The AIM Program respects the diversity and cultural heterogeneity of member institutions around the world. AIM is not a “one size fits all” program.
The AIM Program is a voluntary opportunity for organizations to:
- Set and meet strategic goals.
- Measure organizational alignment.
- Benchmark success in achieving Steps 1 and 2 above.
The yearlong program is designed to support continuous activity in organizational development and alignment. Options are available for those institutions that wish to continue engagement upon completion of the one-year program, including virtual options through AIM CONNECT.
How the Program Works
Each participating institution commits to implementing a self-defined plan for improved organizational performance, with the goal of achieving an optimally aligned academic health center among its missions of education, research, and patient care.
The program consists of three phases:
- Phase I: Program tool for internal assessment and goal setting.
- Phase II: Peer consultant review period.
- Phase III: Peer consultant recommendations and strategic improvement planning period.
Core Components
The AIM Program focuses on the core components of academic health center organizational performance:
Upon completion of the AIM Program, the academic health center demonstrates mission alignment, such that education, research, and patient care inform one another and make each other more effective. The institution will provide evidence of alignment — including organizational structure and leadership authority, informed and socially responsive governance, and defined strategic plans for enhancing this alignment.
The program works with an academic health center to determine its contribution to the health and well-being of its patients, students, faculty, and alumni, and create a road map for improving performance. Performance indicators will measure patient safety, outcomes in chronic diseases, mental health, maternal child health, senior health, the academic missions of research and innovation, health professions education and training.
The program focuses attention on the social determinants of health. The academic health center should determine its contribution to the community it serves locally, regionally, and globally. The institution should strive to demonstrate how the social determinants of health are acknowledged and aligned into its education, research, and patient care programs and influenced by its practice. Tangible factors include population health management and outcomes, as well as economic and societal impact.
Commitment to interprofessional education and practice is another focus of the AIM Program. Evaluation will determine the degree to which there is commitment to interprofessional education and practice, ranging from combined curricular implementation to alignment among the various health professions education programs, as well as the extent to which health care delivery is impacted by interprofessional teams.
AIM Program participants are committed to sharing new knowledge and best practices between its mission areas and with other academic health centers. During the program, a management plan for sharing information is developed and records of such practices kept.
AIM Program Costs
AIM Program participants pay:
- Program Fee - $8,000 USD (institutions residing in low- or middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank are eligible for a discounted program fee).
- Consultant Fees - $4,000 USD per consultant, plus travel expenses. (Travel expenses are inclusive of all transportation, airfare, hotel, and food. Consultants work in teams comprised of regionally and internationally based experts. Please note travel expenses vary due to the wide range of institution and consultant locations.)
Interested in Participating?
AAHCI is currently accepting applications for the AIM Program. If you are interested in participating in the program or have questions, please email aahci@aamc.org.
Contact us for more information.