Dear Colleagues,

It is with great excitement that I invite you to attend the 2013 ACGME Annual Educational Conference at the Swan and Dolphin in Orlando, Florida from February 28 - March 3, 2013. Last year, we introduced the framework of two new ACGME initiatives: the Next Accreditation System (NAS) which will revamp the manner in which programs are accredited to promote excellence and innovation, and the Clinical Learning Environment Review (CLER) which will assess the institutional learning environment, and the integration of residents into patient safety and quality improvement programs of the sponsor. This year’s conference, New Horizons, will focus on the implementation of NAS and CLER. Seven specialties are currently piloting NAS with implementation to occur on July 1, 2013. The remaining specialties will pilot NAS in 2013, with all specialties functioning under NAS on July 1, 2014. Initial CLER visits began in June of this year, and all sponsoring institutions will receive their first visit by June, 2014.

At this year’s conference, specialty sessions will take on a new look by focusing on NAS and there will be multiple sessions on both NAS and CLER. This year’s conference will also include workshops, didactic sessions, and mini-courses submitted from the GME community consistent with our theme, giving our colleagues an opportunity to showcase innovations. Special focus areas for this year's conference include:

• the learning environment with topics such as patient safety/quality improvement, transitions in care, and fatigue management;
• engagement of residents in reduction in disparities;
• milestones and their assessment;
• clinical competence committees, their structure and operation;
• resident remediation;
• faculty development;
• curricular development, and utilization of simulation;
• resident well-being;
• innovations in international graduate medical education.

We at the ACGME are extremely proud of what has been accomplished over the past five years. Together, we have completed a thorough review of the learning environment for residents in our programs and developed training standards that demonstrate our shared commitment to patient safety, excellence in education,and the provision of a humanistic educational environment. The ACGME, the ABMS Boards, the respective Specialty Societies, and the Program Directors Associations have actively participated in the drafting of the Specialty Milestones, opening the door to the final phase in the Outcome Project and Outcomes-Based Accreditation, in the Next Accreditation System. The ACGME has extended its commitment to excellence internationally by developing international accreditation in Singapore, Qatar, and other countries. The Journal of Graduate Medical Education now provides the GME community with the opportunity to share their innovations and discoveries. None of these outcomes could have been possible without your efforts, and I look forward to your continued participation as we journey toward excellence in graduate medical education, together.

It is my hope that you will be able to attend the 2013 ACGME Annual Educational Conference. I look forward to seeing you personally, and the opportunity to convene the graduate medical education community in Orlando in March!

Sincerely,

Thomas J. Nasca, MD, MACP
Chief Executive Officer
Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education