Revolutionizing Family Medicine Education: Cahaba+UAB Residency Program Joins Prestigious AIRE Pilot Project
Cahaba Medical Care, the Institutional Sponsor of the Cahaba+UAB Family Medicine Residency, a program in Jefferson, Bibb, Perry, and Wilcox Counties that hosts 60 residents per year, has been invited to be a part of the AIRE (Advancing Innovation in Residency Education) pilot project. The project is a collaboration between the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Cahaba’s newly accredited innovation incorporates an optional but integrated fourth year of training designed to enable residents to gain advanced clinical skills while focusing on mastering their chosen Area of Concentration. Fourth-year residents (or, Fellows) who choose to participate in the program will have at least one Area of Concentration integrated into their residency program beginning in their 2nd year of residency leading to a greater level of mastery upon completion of the program. This mastery level of achievement will significantly improve patient outcomes in the underserved communities where our graduates will practice. Cahaba+UAB Family Medicine Residency is the first and only AIRE program participant in the state of Alabama.
"From the inception of our Residency Program, we, like many Family Medicine Residencies, have offered a Fellowship year. We are gratified to be a part of this innovation, assimilating Fellowship content over 4 years of post-graduate medical education, rather than just a hermetically sealed final year of Fellowship," said Dr. John B. Waits, CEO of Cahaba Medical Care, and DIO / Program Director of the Cahaba+UAB FMR. “Being a part of this innovation cohort will enable our program – and consequently our residents and fellows – to be able to more effectively move from competency to mastery, preparing them to provide exceptional care to patients and make a positive impact in our community."
The Cahaba+UAB Family Medicine Residency is dedicated to training the next generation of family medicine physicians. Through a combination of didactic learning, hands-on clinical experiences, and mentorship, residents develop the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care. The program emphasizes the importance of continuity of care, community engagement, and evidence-based practice.
Since 2014, Cahaba Medical Care and UAB have forged a distinctive partnership, leveraging the strengths of both entities to produce outstanding family medicine physicians dedicated to serving underserved areas across the state. This new innovation will only further expand the impact these physicians make as they graduate with further experience and mastery in much-needed areas such as obstetrics, behavioral health, emergency medicine, and others.
Cahaba Medical Care is grateful to both the ABFM and ACGME for their support and recognition of the program's commitment to excellence in family medicine education. This will have a lasting impact on the future of healthcare in our community.