Report by Dr. Michael Nagar, NJ Regional Vice President
Residents, Fellows, Colleagues...
August 2009
It is a great privilege and honor to be your new regional vice president for New Jersey, and Washington DC.It is a challenging yet exciting time to be a resident/fellow and CIR member.
Nationally, we are in the midst of health care reform, with the House and Senate very close to presenting their reform proposals. In New Jersey,budget cuts to Graduate Medical Education from$68million to $60millionhave set the stage for challenging contract negotiations at UMDNJ, Jersey City Medical Center,and St. Michael’s Hospital. Some of the issues that will be negotiated are salaries, raises, meal allowances, orientation pay, and call rooms. We need a strong resident negotiating committee to sit at the negotiating table in October.The most important tool that we have at negotiations is our residents; the more that are present and active in negotiations,the more successful we will be. I am confident that with dedicated, unified residents and our superb staff, Cliff Freid and Victor Rosado, we will weather the storm and get through negotiations successfully.
I am currently a chief resident in the Department of Pathology, and also an alternate delegate at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.Although it is unusual for someone in Pathology to become an officer of CIR, I know that my perspective will add to the diversity of the executive board, and give diagnostic and consultative medicine a voice in national CIR matters.
On June 25th Governor Corzine issued a reorganization plan including the establishment of a new, four-year allopathic medical school in Camden run jointly by Rowan University and Cooper University Hospital.This represents a major change in medical school education in the state of New Jersey. Besides medical students, this change can significantly affect resident education,especially in programs that rotate through Cooper University Hospital. CIR is investigating the impact of this new school on current programs and residents. I will keep you abreast of the findings through regional meetings, newsletters and emails.We intend to have the residents and fellows at Cooper university Hospital join and become part of CIR.
Recently,CIR, through its political affairs committee, has become a key player in national and local politics.We have lead town hall meetings,lobbied congress in many states, and spoke at vigils about health care reform including the public health insurance option, and racial/ethnic disparities in medicine. CIR will continue to lobby for what we believe is quality, affordable health care in the United States.Our union is uniquely suited for this purpose since we represent all specialties in medicine from anesthesia to urology, and represent the future of health care.
With every July there is a significant turnover of residents and fellows;there are fresh faces, new ideas,ambitious goals and eager minds.With the help of our exceptional staff, now more than ever, there are no obstacles that can’t be overcome.
CIR is your union! Make it what you want it to be! Be Active! Be present!