Information for St. Vincent's Residents

Urgent Update on ACGME Accreditation

URGENT:ALL Housestaff Town Hall Meeting
Friday, March 5th
12pm
Cronin Auditorium 10th Floor

CIR was invited to the March 4th GME meeting where we received confirmation that residency programs will voluntary withdraw  ACGME accreditation at the end of this academic year.

As a result, residents who have training to complete will be able to take CMS funding to a new program.  The hospital has been actively working with GNYHA to make the transition go as smoothly as possible for you, and assure that you have the best options available.  Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA) is a trade association comprising nearly 300 hospitals and continuing care facilities, both voluntary and public, in the metropolitan New York area and throughout the State, as well as New Jersey, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.   The association is assisting St. Vincent’s Medical Center in the placement of residents by reaching out to program directors in each of its member institutions.

Information will be sent to all programs in NY State and surrounding areas of New Jersey and Connecticut through GNYHA advising them of your displaced resident status and giving them your e-mail address individually.

In addition, the hospital hopes that there may be programs that would accommodate several residents or a group of residents and might want to arrange that with your Program Director.

It is required that you:

1.    Check your e-mail regularly!! (both svcmcny and private)
2.    Prepare an up-dated CV.
a.    Give one copy to your Program Director.
b.    Keep on file for application and interviews.
3.    Do some independent research to identify your wish list for the 5 places you would like to transfer and give to your Program Director.
4.    Try to avoid calling programs as they are SWAMPED with inquiries and may get discouraged and throw up their hands when they see Saint Vincent’s Hospital.

Your coordinator will provide you with:
            
1.    Copy of your diploma
2.    Copy of your USMLE score reports.
3.    Program Director’s letter,
4.    A promissory note from Administration regarding details about the transfer of CMS funding to them which can be returned by FAX if you are accepted into their program.

When you have a contract with a new program the hospital will directly send them your complete file including ERAS file, waived letter of recommendation, your in-service exams and all your evaluations.

ADDITIONAL URGENT UPDATES

Update--3/2/2010
As a viable plan to improve the hospital’s financial condition has not been devised, New York Medical College, the sponsoring institution for St. Vincent’s Residency Training Programs, has decided that it will voluntarily withdraw ACGME accreditation for all programs, with the exception of psychiatry, effective June 30, 2010.

Update -- 2/15/2010
Six programs including sleep medicine, endocrinology, pathology, ophthalmology, renal medicine and neurology are closing by the end of the month.

>> Read the full story on NYTimes.com

Update -- 2/11/2010
It was decided on Monday, February 8, 2010 that Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology, and Pathology residency programs would withdraw accreditation from ACGME effective February 28, 2010.

Ophthalmology is continuing to explore the possibility of moving the primary site of their residency to RUMC (Staten Island.)

It was decided today that in view of the changes planned should St. Vincent’s survive as a medical surgical hospital, the only residencies that would remain would be Medicine (without subspecialty fellowships), Surgery, OB-Gyn, Radiology, Orthopedics and Psychiatry. Therefore, the other programs will voluntarily withdraw from ACGME accreditation effective June 30, 2010.

Staff House

Notice to residents terminated on February 28, 2010: If you wish to remain a resident at Staff House you may do so until June 30, 2010.  In order to do this you must sign an exit agreement that amends your lease allowing you to stay on a month-to-month basis and requiring you to vacate the apartment not later than June 30th.  The rent will remain the same as indicted in your current lease and will reflect the loss of your stipend.  The new exit agreement should be available by the end of the week.  Residents that wish to stay in the apartment must sign an exit agreement by March 12 or vacate the apartment.