CMU Medical Education Partners

Improving Health Through Medical Education and Training

Graduate Medical Education in Saginaw

The Saginaw, Michigan medical community has been committed to enriching graduate medical education (GME) and research in the Great Lakes Bay Region for more than 70 years. Today, CMU Medical Education Partners and its three corporate members – Central Michigan University and teaching hospitals, Ascension St. Mary’s and Covenant HealthCare – uphold a long-lived tradition of serving patients and learners in the region as a premier academic medical center. After engaging in GME for several years, in 1968, the three hospitals operating in the city of Saginaw partnered to create Saginaw Cooperative Hospitals, Inc. In 2011, the two remaining hospitals – St. Mary’s and Covenant HealthCare – added CMU as the third corporate member, forming CMU Medical Education Partners (Partners).

First established in 1968 as Saginaw Cooperative Hospitals, Inc., the entity was a partnership between the three hospitals operating in the city of Saginaw at that time. In 2011, the organizations collaborated with CMU, Ascension St. Mary’s and Covenant HealthCare to become CMU Medical Education Partners.

A 25-year affiliation agreement signed by CMU, Ascension St. Mary’s and Covenant HealthCare in 2020 provides a vision for comprehensive educational programs that will enhance medical services and public health initiatives, while providing a pipeline of physicians for the region for years to come.

Training Excellent Physicians for Michigan

Through collaborative efforts with the CMU College of Medicine, Partners is responsible for eight residencies and two fellowships, which are home to almost 150 learners. Our residency programs are accredited through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, with Podiatric Medicine and Surgery accredited by the Council on Podiatric Medical Education. The CMU College of Medicine, which is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, was established in 2009 to prepare diverse and culturally competent physicians, focused on improving access to high-quality healthcare in Michigan, with an emphasis on medically underserved populations.

A team of approximately 70 physician faculty, employed by Partners, teaches residents and medical students at College of Medicine facilities, as well as provides and oversees patient care at CMU Health clinics. Additionally, dozens of community educators employed by regional healthcare systems and in independent practices work with our learners as volunteer CMU faculty members.

Our two primary referral hospitals in Saginaw serve patients from a broad geographic area, including Northern and Mid-Michigan. With fewer learners in the system, numerous dedicated faculty members and a large patient population – Partners residents gain extensive real-world, hands-on experience.

Other Educational Offerings

CMU also offers state-of-the-art medical simulation training for students, faculty, residents and the greater medical community. The College’s institute for medical simulation is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare. Continuing Medical Education is available for physicians, nurses and advanced care practitioners. CMU’s continuing medical education is accredited with commendation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education.

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