The Housestaff Involvement Fund (HIF) was created to help ensure effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of patient care, to improve clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction, and to establish a partnership between Jackson Health System and the Committee of Interns and Residents. The goal of the HIF is to engage residents and fellows in education and community outreach as it relates to Jackson Health System. CIR and JHS have a shared interest in ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of patient care and improving clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction by:
- Improving quality health care for the communities we serve
- Assisting the PHT in achieving and maintaining leading performance
- Making the PHT a better place to work
- Providing PHT employees with the maximum possible employment and income security within the PHT
- Involving employees and their union in operational, clinical and business decisions.
HIF Application
Projects that are funded are listed in the four areas below. You can apply using this form:
If you have further questions, email zergasheva@cirseiu.org
Specialty Conferences, Courses, & Rotations:
Jackson housestaff seeking to attend a specialty conference, course, rotation, or enroll in post-graduate degree work associated with their profession, reimbursement is available through the CIR-Jackson Housestaff Involvement Fund for applicable flights, taxi/Lyft, hotel/AirBnB, registration/tuition, and meals. Specialty Conferences/courses/rotations must teach new skills, present research, or provide opportunities for residents and fellows to expand their knowledge of their specialty, which in turn will improve the quality of patient care provided at Jackson Health System. Specialty Conference Applications must be submitted at least 14 days in advance of the conference start date. Applicants must show that funding is not available through their department or that departmental funding has been exhausted and use the JHS and CIR logos if presenting. The maximum reimbursement is $1,000 if presenting at a conference, attending an international rotation or using funding for tuition, and $500 if attending a conference/course. Housestaff are limited to one conference reimbursement per year, regardless of the amount.
Quality Improvement/Patient Safety Conferences & Courses:
Jackson housestaff who want to attend a conference with a specific focus on quality improvement and/or patient safety are eligible for $2,000 in reimbursement when attending the following recommended conferences (given that they apply 14 days in advance and are approved). If you’d like to attend a QI/PS conference/course not on this list, you may apply and ask for an exception.
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Annual Conference
- Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHQR) Annual Conference
- American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Integrating Quality Conference
- American College of Medical Quality (ACMQ) Annual Meeting
- Annual Quality and Safety Educators Academy (QSEA)
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
- Lown Institute Annual Conference
- National Association for Health Quality (NAHQ) Annual Educational Conference
- National Patient Safety Conference
- National Quality Forum (NQF) Annual Conference
- SQUIRE International Writing Conference
- Telluride Patient Safety Roundtable
Quality Improvement Projects
The QI Grant is available to Jackson housestaff focused on patient safety or quality improvement at Jackson Health System. This grant is designed to fund projects that improve the quality of patient care at Jackson Health System. Please review this guide before applying for funding to make sure your project meets qualifications. For general housestaff-related QI resources, please click here. To apply for funding, you will need to upload the following documents:
- Cover Letter
- Letter of Support (on hospital letterhead) signed by Program Director and Faculty (Project) Advisor
- Itemized Budget
- IRB Approval or Waiver
- Other supporting documents
Visiting Departmental Speakers
Jackson housestaff wishing to bring in outside speakers to their department’s grand rounds or educational activities can apply for funding of up to $1,000 for one event and $2,000 for multiple-day events. Each department is limited to one reimbursement per year, and requirements include that the CIR and JHS logo are used on all advertising materials, and that the talk/seminar is open to all Jackson housestaff.
+ Specialty and QI/PS Conference/Course Reimbursement and more
- Applications must be received at least 14 days in advance of the start of the conference/course/rotation to be considered
- If presenting, you must display CIR and JHS logos on posters or slide decks (it should placed opposite and in comparable size to wherever other logos are used). If the CIR and JHS logos are not used, you WILL NOT be reimbursed. JHS and CIR logos can be downloaded here.
- Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed in the order they are received.
- Your application must first be approved before submitting for reimbursement. Use the form below to apply- you will be notified within 10 days if you are approved or not.
- We will be reimbursing any overages that your department or a scholarship does not cover (that align with our travel policy which is outlined below). CIR Funding will only be dispersed after departmental funding has been exhausted.
- The maximum reimbursement is $1,000 if presenting at a specialty conference, attending an international rotation or using funding for tuition, and $500 if attending a specialty conference/course.
- For QI/PS conferences or courses, the maximum reimbursement is $2,000.
- Housestaff are limited to one specialty conference and one QI/PS conference reimbursement per year, regardless of the amount of reimbursement received.
+ Requirements for Conference Reimbursement
Within 90 days of your return, fill out the CIR Conference/Course Reimbursement Form.
- Receipts must be submitted for all purchases and date of purchase must be on receipt.
- Proof of registration and attendance is required for reimbursement. You may submit a copy of your ID badge, program agenda, or certificate of completion as proof.
- No claims will be processed prior to proof of attendance at conference/rotation or completion of course.
- A Program Director Letter of Support must be uploaded. Access it here: http://www.cirseiu.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/PD-LETTER-OF-SUPPORT-1-1.pdf
- Reimbursable expenses include:
- Registration
- Lodging (hotel, AirBnB)
- Only the days/nights required to attend the event will be reimbursed. If additional days are requested they must be approved in advance or they will not be reimbursed.
- Room rates will be reimbursed for a standard business class hotel. Rates over $230/day must be approved prior to attending the event.
- Travel (i.e. planes, cabs/Lyft/Metro, tolls, gas)
- Air travel will be reimbursed for coach fare only, purchased at least 7 days prior to the departure date. Airfare over $500 must have prior written approval.
- Drivers will be reimbursed for mileage at the IRS current rate. If a car is rented to drive to an event the cost of the rental (no luxury or specialty cars will be reimbursed) will be reimbursed to a maximum of $50/day. Actual fuel costs and tolls will be reimbursed with original receipts.
- Lyft/cab/metros will only be reimbursed for required travel, which includes from home to airport, airport to hotel, hotel to conference/course/rotation location each day, conference/course/rotation to hotel each day, hotel to airport, and airport to home.
+ Departmental Speaker Reimbursement
Details about Speaker Reimbursement:
- Each department is eligible for funding to bring one speaker to Jackson with a maximum reimbursement of $2,000 (for multi-day sessions), and $1,000 for one-day sessions.
- A resident must apply for the funding at least 1 month before the speaker is set to speak at Jackson.
- Reimbursement Requirements:
- The CIR and JHS logo are used on all advertising materials
- The talk/seminar must be open to all Jackson housestaff
- Departments must pay for the speaker fees, hotel, airfare, etc. CIR will reimburse departments based on the reimbursable amounts described above.
- Click here for the reimbursement form
