ACGME Extended Medical, Parental, Caregiver Leave

ACGME Extended Medical, Parental, Caregiver Leave
Effective: July 1, 2022

The ACGME passed an Institutional Requirement in 2022 allowing for up to six (6) weeks of approved paid leave for extended medical, parental and/or caregiver leave(s) of absence for qualifying reasons that are consistent with applicable laws during each ACGME-accredited program, starting the day the resident/fellow is required to report. It may be an aggregate of noncontinuous or continuous leave. Any available sick or vacation leave will be exhausted concurrently to this leave designation.

Process:

1. Employee or Program Coordinators communicate with HRM (HRMFMLA@lsuhsc.edu) about need for extended leave.
   1. Employee should be notified to reach out to HRMFMLA@lsuhsc.edu to begin the FMLA process (regardless of years of service).
   2. Coordinators should also communicate to the HRM distribution list when they are notified of extended leave being taken.
2. HRM Determines Eligibility.
   1. Determining eligibility for FMLA will also allow the determination for eligibility of ACGME leave.
   2. An employee's FMLA and/or ACGME entitlement may run concurrently to one another.
3. HRM designates ACGME Leave.
   1. Like FMLA, ACGME can be designated once the eligibility is determined regardless of the House Officers request.
4. Program Coordinators track the leave.

Informational Facts:

• Sick leave may be used for a House Officer or immediate family member defined as a spouse, parent, or child of the House Officer.
• Human Resource Management determines eligibility, the program coordinators track the leave
• ACGME leave is for an extended medical, parental or caregiver approved leave.
  • Extended medical is considered three (3) days or more for the same reason
• ACGME leave requirement allows a House Officer up to six (6) weeks of approved paid leave due to extended medical, parental or caregiver leave.
  • A House Officer may be eligible for one (1) additional week of personal leave.
• House Officers receive fourteen (14) days (including weekends) of paid sick leave per year.
  • Sick leave may be used for a House Officer of immediate family member defined as a spouse, parent, or child of the House Officer.
• House Officers (PGYI) receive twenty-one (21) days (including weekends) of non-cumulative vacation leave per year. House Officers (PGYII) receive twenty-eight (28) days (including weekends) of non-cumulative vacation leave per year.
• A House Officer is eligible for ACGME one (1) time per program.
• ACGME can be designated by Human Resource Management and does not require a House Officer to request.
• ACGME can be taken in a lump sum of time, segment of time or intermittently; the accumulation is a total of six (6) weeks.

Scenarios: 

PG1 going out for birth of child

1. A PG1 is pregnant and will be going out in October for the birth of the child. The PG1 will work with HRMFMLA@lsuhsc.edu to begin the FMLA process. The individual is determined to not be eligible for FMLA, but would qualify for ACGME leave (under extended medical) based on the documentation received. Human Resource Management will notify the coordinator of this eligibility. The PG1 does not need to request the ACGME leave, but the leave will be designated ACGME based on the documents received. The PG1 who has used zero (0) days prior to going out will utilize their fourteen (14) days of sick + twenty-one (21) days of vacation + seven (7) additional days/one (1) week of ACGME leave to total the six (6) weeks of eligible ACGME leave. Remember, sick and vacation leave will run concurrently with the ACGME entitlement. Due to the PG1 exhausting all of their leave due to their pregnancy, they will be entitled to an additional seven (7) days of paid personal leave to be used outside of the ACGME leave.
   1. In the above scenario, the PG1 can hold the additional seven (7) days of personal leave to use later within their program or they have the option to use that week for bonding (another ACGME qualifying event) and can use that additional week once recovery time is over.

1. Using the same PG1 as above, however the House Officer took a total of seven (7) days of annual leave between July and October. The PG1 would be entitled to their fourteen (14) days of sick + fourteen (14) remaining days of vacation + fourteen (14) days of ACGME leave to total the six (6) weeks of eligible ACGME leave. The PG1 would not receive the additional seven (7) days of leave as they had taken seven (7) days of vacation leave outside of the qualifying event.

Additional Scenarios provided by HRM

Official Policy

ACGME Leave (GME Policy & Procedure Manual)

Extended Medical, Parental, Caregiver Leave (House Officer Manual)