CYPRESS, CA -- Linda Michels, Executive Director of AAGL, is pleased to announce that AAGL, based in Cypress, CA, has received its accreditation with commendation as a provider of continuing medical education by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). ACCME accreditation with commendation, or Level 3 as it is called, means that AAGL has received a six year accreditation (the maximum possible) and is among the top 15% of providers of continuing medical education in the United States, which places them in the top tier of all CME providers including some of the nation's most prestigious medical schools. ACCME-accredited providers certify educational activities for category 1 credit of the American Medical Association's Physician's Recognition Award ("AMA/PRA"). The AMA/PRA is utilized by state licensing boards and boards of medical specialties to re-license physicians and re-certify them in their areas of specialty.
According to national continuing medical education advisor, Steve Passin, President of Steve Passin & Associates, "AAGL's entry into the vaulted ranks of Level 3 accredited organizations in the United States places them among those medical educators in the country that have demonstrated the highest levels of educational acumen based on quality and patient safety parameters consistent with identified needs of the physician."
ACCME accreditation seeks to assure both physicians and the public that continuing medical education activities sponsored by AAGL meet the high standards of the Essentials Areas and Criteria for Accreditation of the ACCME. The ACCME rigorously evaluates the overall continuing medical education programs of institutions according to standards adopted by all seven sponsoring organizations of the ACCME: the American Board of Medical Specialties, the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, the Association for Hospital Medical Education, the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, and the Federation of State Medical Boards. AAGL is pleased to be part of a group of organizations in the United States, including major medical schools, other national medical associations, hospitals and other medical education organizations that have been awarded this special accreditation status.
In announcing this achievement to the AAGL Board and staff, Ms. Michels said "This acknowledgement of AAGL's performance-in-practice demonstrates the meaning of our association's motto, 'to improve the quality of healthcare services for women everywhere." AAGL's educational initiatives pass a rigorous peer review process under the aegis of AAGL's Executive Vice President and Medical Director, Franklin D. Loffer, M.D, who heads the clinical and scientific education process at AAGL. CME activities are developed with complete independence and are based on the best medical and scientific evidence as determined by distinguished scientific planning committees associated with each of AAGL's major educational initiatives.
Art Arellano, Professional Education Manager, stated that the association's strong relationship with the world's leading authorities on minimally invasive gynecologic surgery fosters an educational program that sets the standards for quality in this field. He went on to say that "the AAGL CME program offers valuable and practical hands-on experiences that now define the professional practice of minimally invasive gynecologic surgery."
AAGL's exemplary educational products and services serve women by advancing the safest and most efficacious diagnostic and therapeutic techniques that afford less invasive treatments for gynecologic conditions through the integration of clinical practice, research, innovation, and dialogue. For more information about the AAGL and its award-winning CME program, please contact Linda Michels, Executive Director, at 714-503-6200.