Wake Area Health Education Center is accredited by the North Carolina Medical Society to provide continuing medical education for physicians. As a CME provider, we are obligated to closely adhere to all Accreditation
Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) standards, including the ACCME Standards for Commercial
Support (SCS) . CME activities are designated as Direct or Joint Sponsored events.
A Direct Sponsor is any program sponsored by Wake AHEC / WakeMed Health and Hospitals CME activity.
A Joint Sponsor is a non-ACCME accredited organization that partners with an ACCME accredited organization to plan and present a CME activity.
Non-profits, not-for profits and for-profits may enter into a joint sponsorship with Wake AHEC to plan and present a CME activity. A for-profit organization (for example, a private practice) can enter into a joint sponsored relationship if the educational activity is provided solely for the health care providers within their organization. If the target audience includes participants from outside their organization, an AHEC faculty member must serve on the planning committee to ensure fair balance. Standards for Commercial
Support (SCS 1.1). Therefore, a for-profit organization must contact Wake AHEC early in the planning process to allow for potential involvement of the AHEC staff.
All potential joint sponsored relationships will be examined on their individual merits. All CME/CE activities jointly sponsored with Wake AHEC must meet the mission of Wake AHEC and serve an educational need as verified through a needs assessment. Wake AHEC may decline entering into a joint sponsored agreement for reasons, such as, staffing and scheduling difficulties, competition with other AHEC educational programs or target audiences, or educational activities that pose a financial risk.
A member of the CME team must be involved in the initial planning for the activity and serve as a member of the planning committee.
Upon completion of CME planning, a CME Application must be submitted. If you are seeking credit for a one-time or annual conference or symposium, you must complete the CME (one-time) application. This must be received by Wake AHEC at least six (6-8) months prior to the date of the proposed activity. If you are seeking credit for a
Regular Scheduled Series (RSS) you must complete the CME RSS Application (formally called grand rounds).
This application must be received and at least four (4) months prior to the date of the proposed activity. A completed application includes the following:
1. CME Application Form a. Logistical Information: Date, Time, Location, Contact Person

b. Desired Credit and Target Audience c. Commercial Support Section d. Planning Members with completed Disclosures and Resolution of Conflict Forms e. Needs Assessment and Educational Design along with copies of supporting documentation
(data, articles, etc.) f. Potential barriers and strategies to remove barriers g. Purpose, Course Description and Objectives h. Complete Program Agenda including all session times and breaks (if applicable) i. Completed Outcomes Worksheet j. Supporting Speaker Documentation with completed CVs, Disclosures and Resolution of
Conflict Forms k. Full documentation of all program budget revenues and anticipated expenditures (including honorarium amounts) l. List of Exhibitors, both confirmed and anticipated (if applicable) m. Final draft of the brochure (see note about brochure that follows) n. Program Evaluation Section o. Collaboration with Internal and External Stakeholders (if applicable)
2. CME Submission Process a. (1) Original and one (1) copy of the application packet must be submitted to Wake AHEC in a
3 ring binder along with the application checklist. Also submit an electronic copy of the completed application b. The Medical Education Review committee meets the third Friday of each month . All applications must be submitted to the CME office no later than the first Monday of the month that you are seeking review .
If your application is received after this date you will be notified and your course will be reviewed the following month.

Annual Application Fee: $750.00 (one-time activity and RSS)

Credit Fee: $15.00 per person, minimum $150.00

Specialty Credit Fees: (e.g. AAFP, ACOG, ACEP, ASRT) at cost

Regular Scheduled Series (RSS): $60.00 per hour

Marketing Materials / Brochure Review Fee (to assure compliance with standards) $250.00
AHEC offers a menu of conference management services. Discuss these additional services and costs with your
CME representative.
The role and responsibilities of the each course director is discussed in a planning meeting with a CME representative. A signed letter of agreement (LOA) is required for each course director. Likewise a joint sponsor
LOA (when applicable) is signed by the joint sponsoring agency. This LOA clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of the joint sponsor and Wake AHEC. Wake AHEC has the right to withdraw from any activity that fails to meet its obligations as described in the LOA or fails to comply with Wake AHEC and the ACCME policies and procedures.
A draft of the program brochure must be submitted as part of the CME application packet. Wake AHEC must review and approve all materials associated with the activity prior to their release. No marketing materials may be posted or distributed until the program is approved, including organization and/or professional websites. Once these materials have been reviewed and approved by Wake AHEC, no further changes may be made.
2

A joint sponsor may not solicit or receive funds on behalf of Wake AHEC. (SCS 3.4). All paperwork, including grant applications, must be submitted by Wake AHEC as the accredited provider. Wake AHEC generally will not review or accept any programs that are solely funded by grants from commercial interests. The CME staff will work with sponsors to derive registration fees or to recommend options for support from non-commercial entities.
The sponsor must submit a projected full budget for each CME/CE activity to Wake AHEC for review and approval. Wake AHEC will review the projected budget to ensure that adequate resources have been devoted to the development of an activity consistent with meeting the activity’s objectives. Wake AHEC may decline a joint sponsorship arrangement for an activity if resources are inadequate.
Honoraria amounts will be negotiated by the Direct / Joint Sponsor and approved by Wake AHEC. As the accredited CME provider, Wake AHEC will approve honoraria for speakers as follows: a. Local or In-state speakers up to $2,000/hour of presentation b. National or out-of-state up to $2,500/hour of presentation
Course directors may submit justification in writing for honoraria that exceeds these amounts. Wake AHEC will review the documentation and approve or disapprove the amount to be paid.
Course directors and planning committee members are not paid honoraria for reviewing content, time spent on planning the educational activity, moderating sessions or facilitating panel discussions (SCS 3.7, 3.8, 3.9).
Course directors may only receive honoraria if they present at the activity. The rate should not exceed the local designated honorarium rate of $2,000/hour.
Speakers, course directors or planning committees members involved in a CME/CE activity may not receive payment directly from a commercial interest for honoraria, travel, or out-of-pocket expenses.
Commercial Support is defined as any financial or in-kind contributions given by a commercial interest to pay all or part of the costs for a CME/CE activity.)
Commercial Interest is defined as any proprietary entity producing health care goods or services, with the exemption of non-profit or government agencies and non-health care related companies.
A commercial interest cannot take the role of a non-accredited partner in a joint-sponsorship. Commercial interests cannot be involved in planning, faculty selection, marketing or reviewing of the planned CME/CE activity
(SCS 1.2). This includes providing meals for planning meetings.
The source of all support from commercial interests must be disclosed to learners prior to the activity. When commercial support is ‘in-kind’ (e.g., provision of equipment) the nature of the support must be disclosed. In order for commercial support acknowledgement to be made, the letter of agreement must be signed by both the commercial supporter representative and Wake AHEC prior to the activity.
Arrangements for commercial exhibits or advertisements cannot influence planning or interfere with the presentation (SCS 4.1). A commercial interest can exhibit regardless of providing an educational grant.

Exhibit fees shall be separate and distinct from educational grants (they are not considered commercial support). Exhibit fees are used to support the educational activity. Any unused funds can remain with the joint sponsor or with Wake AHEC (based on the LOA). Exhibit fees can be accepted by the joint sponsor.
Exhibitors must complete and sign the Wake AHEC Exhibitor Reservation Form and the Exhibitor Letter of Agreement. A full accounting of all exhibit money must be reported to Wake AHEC.

Exhibit amounts will be negotiated by the Joint Sponsor and approved by Wake AHEC. Exhibit fees shall be standard for that activity and may not exceed $3,000. Exhibitors shall have equal access to
3

purchasing exhibit space (first come-first serve). Any exhibit amount above the listed $3,000 must be approved by Wake AHEC.

All exhibitors must be in a room or area separate from the educational activity and the exhibits must not interfere, compete, or influence in any way the learning experience prior to, during, or immediately after the CME/CE activity.

Commercial interest representatives may attend CME/CE activities at the discretion of Wake AHEC for the direct purpose of the representatives’ own education; however, they may not engage in sales or marketing activities while in the space or place of the educational activity. Any commercial interest representative interested in receiving CE credit for the educational activity must pay the appropriate registration fee.

Commercial interest representatives may not be the sole distributors of CME/CE activity brochures.
4