Successful implementation of new osteopathic graduate medical education programs in a community hospital: challenges and lessons learned.

Development of new osteopathic graduate medical education (OGME) programs has emerged as a priority for the osteopathic medical profession. As colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs) expand class sizes and branch campuses, and as new COMs are launched, availability of sufficient internship, residency, and fellowship positions for future COM graduates will become a challenge. Because of constraints in graduate medical education reimbursement, growth of existing training programs is limited. For hospitals that did not sponsor internship and residency programs before January 1, 1995, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offers an exception to funding restraints on expansion of training programs. However, successful development and implementation of new OGME programs remains a formidable undertaking. Moreover, because of idiosyncrasies of medical education reimbursement, successful recruitment of COM graduates into new training positions is paramount to ensure program viability. The authors describe lessons learned from the successful implementation of new OGME programs in a community hospital, and they offer recommendations for other hospitals considering such an endeavor.