The Foundation for Care Management ( FCM ) is a recognized leader in local, national, and international continuing medical education for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. F ounded in 1995, FCM is a non-profit 501c3 tax-exempt organization whose role is to fill the education and practice gaps of primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses, and pharmacists) to enhance their general competencies and desired attributes: patient care, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, systems-based practice, and medical knowledge. FCM has sixty educational partners – small, rural hospitals, clinics, and physician offices in Alaska , Washington , and Oregon . It is governed and advised by voluntary boards of interdisciplinary primary care providers representing the sixty educational partners and providing the expertise of the major universities of Washington State .

The mission of the Continuing Education Program is to provide quality, evidenced-based, continuing education ( CME , CNE , and CPE ) to primary care providers (physicians, physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and registered nurses), and pharmacists, who want continuing education that is convenient in time and easily accessible, and that will improve their current and future practices as well as delegated functions. FCM both directly sponsors and jointly sponsors activities with organizations that qualify and agree to uphold the standards of FCM , including those of disclosure and conflict of interest resolution.

FCM is accredited by three organizations: Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide physician continuing education; the Colorado Nurses Association, an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center 's Commission on Accreditation for nursing continuing education; and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) for pharmacy continuing education.

TOPICS
Content topics for CE focus on medical practice related to current diagnosis and treatment, referral, risk management, patient education, and other topics that are within the generally accepted range of the basic medical sciences for individual and group medical practices and are evidence-based. Content topics for nursing and pharmacy are those that are within their respective practice areas and will enhance that practice and help them to function within the multidisciplinary team. Content areas as well as educational modalities are derived from documented educational and practice gaps of the primary care provider. The FCM Advisory Board applies multi-disciplinary expertise to recommend course content and presentation methods to the Planning Committee.

TEACHING MODALITIES
Single topic programs (1 to 2 hours), on-site, face-to-face lecture/ discussion;

Conferences (4 to 8 hours) with multiple speakers who address the same specific topic;

Workshops (2 to 3 days) with 5 to10 presentations on relate, yet general topics;

Internet CE and webcasting

Enduring materials such as case studies, video and audiotapes, and computer based instructional programs.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
The professional services we provide include program and course development and delivery , joint sponsorships and co-sponsorships with other healthcare or education organizations, presentation coaching, outcomes research, technical writing, and medical editing.

INTERNET COURSES
FCM provides internet courses utilizing its evidence-based format of interactive voice-over slides. Current courses include COPD, Fibromyalgia, Infant Pre Probiotics, Speaker Guidelines for Effective Presentations, and Disparities in Depression.