CME Planning Process for NEW activities:

The Office of CME team works with faculty, staff, and external educational partners to plan, execute, and evaluate a wide array of robust educational offerings. We offer services for the following categories of CME activities:

  • Live Activities accredited, planned, and managed by the Office of CME
    • In-person
    • Virtual
    • Hybrid
  • Live Activities accredited by the Office of CME (event planning is not included)
  • Regularly Scheduled Series (RSS)
  • Enduring Materials

Fees and planning timeline varies for each category. File CME Activity Planning and Accreditation Fees.docx

Please contact us at cme@inova.org for more details.

CME planning process for NEW activities is comprised of five phases:

1. Pre-Application

The Program Director and/or support staff from host department submits a pre-application to provide a high-level overview of the proposed activity. The Office of CME evaluates new activity proposals to make sure that they are consistent with the office’s mission, goals, and objectives. This preliminary evaluation also includes an assessment of whether the team is likely to have the expertise and resources necessary to successfully carry out the proposed activity. You can expect to receive a notification within 7-10 business days. Full application is required after a pre-application is approved. All full applications require approval from the applicant's department chair.

Access Pre-Application Here

2.  Consultation (for Live Conferences only)

This phase is for live conferences only. Our experienced event planners meet with the Program Directors and relevant staff to discuss their goals and vision for the event as well as to provide a detailed overview of roles and responsibilities. 

3. Full Application

Full application is the primary vehicle used to direct and organize the planning process so that all important program planning elements are addressed and ACCME/MSV requirements are met. The Office of CME uses a comprehensive web-based full application for CME approval. Essential components of the full application are:

  • Gaps analysis (At least two evidence-based resources are required to identify gaps and needs for the proposed intervention)
  • Target audience
  • Learning Objectives and planned impact of the activity
  • Desirable physician attributes/Core competencies
  • Barriers to implementation
  • Disclosures and COI (Planner disclosures are required with the pre-application. Faculty disclosures are required at least one week prior to the event.)
  • Supporting documents (Agenda, list of suggested speakers, etc.)
  • Projected Budget (For Conferences)
  • Marketing collaterals (For Conferences)
  • LOA for commercial support (if applicable)

All Full Applications require approval from the applicant's department chair.

Access Full Application Here

4. Approval

Full applications are diligently reviewed to ensure completion and compliance with ACCME accreditation criteria as well as Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. Once deemed complete, robust, and compliant, applications are approved by the Director of CME and Department Chair.

*If applicable, the rush fee for applications will be charged upon approval.

5. Delivery and Evaluation

The Office of CME team works closely with program directors to determine the best delivery options. All CME activities are evaluated at least once in a calendar year.