Mar 29, 2017 - hospital administration made a sudden change in the emergency ... will continue to advocate for quality r
Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association
March 29, 2017 An open letter from EMRA to the Emergency Medicine Community: In the wake of the ACGME’s decision to officially terminate the Emergency Medicine (EM) residency program offered by Summa Health System in Akron, Ohio, we are writing to express our ongoing concern for the affected residents and for EM residency training overall.
Board of Directors Alicia Kurtz, MD President Ricky Dhaliwal, MD, JD Immediate Past-President / Treasurer Zachary Jarou, MD President-Elect Tiffany Jackson, MD Speaker of the Council Scott Pasichow, MD, MPH Vice-Speaker of the Council Abby Cosgrove, MD Secretary/EM Resident Editor Nida F. Degesys, MD ACEP Representative Nick Governatori, MD Academic Affairs Representative Leonard Stallings, MD RRC-EM Representative Christian Dameff, MD Informatics Coordinator Rachel Solnick, MD Legislative Advisor Shehni Nadeem, MD Membership Development Coordinator Ashley Guthrie, DO Member-At-Large Seth Kelly, MSIV Medical Student Council Chair
Summa Health hosted a well-established and widely respected EM training program in Akron for decades, educating high-caliber EM physicians in a high-acuity tertiary care center that serves tens of thousands of patients each year. In late December 2016, the hospital administration made a sudden change in the emergency department staffing contract. This created many challenges and led to a significant number of providers relocating to the area with the intent to provide continuity of patient care and stability of residency training during this transition. Despite their efforts, these challenges ultimately led the ACGME to permanently withdraw accreditation from the residency program, effective July 1, 2017. This outcome not only disrupts the training of the 30 current residents of Summa Health, but also narrows the available positions for EM residency training nationwide – exacerbating an already alarming shortage of EM physicians in the United States. We realize that staffing changes, contract transitions, and administrative or operational adjustments are an inevitable part of the business of healthcare. However, the outcomes at Summa Health demonstrate the importance of careful, deliberate, patient and learnercentered planning in any future business decisions made across the healthcare system. We call on hospital administrators and physician groups involved in staffing changes nationwide to: 1. Safeguard patient care by providing seamless transitions that ensure both patient safety and continued high quality emergency care. 2. Prioritize the education and well-being of medical students, residents, and fellows during any contract disputes or staffing changes. 3. Remain compliant with the letter and spirit of ACGME policies. As the voice of emergency medicine physicians-in-training, EMRA continues to stand firmly with the residents of Summa Health and is working to support them as they move to new cities and join new residency programs to complete their training. We applaud the unfailing professionalism and exceptional leadership exhibited by the chief residents during this time in support of their resident family. EMRA will continue to advocate for quality residency program training in every circumstance, particularly as the business of healthcare evolves. Sincerely, The Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association Board of Directors
Executive Director Cathey B. Wise
4950 W. Royal Lane Irving, TX 75063 Phone: 866.566.2492 Fax: 972.692.5995 www.emra.org
