When Houston-based International Meeting Managers was asked to plan a meeting to respond to an emerging hot topic for its client, the Society for Pediatric Radiology, they were able to do so in record time. The rub was that the attendees couldn't receive CME credit for the meeting because there wasn't enough time to get the program through the CME certification process. But the follow-up meeting will offer CME credit to participants because in November IMM launched Continuing Medical Education Resources, an ACCME-accredited CME provider division. “Sometimes associations have to wait a long time for the certification process to go through committee,” says IMM president Lynne Tiras, “while we can do it fairly quickly.”

IMM President Lynne Tiras started the company 17 years ago. When asked why 2003 seemed like the year to launch the division, Tiras laughs and says, “We finally finished our application. About six years ago, we helped one of our medical association clients get their accreditation, and we thought this might be something we should do. When you're acting as the paper factory anyway, well, it becomes a natural progression to get the ACCME accreditation.”

Business since CMER was awarded ACCME accreditation has, she says, “been going gangbusters.”