Dear Colleagues,

Yesterday we received the formal site visit report from the ACGME on WSU/DMC graduate medical education programs reviewed on Nov. 14, 2006. I am pleased to report that the ACGME has continued full accreditation of our programs for a period of two years.

The ACGME Institutional Review Committee cited six specific concerns requiring improvement or correction; I assure you that Wayne State University and the School of Medicine are committed to working with the Detroit Medical Center to resolve all concerns of the ACGME in a comprehensive and timely manner.

This positive outcome brings many specific questions from many different constituencies and perspectives. To address these issues, we will work with the DMC and Dr. Mark Juzych, our designated institutional official, to develop a comprehensive communications plan that will answer your questions, help you understand our deliverables and our plan to address each citation, and enable you to communicate our commitment and stability to the constituencies with whom you interact, including the students that you hope to recruit for PGY-1 positions. I will provide further information as soon as it is feasible.

For this positive outcome, I thank the School of Medicine faculty, and our students, residents and fellows for their commitment to the continued excellence of medical education at Wayne State University. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the WSU Board of Governors, President Irvin Reid and Provost Nancy Barrett, who stood by us throughout this challenging process --with a clear vision for delivering outstanding GME programs to the citizens of this region. Finally, I thank Drs. Paul Bozyk and Ben Atkinson, whose leadership on behalf of the Residents Council models the integrity and courage that we strive to inspire in the physicians who are trained at Wayne State University.

You can be assured that the School of Medicine remains committed to

• • Continuing our valued educational partnerships;
  • Expanding our presence in the city of Detroit;
  • Educating our students and training our residents and fellows in the best possible teaching environments;
  • Recruiting and retaining outstanding physicians to teach our students and serve our community;
  • Upholding our mission of delivering the highest quality patient care supported by education and research; and
  • Providing compassionate care to the region's uninsured and underinsured.

Sincerely,

Robert M. Mentzer, Jr., MD
Dean, School of Medicine
Senior Advisor to the President for Medical Affairs
Wayne State University