Planning for the Future

As 2006 got under way, cancer specialists throughout the country were adjusting to news that the Food and Drug Administration had suspended clinical trials for the drug “Herceptin.” Herceptin was being comprehensively evaluated at the time for its effectiveness in treating certain types of breast cancer.

Interestingly, the testing process was not short-circuited because of problems with the drug. Rather, testing was altered because the evidence of success was so overwhelming. FDA officials were anxious to promote its more immediate adoption as a standard of remedy for women receiving treatment in a supportive care environment, as a supplement to other therapies.

Patients at Carolinas Medical Center’s Blumenthal Cancer Center did not need to await this development to get Herceptin, because they were already benefiting from CMC’s participation in related clinical trials. Blumenthal was one of a limited group of national sites specially selected to evaluate this groundbreaking drug, based on CMC’s widespread reputation for outstanding research.

Research activity is just one of the many benefits associated with CMC’s status as an “academic medical center teaching hospital.” In fact, because of this status, CMC is heavily involved in both research and education, and hosts a wide variety of teaching and fellowship opportunities which are crucial in the credentialing process that prepares M.D.’s for professional practice.

Such educational programs, according to Dr. Jim McDeavitt, Senior Vice President for Education and Research, provide immense added value to every constituency served by Carolinas Medical Center.

First, the faculty members who guide these programs are, by definition, leaders in their fields. Not only are they equipped to share the latest techniques and information with students, but they utilize that expertise while "wearing their hats" as hands-on caregivers. In short, says Dr. McDeavitt, CMC patients have opportunities to be treated by physicians “who are teaching the next generation of physicians how to be the very best.”

Secondly, high quality residency programs tend to attract the best and brightest medical school graduates. “We serve as a talent magnet for exceptionally qualified people,” says Dr. McDeavitt. “A significant percentage of these physicians stay and practice in CHS facilities; some at the main hospital and others in CHS hospitals or individual practices throughout the region.”

To be sure, the lack of a traditional four-year medical school in Charlotte does not mean a total absence of students working on M.D. degrees. Indeed, for the past 40 years, CMC has been serving as an important training site for medical students from UNC-Chapel Hill, who serve “clinical rotations” in a variety of specialties. These include family and emergency medicine, pediatrics, orthopedics, ob/gyn, internal medicine, general and plastic surgery, psychiatry and physical medicine & rehabilitation. During 2006, Chapel Hill students did more than 400 months of rotation in CHS facilities.

The residency program itself is a major talent pool for the Charlotte region. During 2006, for example, more than 200 residents received advanced training in 11 specialties. These students were attracted to CMC from more than 80 medical schools in 32 states. “Their presence,” Dr. McDeavitt notes, “assures new and fresh ideas, and helps drive best practices throughout the region.”

CMC is part of a regional consortium which provides continuing education coursework for all types of medical personnel. In addition, the Carolinas College of Health Sciences (CCHS) offers a host of accredited nursing and technical training programs, helping to assure a steady supply of highly motivated and well qualified personnel.

Given this track record, it was not surprising that CHS was approached in late 2006 to explore the feasibility of a new medical school branch in Charlotte. Specifically, the medical school at UNC-Chapel Hill wanted to study the possibility of creating a campus and training venue for third and fourth-year students.

CHS commissioners readily agreed to the study, motivated in part by a widely shared concern regarding future physician shortages. The Association of American Medical Colleges recently recommended that America’s medical schools increase enrollments by 30 percent. Physician shortages are anticipated throughout North Carolina, as a function of the national trend, and particularly in the state’s expansive rural areas.

Erskine Bowles, President of the UNC system, said CMC was an attractive potential host because so much of the necessary support structure for M.D. education was already in place. In addition, CHS’s network of regional hospital facilities provides prospective training venues which would expose students to the rewards and opportunities of medical practice in smaller or rural communities.

Dr. William H. Roper, CEO of the UNC Health Care System, echoed these sentiments when he called CMC “a logical choice” for partnership. “There are very few institutions inside or outside North Carolina,” he said, “which can match the level of respect that CMC enjoys for across the board excellence.”

<< Go Back

Continue >>