IV.L. Disasters

(Approved by GMEC June 21, 2007)

A disaster is an event or set of events that causes significant alteration or interruption to one or more programs.
1. The Plan - The Disaster Plan is designed to cover unanticipated and anticipated disasters that result in partial or complete loss of training facilities. In the case of anticipated disasters (e.g., hurricanes) the House Officer is expected to follow the rules in effect for the training site to which they are currently assigned (e.g., Code Gray at UMCNO). In the immediate aftermath, the House Officer is expected to attend to personal and family safety and then render humanitarian assistance where possible (e.g., temporary medical facilities). In the case of anticipated disasters, House Officers who are not 'essential employees" and are not included in a clinical site's emergency staffing plans should secure their property and evacuate, should the order come. If a House Officer has questions about his/her status, he/she should contact the Program Director before the disaster. House Officers displaced out of town will contact their Program Director as soon as communications become available. In most cases, temporary residency offices will be established at participating site hospitals (Our Lady of the Lake-Baton Rouge, UHC-Lafayette, and Chabert-Houma) soon after the disaster and House Officers who have not been able to contact their program can report there for instructions. In addition to the resources listed below, House Officers are directed to the ACGME web site http://www.acgme.org/ for important announcements and guidance. The ACGME, Program Directors and DIO will work closely together to assure as smooth a response as practical and to assist House Officers in their needs.
2. All LSUHSC employees are governed by the "Policy on Weather Related Emergency Procedures for LSUHSC-New Orleans (CM-51)." (https://www.lsuhsc.edu/administration/cm/cm-51.pdf) The House Officer is expected to be familiar with this policy, especially the following:

1. Communication-all communication will be maintained via the Emergency Web Site (www.lsuhsc.edu), the Emergency Information Hot Line (866-957-8472), and statewide radio and television. In the event of complete loss of usual communication methods, PIN numbers for key administration and others will be listed on the Emergency Web Site.
   1. Phone Trees-all academic units must submit phone trees and disaster plans to the Chancellor's Office by May 1 of each year.
2. Personnel Availability-all employees are required to update their personal contact information on the LSUHSC-NO registry website.
3. The LSUHSC-NO campus will not serve as an evacuation site.

3. Administration will relocate and reestablish function at the earliest possible time in a central location, most likely on the main campus of LSU Baton Rouge; the location and further information will be listed on the web site. Communication will begin immediately between the DIO and Program Directors. Weekly or more frequent meetings with Program Directors will be held at a central site to coordinate the relocation of training program rotations and reassignment or transfer of House Officers where necessary.
4. Payroll – House Officers are paid by electronic deposit offsite, so no interruption to payroll is anticipated. House Officers are encouraged to bank with an institution that has at least regional offices.
5. Transfers - Two types of transfers are utilized by the Programs: temporary and permanent. The terms are often confused by accepting programs as are the rules regarding temporary transfer of Medicare funding. To protect the House Officer the following steps should be followed:
A.) Temporary Transferstransfers where the program remains open and needs to assign the House Officer for a particular educational reason to an in or out-of-state facility. Temporary transfers are sanctioned by the program and may or may not involve transfer of funding caps. Temporary transfers are not for the duration of the House Officers training except if a House Officer is in his/her final year of training and occur because the training program establishes the transfer for specific training experiences. Temporary transfer House Officers remain LSUHSC-NO employees and receive paychecks from LSUHSC-NO.
B.) Permanent Transfers –House Officers committed to a Program may develop a personal or professional need to transfer to another program in the case of severe catastrophes. This is not encouraged, but the program and institution will take reasonable steps to help this occur in a timely and smooth fashion if it becomes necessary. In the case of permanent transfers, the House Officer is leaving the LSU Program permanently to complete either all or their current period of training at another institution; the House Officers are no longer LSUHSC-NO employees, receive no paycheck from LSUHSC-NO and become employees of the accepting institution. All parties must recognize that LSUHSC-NO does not "own" residency caps (Medicare) and cannot transfer caps. House Officers who permanently transfer do not have funding or caps that transfer with them. In addition, the effects of a severe catastrophe may prevent traditional transfer procedures from being followed. Since time is often of the essence in obtaining a position, the institution has adopted the following procedures:

1. The House Officer emails his/her Program Director requesting permanent transfer and should include the new program's name, the effective date and the names, phone numbers and email addresses of the new program's Program Director and DIO. The House Officer's email should indicate that the House Officer initiated the request, and it is not due to any actions on part of LSUHSC and that the House Officer expressly permits the Health Science Center to release information regarding his/her standing in the program, as well as relevant information regarding his/her program standing and performance. The LSU DIO must be copied on this email.
2. The LSUHSC-NO Program Director will email the accepting Program Director, copying the DIO of both institutions and the requesting House Officer, stating that the LSUHSC program releases the House Officer; the House Officer's level of training and standing in the program will be noted, along with any other relevant information. The email must state that this is a permanent transfer and that no funding or GME caps will transfer with the House Officer, and the House Officer's termination date should be included.
3. The accepting Program Director must reply to all parties his/her acceptance of the transfer and understanding of an agreement to the terms outlined in the transfer email.
4. The transfer is official once this process is completed; the House Officer should contact the LSUHSC-NO Residency Program Business Manager and/or the GME Office for instructions on termination.

6. Submission - Within 10 days, the DIO will contact the ACGME to regarding the next steps to be taken and what information should be provided to the ACGME. Within 30 days, the DIO will submit plans for program reconfiguration to the ACGME.