By Olivia Krauth–
Medical school dean Toni Ganzel will join the Liaison Committee on Medical Education July 1.
LCME is the governing body charged with accrediting medical schools in the US and Canada.
“I’m incredibly honored by this appointment,” Ganzel said. Duties during her three-year term will include participating in site visits, review school and visit reports and make decisions regarding compliance.
The appointment comes two years after LCME placed U of L’s School of Medicine on probation in March 2014. The probation stemmed from an April 2013 LCME visit. Probation by LCME is one step below losing accreditation.
Major issues focused on the physical condition of the preclinical instructional building and the pace of changes in the preclinical curriculum. Issues with the building had been a prior concern in the school’s last inspection in 2006.
“We have all moved forward with positive changes related to the accreditation process and had a very successful limited survey visit in May of 2015,” Ganzel said, adding LCME restored full accreditation in October.
Ganzel began as an assistant professor of otolaryngology in 1983. She began as interim dean in March 2013, becoming dean in June 2013.
“The students and the faculty have been very pleased with the new curriculum, thrilled with the new instructional facilities and library, and the educational leadership team has found the new technology tools that we implemented very valuable in overseeing and tracking the design, organization and outcomes of our educational program,” Ganzel said.
“Having gone through what we did, I believe I bring a unique and valuable perspective to the LCME and I’m very much looking forward to working with dean and educator colleagues on the board.”
