Selected information in this article has been updated July 16, 2019.
On July 15, 2019, the ACGME submitted a second filing to the United States Bankruptcy Court, updating the Court on the organization's progress to identify positions for the displaced residents and fellows, and requesting that the Court require Hahnemann to abide by its own policies to provide for an orderly and expeditious transfer of all residents and fellows to programs of their choosing.
The latest ACGME's Court filing states "the ACGME is informed that the Hahnemann residents/fellows are not being released by Hahnemann to continue their education at other programs of their choice, apparently because of issues relating to Medicare funding, and have not been able to finalize agreements with other programs of their choice."
Members of the ACGME staff met with the Hahnemann faculty and residents in Philadelphia on July 12. Residents and faculty members reported extreme stress due to the uncertainty around the hospital closure, and the lack of information provided to them by Hahnemann that would assist them in transferring to another program with the associated Medicare funding.
The ACGME is acutely aware of the uncertainty that this situation has caused, and our thoughts are with the residents and fellows, faculty and staff members, patients and community at large during this difficult time.
The ACGME facilitates accreditation considerations that make it possible for residents and fellows to transfer to other programs. The ACGME is grateful for the overwhelming response from the GME community; more than 1,200 available positions for displaced residents/fellows have been catalogued as of July 14.
The ACGME accreditation teams and Review Committees are expediting the consideration of requests related to Hahnemann's closure, including temporary and permanent complement increase requests from programs that would like to accommodate the transfer of displaced residents/fellows.
The ACGME's first response on July 8 asked the Court to require Hahnemann to uphold its policy regarding the residents'/fellows' need for timely placement in accordance with the ACGME requirements regarding closure of an accredited program. The Hahnemann residency/fellowship closure policy states:
- If a resident/fellow desires to transfer to another residency/fellowship program, the program director and the Office of Academic Affairs, Department of Graduate Medical Education will assist the resident/fellow in identifying a new program.
- Should the resident/fellow identify and be accepted into another program, the resident/fellow will be released from his or her contract with a 30-day written notice.
The ACGME filed the second response on July 15, 2019, updating the first response to the bankruptcy court on July 8, 2019 and reiterating the need for Hahnemann to follow its own stated policies and immediately assist the residents/fellows in transferring to a new program of their choosing. A Court hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 19, 2019.
For questions about specific issues, please contact the following:
Institutional Review
irc@acgme.org
For questions regarding the institutional review process or institutional accreditation, visit the Institutional Review Committee section of the ACGME website.
Media Inquiries
Susan White
swhite@acgme.org
For more information, visit the Newsroom.
Review Committee Executive Directors
For questions related to specific Review Committees, visit www.acgme.org/specialties, and click on the applicable specialty.
Visa Issues
Contact the ECFMG: https://www.ecfmg.org/
Tracy Wallowicz
Twallowicz@ecfmg.org
Read a statement from the ECFMG on the hospital closing.
Hahnemann University Hospital Policies
Residency/Fellowship Reduction and/or Closure Policy
Disaster Policy
Related Stories
Hahnemann University Hospital Closure (July 2, 2019)
ACGME Submits Court Filing in Support of Hahnemann Residents (July 9, 2019)
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