The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth Office of Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) is committed to providing high-quality continuing education opportunities for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. PACE registers more than 18,000 healthcare professionals at more than 600 activities in 43 states each year.

PACE is nationally accredited by the Accreditation Council on Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) -- one of a handful of providers in the country to hold the distinction of maintaining dual accreditation. During its last accreditation cycle, PACE received Accreditation with Commendation from the ACCME for its exemplary procedures and processes and full accreditation from the AOA. PACE also maintains providership status by the Texas Nurses Association, National Commission for Health Educator Credentialing, Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners and has formed strategic alliances to educate pharmacists and other members of a healthcare team.

PACE conducts all types of activities, including online, journal, CD-ROM, DVD, live and nontraditional/experimental.

Content Areas
The Office of Professional and Continuing Education focuses its content around the five areas of strength identified by the health science center, including aging and Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, health disparities, physical medicine and women’s health. In addition, content specific to improving the ability of faculty to teach medical students is developed, as well as activities for which a bona fide need is identified.

Target Audience
As a national leader in primary care, most lifelong learning opportunities sponsored by the University of North Texas Health Science Center seek to improve the competence or performance of primary care clinicians on a local, regional, statewide or national scope. Since content is developed using a rigorous analysis of needs and practice gaps, other specialists and healthcare professionals may also be targeted learners.

Type of Activities
The Office of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of North Texas Health Science Center engages in the following activities to further its mission:

• Identification of clinician needs, practice gaps and barriers to improvement
• Development of lifelong learning opportunities and assessment of impact on competence, performance or patient health. Each of its activities is based on sound, peer-reviewed educational design theory and practice for adult learners, such as live meetings, printed and electronic enduring material, online activities, performance improvement activities and others.
• A multidisciplinary approach to educational design
• Develop logical strategic alliances to enhance and complement existing and future efforts
• Develop non-educational tools and strategies to improve clinical care or practice
• Maintain focus on competencies when designing learning experiences for physicians and other healthcare professionals

Expected Results
The Office of Professional and Continuing Education at the University of North Texas Health Science Center expects its CME program to improve clinician competence, practice performance and patient health. It continuously assesses its individual and overall efforts in order to measure improvement and identify opportunities for learning experiences.

Recent Accomplishments

• PACE received full accreditation by the AOA with a perfect score.
• PACE achieved exemplary status, receiving Accreditation with Commendation from the ACCME, placing it in the top five percent of all CME providers in the U.S.
• PACE is the winner of the ACME's Most Outstanding Industry-Supported Certified CME activity (2005).
• PACE is the winner of the Health & Science Communications Association (HeSCA) bronze medal in the CME category at its 2005 international conference in Seattle.
• PACE was awarded a grant by the Aetna Foundation to educate providers on multicultural aspects of end-of-life care.
• PACE staff members hold leadership positions in state and national CME professional organizations.
• 2012 Alliance Award Recipient from the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions