Fact sheet on Georgia's teaching hospitals: training physicians and providing healthcare to Georgians [Jan. 2007]

Georgia Board for Physician Workforce Fact Sheet on Georgia's Teaching Hospitals: Training Physicians and Providing Healthcare to Georgians
January 2007

Floyd Medical Center
Grady Memorial Hospital

Georgia's Medical Schools and Community Based Teaching Hospitals
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (GA Campus)

Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta Medical Center
The Medical Center, Inc.
Medical Center of Central Georgia
Mercer University School of Medicine

Emory University School of Medicine2
Medical College of Georgia
University Hospital
Memorial Health
University Medical Center

Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital

Satilla Regional Medical Center

Graduate Medical Education Overview Graduate medical education, or residency training, typically occurs at a teaching hospital and prepares a physician to practice a specific specialty. Residency training takes a minimum of three years to complete and follows graduation from medical school. Research has shown that graduates tend to establish practice within a 50-mile radius of where they completed residency training.
In terms of structure, most residency programs are sponsored by teaching hospitals; however, other health care institutions such as a medical school may also sponsor programs. Teaching hospitals in Georgia range from hospitals with a single residency program to large academic medical centers sponsoring more than 50 residency programs.

Community Based Teaching Hospitals
Georgia Medical Schools
Why is it important to sustain Georgia's teaching hospitals and graduate medical education programs?
Teaching hospitals and resident physicians are an integral part of Georgia's healthcare system. Approximately 2,000 resident physicians actively care for patients throughout their residency training. In addition, teaching hospitals contribute the following:
train physicians for Georgia; provide specialized healthcare services; care for a disproportionate share of Georgia's uninsured, under-insured, Medicaid, and
Medicare populations; and, serve as trauma centers (the majority of Georgia's teaching hospitals are designated trauma
centers).
Graduate Medical Education Funding Sources
The largest source of funding for graduate medical education is the federal government, which provides funding to pay for Medicare and Medicaid's share of medical education costs. Teaching hospitals have seen steady declines in federal reimbursement for medical education as a result of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. Other major sources of funding include: state government, teaching hospitals, medical schools, research and education grants, and fees generated by teaching physicians who see patients. The GBPW's FY 2007 budget for graduate medical education totals $6,712,221 in state funds.
Georgia's Graduate Medical Education Training Capacity The number of accredited residency positions in Georgia has increased by 14% over the last 6
years (from 1,776 approved positions in 2000-2001 to 2,025 approved positions in 2006-2007).

Number of Current Residency Positions and Number of Recent Graduates By Teaching Institution

Teaching Institution

Total Number of Total Number of

Total

Approved Residency Positions(1)

Filled Positions(2)

Graduates in 2005*

2006-2007

2006-2007

Emory (3)

Academic Year

Academic Year

1072

1023

284

Medical College of Georgia

429

Morehouse School of Medicine(4)

137

403

128

135

35

Memorial Health Univ. Medical Center

118

107

25

Medical Center of Central Georgia

92

92

25

Atlanta Medical Center

92

89

26

The Medical Center, Inc.

40

37

11

Floyd Medical Center

21

21

7

Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital

19

17

7

Satilla Regional Medical Center

6

4

2

Total

2026

1928

550

Source: Figures were supplied by the individual teaching institutions.

* Figures do not include off-cycle graduates.
(1) The number of approved positions reflects nationally accredited slots. This number oftentimes varies from the number of filled positions

because residency programs may not fill all their positions, graduates may finish off-cycle, or the sponsoring institution may not currently be offering a particular (fellowship) program. (2) The number of filled positions at any given time may change throughout the year. (3) Approximately 80% of Emory's resident physicians rotate through Grady during their training. (4) Of the 137 residency positions at Morehouse, all but 8 rotate through Grady during their training. The 8 residents who do not rotate

through Grady are from the Public Health Program.

A significant percentage of graduates from Georgia's residency programs are staying in the state to practice. For example, the 5 year retention rate for graduates of Georgia's Residency Programs is 62%. (This figure includes MCG's Family Medicine Program, but excludes the other GME programs sponsored by MCG,
which receive funding through the Board of Regents.)

What value does Grady Memorial Hospital provide to the state?

Grady is Georgia's largest teaching hospital and is staffed exclusively by doctors from Emory University School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine.
Approximately 54% of all resident physicians in the state complete a portion of their training at Grady.
According to Grady's website, 25% of all physicians practicing medicine in Georgia received some or all of their training at Grady. This statistic demonstrates that Grady trains physicians which
serve the entire state not just the metro Atlanta area.

Georgia's Resident Physicians and Medical Students Number and Percent Rotating Through Grady
Emory Morehouse Total

Number of residents trained annually at Grady (regardless of the rotation length)1

909

127

1036

Percentage of Statewide Total
54%

Total number of medical students trained

annually at Grady2

450

200

650

Sources: (1) GBPW Residency Capitation Reports and Calculations; (2) Data from Grady

36%

For more information, please contact the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce at (404) 206-5420 or 1718 Peachtree St, NW, Suite 683, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.