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Update on the IMQ Hospital Accreditation Survey Program

Since the 1970s, the California Medical Association’s Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) has participated in hospital licensure and accreditation surveys in partnership with The Joint Commission (TJC) and the California Department of Public Health under the Consolidated Accreditation and Licensure Survey Program. Although the program is no longer consolidated, hospitals that are surveyed by TJC can choose to have an IMQ physician surveyor replace one TJC surveyor on the team. Since October 2014, approximately 50 percent of the hospitals scheduled for a survey in California have opted to have an ...

Simplification of accreditation requirements adds value for providers of CME

In 2014, the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) streamlined some of the CME accreditation requirements for hospitals and other organizations. Having encouraged these changes, the California Medical Association (CMA) and its Institute of Medical Quality (IMQ) quickly moved to adopt the ACCME revisions. IMQ also simplified the California-specific requirements for cultural and linguistic competency. In addition to the streamlined accreditation requirements, IMQ significantly expanded its outreach efforts to help CME providers understand and comply with the new accreditation criteria and policies. IMQ has also created a CME Provider ...

IMQ offers free online course on identifying and reporting child abuse

The California Medical Association's Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) announced that it will offer free training on ways to recognize and report child abuse and neglect. This interactive online course was produced by the Child Abuse Prevention center in Sacramento and designed for physicians who, because of their training or their practice, may not be familiar with indications of child abuse. Nurses, social workers and other health care professionals can also benefit from the training, particularly because they often have more extensive contact with patients or families. IMQ has received ...

Institute for Medical Quality offers grants for opioid training

In continuing efforts to address the serious issues related to the misuse of prescription opioids, the California Medical Association’s Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) is participating in a second round of funding to make available grants to continuing medical education (CME) providers who conduct Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved opioid training for physicians, pharmacists and other health care providers. On July 9, 2012, the FDA launched a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) for extended-release and long-acting opioid medications. IMQ participates in REMS as part of the Collaborative on REMS ...

Institute for Medical Quality announces correctional medicine facility accreditations

The California Medical Association’s (CMA) Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) has accredited 14 counties’ correctional medicine facilities through its Corrections and Detentions Program. The following counties are currently accredited with IMQ’s Corrections and Detentions Program: Marin County – 1 facility Nevada County – 1 facility Orange County – 3 facilities Placer County – 2 facilities San Diego County – 2 facilities San Mateo County – 1 facility Santa Barbara ...

New CME Certification benefit from IMQ

New! CME Certification subscribers now can view and print their CME transcripts. Click here for the CME Certification Log-In portal. IMQ offers physicians a convenient service to record and verify the AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ required by the Medical Board of California (MBC) for re-licensure. Each physician is responsible for maintaining CME records and must produce the documentation if audited. The Medical Board will accept IMQ verification of CME credits, with no additional documentation, for any physician using the CME Certification service. The CME Certification service is available to ...

IMQ offers two types of peer review to assist medical staffs

The California Medical Association’s Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) now provides two types of peer review services for medical staffs, including a clinical review of individual cases as well as a comprehensive evaluation of a physician’s entire practice. These services are customized for each medical staff, group or clinic, with fees based on the scope of services provided. IMQ peer review services are most helpful when the medical staff’s peer review body, with the consent of the subject physician, has freely sought such services as an aid to its ...

IMQ's Certification Services make tracking CME credits easy

The Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) offers a continuing medical education (CME) certification service to make it easier for physicians to track their CME credits. Subscribers can now view and print their transcripts online. They can submit the required documents as email attachments directly to IMQ and enter their data on a submission form that can be downloaded from the IMQ website. The Medical Board of California requires physicians to participate in a minimum of 50 credits from board-recognized CME providers every two years. Thousands of California physicians rely on ...

Learn CME essentials during February 20 workshop in Oakland

The California Medical Association's Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) is offering a CME Essentials Workshop on February 20, 2015, in Oakland. The one-day workshop is for those interested in the basics of planning continuing medical education (CME) activities. The CME Essentials Workshop is an excellent opportunity to learn what is required to be compliant with accreditation requirements. The workshop is specifically geared toward physicians, coordinators and education professionals who are new to CME or those who are looking for a basic refresher course. Attendees will learn how to apply a ...

CME certification now available online

Users of the CME certification service offered by the California Medical Association's (CMA) Institute for Medical Quality (IMQ) are now able to check the status of CME credits, keep track of their progress and print their transcripts at their convenience from IMQ's online CME certification user portal. Physicians are required to complete 50 CME hours during every two-year licensure period, with reporting deadlines based on the physician's personal license renewal date (the last day of the month of the physician's birthday). IMQ's CME Certification Program documents and verifies physicians' CME activities. ...