Geisinger Commonwealth students to participate in leadership summit
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) students Sarah Dwyer and John Piserchio, both members of the MD Class of 2022, were selected to participate in the STARS Leadership Summit in Austin, Texas from Jan. 11 through Jan. 13.
At this summit, the GCSOM students, along with other medical-student leaders, will share ideas and resources related to Choosing Wisely, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Foundation. Choosing Wisely seeks to advance a national dialogue on avoiding unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures. They will also learn about creating local and regional change in the areas of medical waste and overuse and drive change at their medical schools to improve the value of patient care.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about value-based care and to help faculty to promote it in the GCSOM curriculum,” said Steven J. Scheinman, MD, GCSOM president and dean. “Being chosen for the leadership summit in Austin is an honor and places our school and our students at the forefront of leading the change to value-based care. We couldn’t be more proud of Sarah and John.”’
Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin launched the U.S. STARS (Students and Trainees Advocating for Resource Stewardship) program in 2017 with the goal of creating better health outcomes for patients at lower costs. ABIM Foundation and the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation support the initiative, which selects and gathers student leaders from across the country to coach them on the tenets of value-based care and to review medical society Choosing Wisely recommendations.
Following the summit, the selected students will work with a GCSOM faculty mentor and the Choosing Wisely STARS learning community to advance healthcare value topics in medical education.
The mission of Choosing Wisely is to promote conversations between clinicians and patients by helping patients choose care that is:
- Supported by evidence
- Not duplicative of other tests or procedures already received
- Free from harm
- Truly necessary
About Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine (GCSOM) is a member of the Geisinger family. GCSOM offers a community-based model of medical education with campuses in Danville, Lewistown, Scranton, Sayre and Wilkes-Barre. Geisinger Commonwealth offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a portfolio of graduate degrees. The school’s innovative curriculum, focused on caring for people in the context of their lives and their community, attracts the next generation of physicians and scientists from within its region, as well as from across the state and the nation. Geisinger Commonwealth is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities. Visit www.geisinger.edu/gcsom.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the nonprofit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 126 care sites — including 10 hospital campuses — and Geisinger Health Plan, with more than half a million members in commercial and government plans. Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,700 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $15 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or follow on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
Elizabeth Zygmunt
Director, Media and Public Relations
Office: 570-504-9687
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