Athens Reporter

Northeast Georgia Medical Center issued the following announcement on Sept. 24. 

Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) is taking the next step in its journey to empower the physician leaders of tomorrow, now that it received initial accreditation for Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship and Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship programs by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

With the launch of the state’s most forward-thinking heart and vascular program earlier this month, Georgia Heart Institute, the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship will complement the commitment of Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) to provide exceptional heart health for generations. The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program highlights the rising awareness and demand for clinical palliative care resources, and the need for more specialty trained physicians to deliver this important care for both patients and families.

“We anticipate the pool of applicants will be very competitive for both of these important fellowships,” said John E. Delzell, Jr., MD, MSPH, FAAFP vice president of Medical Education for Northeast Georgia Health System and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC. “Our elite faculty is committed to provide an intellectually stimulating environment for clinical learning that includes experiences beyond the clinic, such as research, education and outreach.”

To become a board-certified cardiologist, doctors must complete a residency program in internal medicine before beginning a cardiology fellowship. The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program is a three-year program that anticipates interviewing approximately 60-70 fellowship candidates this fall to fill six fellowship slots. After participating in the Match in December 2021, NGMC is excited to welcome the inaugural class of fellows on July 1, 2022.

“The fellows will work side-by-side with physicians of distinction at the Georgia Heart Institute and ask clinically impactful questions, which adds to the cutting-edge care for our patients,” said Dr. Egolum, program director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program. “As a recognized cardiac center of excellence, we will leverage our exceptional accomplishments in clinical care, research, innovation and education to train the future leaders of cardiovascular care for our region and beyond.”

The extensive accreditation process for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program was led by Ugochukwu Egolum, MD, FACC, program director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program; Santhi Adigopula, MD, FACC, FASE, FSCMR, associate program director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program; James Kruer, MD, FACP, program director, Internal Medicine residency program; Angela Lewis, MPH, MEd, program coordinator for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship program; John E. Delzell, Jr., MD; and Donna Brown, MS Ed, C-TAGME, director of Graduate Medical Education at NGMC.

The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program anticipates interviewing candidates fall 2022 and will train two fellows for one year. Fellows will begin working with patients on July 1, 2023.

 “The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship will equip physicians to alleviate suffering and empower patients with serious illness to explore their own goals of care,” said Meredith Pickett, DO, program director of the Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program. “This is an extraordinary opportunity to sharpen our own skills, mentor physician learners, and increase the impact of palliative medicine in our health system and our community.”

The Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship accreditation process was led by Meredith Pickett, DO, program director, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program; Zameer Gill, MD, associate program director Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program; Nadia Tinoco, program coordinator, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship program; John E. Delzell, Jr., MD, MSPH, FAAFP, vice president of Medical Education for Northeast Georgia Health System and Designated Institutional Official for NGMC; and Donna Brown, MS Ed, C-TAGME, director of Graduate Medical Education (GME) at NGMC.

For more information about NGMC’s Graduate Medical Education program, please visit ngmcgme.org.

Original source can be found here.