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Medical College of Georgia Graduate Medical Education
Policies and Procedures
Office of Primary Responsibility: Graduate Medical Education
No. HS 13.0
House Officer Evaluation,
Grievance and Due Process Policy
1.0 Purpose
To define the procedure for Residency Program officials to evaluate the
educational progress of House Officers and make recommendations regarding
disciplinary actions taken against House Officers that could result in:
2.0 Procedure
The following policy and procedure applies to all House Officers in Training
and will be followed by officials for each Program evaluating House Officers for
promotion or for disciplinary actions.
NOTE: House
Officers are encouraged to attempt to first resolve any grievance informally
by meeting with the appropriate Program Director or Department Chairperson
2.1 Each Residency Program shall
have a Residency Program Evaluation Committee (RPEC). The membership of each
individual RPEC shall be determined by the individual Program and may include
faculty, administrators and House Officers. The RPEC shall have the following
functions:
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To certify that House
Officers have met the academic criteria for promotion;
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To periodically
review the performance and academic progress of House Officers;
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To recommend
feedback and counseling as needed to correct deficiencies;
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To recommend
non-renewal or remedial action for House Officers who have failed to make
adequate academic progress;
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To recommend
disciplinary action, including dismissal, of a House Officer who has violated
any applicable law or policy, or otherwise failed to meet the criteria for
continued employment according to academic and non-academic guidelines.
2.2 The RPEC shall make recommendations on remedial
action, non-renewal, disciplinary actions (e.g., suspension) and dismissal to
the Chairperson of the Department of designee. The recommendation must be in
writing and a copy on file with the Graduate Medical Education Office.
2.2.1 Recommendations of non-renewal must be made at least
four months before the end of the current contract period, unless primary reason(s) for the non-renewal occur(s) within the four months prior to the end
of the contract. The House Office must be notified and sign the action form.
See H.S. Policy 3.0.
2.2.2 Recommendations shall state reasons for
recommendation and suggestion action. The House Officer shall have the right to
a hearing by the RPEC or other committee as determined by the Program Director
or designee and must be approved by the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical
Education and VA Affairs
2.3 The Chairperson or designee shall make decisions,
based upon the RPEC recommendation, within 5 days of receipt of the RPEC
recommendation.
2.3.1 The decision will be in writing;
2.3.2 Be personally delivered to the House Officer;
2.3.3 Copies to the RPEC and the Graduate Medical
Education Office;
2.3.4 Inform House Officer of right to request a hearing
in cases of serious disciplinary action.
2.4 The House Officer shall have 10 days to file a
request for hearing.
2.4.1 Request for hearing shall be in writing;
2.4.2 Shall state the reason(s) for request with a
complete description of the basis for the grievance.
2.5 The Dean, School of Medicine or Senior Associate Dean for
Graduate Medical Education and VA Affairs shall appoint an Ad Hoc Committee (AHC) within 5 days
or receipt of request for hearing.
NOTE: All times are advisory and may be extended for
reasonable cause.
2.6 The Ad Hoc Committee may be composed of any three
individuals (faculty, House Officers and administrators).No member of the
committee shall have participated in the decision or action that the House
Officer is grieving.
NOTE: If the House Officer requests, no member of
the committee shall have previously been substantially involved in any other
decision or action directly involving the House Officer. Where possible, the
committee shall consist of two members of the faculty of the House
Officer’s department and one member of the House Staff. If potential conflicts
require that one or more committee members come from other Departments, the Dean
or Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and VA Affairs will attempt to select them from Departments in
related disciplines. The Dean or Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and VA Affairs shall designate one of
the faculty members as the committee chairman.
2.6.1 Parties may request removal of an AHC member for
cause;
2.6.2 House Officer has the right to a non-participating
advisor (not an attorney);
2.6.3 Affected Program Director shall designate a person
to represent the program;
2.6.4 All parties shall receive adequate notice of charges
and opportunity to present evidence;
2.6.5 Evidence may be requested by the AHC;
2.6.6 AHC shall conduct a hearing within 10 days of
appointment;
2.6.7 There shall be a tape or transcript of the hearing.
2.7 AHC will make recommendation(s) to the Dean, School
of Medicine or designee.
2.7.1 Recommendation will be in writing and will state
facts and reasons for recommendation;
2.7.2 Recommendation will be within 5 days of the hearing.
2.8 Dean, School of Medicine or designee shall make a
decision based upon AHC recommendation, within 5 days of receipt.
2.8.1 Decision shall be in writing;
2.8.2 Delivered to the House Officer, Program Director,
Graduate Medical Education Office and AHC;
2.8.3 Inform House Officer of
the right to appeal to the President of the Medical College of Georgia.
2.9 Pursuant to Article 2, Chapter 34, Title 43 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, a licensed physician who qualifies as a
Program Director is required to report to the Board the following within 15 days
of the event:
2.9.1 House Officer with a Temporary Training permits who
withdrawals or is terminated from a postgraduate Training Program and reasons
for such termination or withdrawal.
2.9.2 Occurrence of any event identified as grounds for
disciplinary action, violations, or practice restriction taken against a
Temporary Training permit holder or any disciplinary action regarding quality of
care and/or ability to practice with reasonable skill and safety.
2.9.3 Any permit holder who has an unauthorized absence
from the Program for any length of time in excess of two weeks and reason.
2.9.4 At the completion of the Program year, Program
Directors must report to the Board whether a permit holder has failed to advance
in the Program for performance or behavioral reasons.
2.9.5 Failure to notify the Composite State Medical
examiners of a House Officers change in status will have negative consequences
for the Program Director and the Program Directors shall be subject to
disciplinary action(s) by the Board.
2.10
Complete rules may be viewed online.
Effective Date: 7/05 Revision/Review Date:
12/05 10/07 |