A MEDICAL-SCHOOL - BASED GME CONSORTIUM IN MILWAUKEE

Consortia have been recommended as a local mechanism for allocating ho usestaff positions and overseeing graduate medical education (GME) tra ining programs. They also could serve to simplify the execution of a n ational health care policy in the future. Such a consortium has existe d in Milwaukee for the last 16 years. It involves 23 health care insti tutions affiliated with the Medical College of Wisconsin. Known as the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, inc, (MCWAH), this consortium employs 749, housestaff, for whom it provides salary and b enefits, It also ensures accreditation of all of its residency and fel lowship programs and assists in providing direction and coordination f or the member institutions, The authors describe the genesis and opera tion of the MCWAH in detail. The accomplishments of existing consortia , in Milwaukee and elsewhere, indicate that a GME consortium should en able its members to function effectively and efficiently in meeting th e challenging GME training requirements of the future.