Association of Chiefs of General Internal Medicine

The Site Visit Program
The mission of ACGIM is to promote academic General Internal Medicine, assist Division Chiefs to become leaders and help them articulate the value of GIM. Divisions of General Internal Medicine typically have major educational and clinical roles in Departments of Internal Medicine, and some have substantial research programs.

The site visit program provides the opportunity for a GIM Division and Department to have an objective assessment of its general internal medicine activities and suggest ways the Division and its faculty might improve on what they do and contribute more effectively to the institution’s missions.

Aims of Completed ACGIM External Reviews

• Integrating hospitalist programs into academic divisions.
• Growing research programs and scholarship in GIM.
• Evaluating and selecting a new GIM division chief.
• Assistance in strategic planning process.
• Starting a new division of general internal medicine.

The Site Visit Team
Typically, 2-3 members of ACGIM/SGIM compose the site visit team. The hosting institution articulates the purpose for the visit and can suggest Division Chiefs or senior SGIM faculty they would like to evaluate their program.

The Visit
The visit lasts for two days during which time the site visit team meets with the Chair, the Division Chief, GIM and Department faculty along with key physicians and administrators in the institution. The agenda for the visit is set by the person requesting the site visit, usually the chair of medicine or the division chief.

The Report
At the completion of the visit the site visit team meets with the individuals who requested the evaluation and provides a verbal summary of the visit. A confidential report of the findings and suggestions for improvement are delivered to the Division Chief and Chair within two weeks.

The Costs
The cost varies depending on several factors including the pre-visit preparatory work, the length of the visit and number of visitors. Costs include travel expenses, honoraria for the site visitors and administrative fees for SGIM/ACGIM. A detailed cost proposal is drawn up after phone consultation.

Who to Contact
The site visit program is housed in the administrative offices of the Association of Chiefs of General Internal Medicine and Society of General Internal Medicine. Site visits can be arranged by contacting Kay Ovington, Director of Membership and Operations for SGIM/ACGIM at ovingtonk@sgim.org or (800) 822-3060