop an advanced curriculum for quality and patient safety in real-time with her team. The fourth year resident says the benefit of receiving care in an academic setting is that several physicians will be working together to find the best-possible solution that meet the needs of patients.

    With health care in a rapid state of change, the need for greater coordination as it relates to education is evident. Patient safety and quality improvement have always been priorities at Vidant Medical Center and the Brody School of Medicine. By driving the importance of coordination through physician training, the commitment to safety and quality is at a new level. The idea for the position was generated by Dr. Suzanne Kraemer, internal medicine residency program director and Vidant Medical Center chief-of-staff elect. She explains that the new chief resident will drive a coordinated curriculum that ultimately creates a culture in which patient safety and quality improvement become second nature. "The market demands these skills of residency program graduates," said Kraemer.

    The national Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education assesses how well hospitals are teaching patient safety and quality biannually through its Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER). Dr. Herbert G. Garrison, associate dean for graduate medical education at the Brody School of Medicine and Vidant Medical Center, underscores the importance of this type of training because it is about making patients better and it is the right thing to do. "Traditional physician training emphasizes diagnosis and treatment, which will never change," said Garrison. "The future of physician training also emphasizes the continued improvement of quality and patient safety. Because of physician leaders like Drs Kraemer and Cameron, the future is now at Vidant Medical Center and Brody School of Medicine."

    The Graduate Medical Education program at Vidant Medical Center and Brody School of Medicine has been in place for 40 years and offers 40 programs. Currently, 400 resident physicians and fellows are enrolled in the GME program.

    Vidant Medical Center is the sponsor of the residency and fellowship training programs and is the employer of resident physicians and fellows, while the Brody School of Medicine provides the educational home and structure for the training programs. To learn more about Graduate Medical Education at Vidant Medical Center and Brody School of Medicine visit VidantHealth.com.

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in eight eastern North Carolina hospitals. The health system includes Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center and Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com.

    The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University is nationally recognized for preparing primary care physicians who practice in medically underserved communities. The majority of those admitted are North Carolina residents and the majority of its graduates practice primary care in North Carolina. Brody's research includes a strong focus on cardiovascular disease, diabetes and preventive care. Brody partners with Vidant Health to provide a teaching hospital, sharing faculty physicians in broad service areas such as critical care, surgery, emergency care and trauma. It also operates ECU Physicians, the clinical practice for the Brody School of Medicine.

    Contact: Carissa Etters, Vidant Health Strategic Development,

    252.847.0413  •  Carissa.Etters@VidantHealth.com