ACGME Statement regarding Furloughs Resulting from the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to the health care delivery system, which has led to substantial reduction or cessation of patient care in some participating sites of ACGME-accredited programs. These changes have caused some participating sites to furlough some or all of their employees. In some cases, residents, fellows, coordinators, program directors, and faculty members are among the employees who are potentially subject to furlough.
For the purpose of this guidance, the ACGME defines a furlough as an involuntary and temporary separation of individuals from their employer without or at reduced salary and/or benefits as a result of pandemic-related reduction or cessation of patient care at one or more participating sites. As a personnel matter, furloughs could be implemented through suspensions, terminations, leaves of absence, or other actions.
Furloughs of residents/fellows are unacceptable to the ACGME.
Read the full statement on Resident/Fellow Furloughs in the ACGME Newsroom
NEW! The American Board of Medical Specialties and the ACGME Joint Principles: Physician Training During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
To provide clarity for residents/fellows and programs during this extraordinary time, the ABMS and ACGME offer a statement of joint principles and will continue to address ongoing developments.
Read the full statement regarding the Joint Principles in the ACGME Newsroom
NEW! Coalition for Physician Accountability: Safeguard the Public, Protect our Health Care Workforce during the COVID-19
The member organizations of the Coalition for Physician Accountability have released the following statement in support of strengthened efforts that must be in place to safeguard the public, and to protect our nation’s health care workforce.
Read the Coalition for Physician Accountability statement in the ACGME Newsroom
Letters to the Specialty Communities
A page in the COVID-19 section of the ACGME website includes letters to the specialty communities from the ACGME Review Committees and their staff and leadership. Letters to the following communities are currently available:
Anesthesiology
Dermatology
Emergency Medicine
Family Medicine
Pediatrics
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Preventive Medicine
Radiology
Radiation Oncology
Surgical specialties and subspecialties, including Case Log Guidance
Transitional Year
NEW! Clarifications and Frequently Asked Questions
These FAQs are being developed in response to questions and requests for clarification the ACGME has received as it has communicated its response to the current pandemic crisis.
PROGRAM/INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Q: Does each program under a Sponsoring Institution have to inform the Review Committee and ACGME staff of its program status relative to the COVID-19 pandemic?
A: No. Stage 2 describes the situation in which the COVID-19 pandemic has put increased clinical demands on the institution. Programs at institutions in Stage 2 are governed by the Common and specialty-specific Program Requirements, as well as variances addressed on the ACGME website for “Stage 2: Increased Clinical Demands.” The ACGME expects organizations in Stage 2 to follow that guidance for program changes to meet increasing patient needs.
Institutions that are in Stage 3 and declare Pandemic Emergency Status must notify the Institutional Review Committee, but notification of the ACGME or Review Committees regarding Stage 2 status is not required, nor is there any need to provide an update to the Review Committee after 30 days. Programs should, however, provide a brief description of program changes in response to the pandemic in the Major Changes and Other Updates section in the Accreditation Data System (ADS) during the next Annual Update.
"Well-Being in the Time of COVID-19" AWARE Podcast Available
In this 30-minute podcast, ACGME’s Senior Scholar for Well-Being Stuart Slavin, MD, provides well-being strategies for residents, fellows,and other clinicians from resources including psychology and psychiatry, peer support programming, the military and Veterans Affairs, and literature for support of first responders to mass casualty events. Access the podcast and accompanying summary of tools and strategies in the ACGME’s online learning portal, Learn at ACGME. AWARE podcasts are also available on Spotify, RadioPublic and other podcast platforms; search for "ACGME AWARE" to locate and download the podcast.