Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
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Spiritual care is increasingly recognized as an important component of medical care. Although many primary care residency programs incorporate spiritual care into their curricula, there are currently no consensus guidelines regarding core competencies necessary for primary care training. In 2006, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine's Interest Group on Spirituality undertook a three-year initiative to address this need. ⋯ Defining core competencies in spiritual care clarifies training goals and provides the basis for robust curricula evaluation. Given the breadth of family medicine, these competencies may be adaptable to other primary care fields, to medical and surgical specialties, and to medical student education. Effective training in this area may enhance physicians' ability to attend to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of patients and better maintain sustainable healing relationships.
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Academic health centers (AHCs) are committed to the tripartite missions of research, education, and patient care. Promotion decisions at many AHCs focus predominantly on research accomplishments, and some members of the community remain concerned about how to reward clinicians who excel in, and spend a majority of their time, caring for patients. Many clinically excellent physicians contribute substantively to all aspects of the mission by collaborating with researchers (either through intellectual discourse or enrolling participants in trials), by serving as role models for trainees with respect to ideal caring and practice, and by attracting patients to the institution. ⋯ Prior to this initiative, little attention was directed toward the "bright spots" of excellence in patient care at Johns Hopkins Bayview. Using a scholarly approach, the authors launched a new academy; this manuscript describes the history, creation, and ongoing activities of the Miller-Coulson Academy of Clinical Excellence at Johns Hopkins University Bayview Medical Center. While membership in the academy is honorific, the members of this working academy are committed to influencing institutional culture as they collaborate on advocacy, scholarship, and educational initiatives.