After making structural changes in December, the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix has received "provisional" accreditation status from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, according to AZcentral.com.
In June, the LCME rejected the school's attempt to advance to the mid-tier "provisional" level of accreditation. But after a review this week, the LCME granted the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix "provisional" accreditation.
Here are four things to know about the medical school and its accreditation process.
1. Last year, Phoenix-based Banner Health acquired Tucson-based University of Arizona Health Network. Through this acquisition, Banner affiliated with the UA College of Medicine. The acquisition also formed an academic management council with three members from Banner and three members from the university.
2. In June, the LCME cited four areas of non-compliance, two of which had to do with the school's relationship with Banner. One of these areas of non-compliance had to do with the fact that the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix didn't have representatives on the council.
3. The UA College of Medicine-Phoenix made multiple changes to appease the LCME. The school's dean, Stuart Flynn, MD, was added to the academic council. It altered its contract with Banner Health to ensure medical school deans have authority over clinical training appointments for third-year and fourth-year medical students. In addition, the school provided the LCME with information to address its concerns about department chair vacancies and student admissions.
4. The school is hoping for full accreditation by 2017. Upon its initial opening in 2007, the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix was a branch campus of Tucson-based UA College of Medicine. In 2012, it was able to accept students after it gained "preliminary" accreditation status from the LCME.