Patient Care Funds

CIR residents recognize that advocating for patients also means ensuring there is adequate funding to provide cutting-edge medical technology, conduct research, and implement innovations that help save the lives of patients who would otherwise fall through the cracks.

Submit Application

Info Sessions ➔

Patient care funds can be used to:

Purchase equipment,
Purchase educational materials, and
Cover patient safety quality improvement projects.

To find out if your hospital has negotiated this benefit, visit your hospital page here.

Some of the projects funded include:

Glidescopes, microscopes, simulation equipment (California)
Medication safety conferences, research fairs (New York)
Skateboard helmets for youth, pharmacy vouchers for indigent patients (New Mexico)
Developed program to treat hundreds of refugees from over 70 countries (Massachusetts)

Patient Care Funds give CIR residents a say in how best to provide for our patients.

Application Information:

NYC Health + Hospitals Patient Care Trust Fund

Information Sessions

Funding to support residents, patient care, and public health at NYC Health + Hospitals

Holiday Grant

Grants for residents to host end-of-year/holiday events for Peds patients and care teams. Peds and Peds subspecialty programs only.

Application open: October 1, 2025
Application due: October 31, 2025
Applicant notified: November 14, 2025

Research/Community Project Grant

Individual and team-based clinical & quality improvement research and patient/community advocacy projects.

Application open: November 3, 2025
Application due: January 2, 2026
Applicant notified: February 27, 2026

Equipment/Education Materials Grant

Funding to acquire departmental medical, simulation, and educational resources.

Application open: December 8, 2025
Application due: February 27, 2026
Applicant notified: April 30, 2026

For more information, contact Michael Velarde, CIR Patient Care Trust Fund Director, at mvelarde@cirseiu.org.

California

For access to applications for the following hospitals contact the respective organizer for that hospital:

Highland/Alameda County Medical Center
San Francisco General Hospital
Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center
Harbor UCLA
California Hospital
St. Mary Medical Center

Massachusetts

If you are NOT a CIR member, a letter of support from a CIR member is required for your application to be reviewed. The letter should briefly explain how the CIR member believes the funding of your request will improve patient care.

Boston Medical Center
Cambridge Health Alliance

New Mexico

At UNM a resident-led committee manages an annual application process to allocate funding throughout the year. Previous projects have included an Accuvein vein finder for the NICU, a C-MAC for intubations in the ED, and therapeutic toys for the child psychiatry clinics.

Click here to apply.

Florida

This grant is designed to provide funds to projects that will lead to improvement in quality of patient care at Jackson Hospital.

Click here to apply.

Applicant and Organization Information
Project Proposal and Information
Cover Letter
Letter of Support signed by Program Director and Faculty (Project) Advisor
Itemized Budget

NY Voluntary

Please contact the respective organizer for your hospital for information about this grant.

Understanding S.P.I.T.

What are the benefits of forming a union?

When we come together as housestaff, we have a unified voice for safe working conditions and better patient outcomes. This pandemic has demonstrated that having workplace representation is urgent and necessary. Thousands of residents across the country have organized union chapters and have won historic improvements for housestaff and patients through collective bargaining agreements.

What’s legal? What’s not?

The laws vary from state to state as well as the type of employer you are paid by – private or public.Generally, however, most laws give employees the right to act together to try and improve their working conditions, with or without a union.It is illegal for employees to be fired, suspended, or otherwise penalized for taking part in protected group activity.

Generally, it is illegal for employers to S.P.I.T.:

(Document any activity that may look like this)

Surveil

Administration and department leadership may not conduct unlawful surveillance of employees’ union activity. Identifying, tracking and surveillance of employee discussions about the union or union meetings is illegal.

Examples:

Supervisors cannot inquire about what goes on at union meetings, ask which employees attend the meeting, or even give the impression of such surveillance.

Promise

Administration and department leadership must not directly or indirectly promise any benefits or reward employees for refusing to sign a union card, or for voting against your union. They may not promise a wage increase or give preferential treatment in exchange for refraining from union activity. Encouraging employees to withdraw or repudiate union authorization cards is also unlawful. They may not solicit grievances about working conditions while expressly or impliedly promising corrections if residents do not form a union.

Examples:

“I can get you a job here or give you a good recommendation letter if you don’t get involved.”

Reminder: There is nothing holding management accountable to any promises they make and they do not have to follow through.

Interrogate

Administration and department leadership should not interrogate, or ask, any employee whether or not he or she favors the union, has signed a union card, or has gone to a union meeting.

You can always say you’re not comfortable answering their questions. Remember to ask whether they’ve talked to others, whether they know if they’re allowed to ask, and if they have concerns about residents forming a union and what they are.

Questions they may ask:

Have you heard of a union being formed? Are you involved? Have you been asked to sign a card? Do any of your colleagues have interest in forming a union? Who have you heard union talk from? Do you think you’ll join?

Threaten

Administration and program leadership must not threaten employees with harm or reprisals (economic or otherwise) if they decide to get involved with the union or sign a union card.

Examples:

Administration may not threaten to take away residency spots or current department benefits if the residents decide to form or join a union.

What can we do to protect ourselves?

Despite being generally protected, it is always a good idea to be extra careful:

Remember to be discrete and never seek advice or reveal to management/administration that you are considering unionizing
Refrain from using hospital property – both physical (printers, computers, phones) – and intellectual (email, paging/messaging systems) – in communicating regarding union matters
Be mindful of where and when you discuss unionization with your colleagues – being overheard talking about unions in the hospital “on company time” can be considered “solicitation,” so exercise caution and discretion
As long as you are using personal means of communication such as personal phones, emails, and only talking to other interns, residents, or fellows, the hospital cannot discipline you

Reminder: Forming a union is 100% our legal right and our vote is anonymous.