Disaster Procedure

I. Purpose of procedure

To define the responsibilities specific to Graduate Medical Education (GME) following a disaster at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock (D-H) Lebanon Campus.

II. Procedure scope

The policy applies to all Residents, faculty and staff participating in Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited programs at D-H.

III. Definitions

Resident: Any physician in an ACMGE-accredited graduate medical education program including residents and fellows.

Disaster: An event or set of events causing significant alteration to the residency experience at one or more residency programs.

IV. Equipment - n/a

V. Procedure

Upon Declaration of a Disaster by the Administrator on Call (AOC) / Incident Commander (IC) all GME personnel are to follow the D-H Organizational Disaster Specific Plans. (Linked below).

VI. References

ACGME Manual of Policies and Procedures. (2016). Retrieved from ACGME.org:

D-H Policy ID: 11293

  1. Declaration of a Disaster
    1. The D-H Designated Institutional Official (DIO) immediately notifies the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) of the occurrence of a disaster at D-H.
    2. Upon notification from the D-H DIO or designee, the ACGME Chief Executive Officer makes a declaration of a disaster.
    3. A notice of the D-H disaster is posted on the ACGME website with information relating to the ACGME response to the disaster.
  2. Responsibilities Following the Declaration of a Disaster
    1. The D-H DIO:
      1. Immediately convene the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) and other institutional leadership in order to ascertain the status and operating capabilities of all D-H training programs.
      2. Contact the ACGME within ten days to discuss due dates for D-H programs to:
        • Submit program reconfigurations to the ACGME.
        • Inform each Resident of the transfer decision.
        • Submission due dates will be no later than thirty days after the disaster unless otherwise approved by the ACGME.
      3. Call or email the Institutional Review Committee Executive Director with information and/or requests for information.
    2. Program Directors:
      1. Immediately verify the health and safety of all Residents in training program and relay this information to the DIO.
      2. Arrange temporary transfers to other institutions until such time as D-H is able to resume providing an adequate educational experience.
      3. Assist Residents in obtaining transfers to other institutions, as needed, in order to continue and complete training.
        • If a transfer to another institution is necessary and if more than one institution is available, the Program Director considers the educational needs and preferences of each Resident and make best efforts to find an appropriate training site.
        • Programs must make these transfer decisions expeditiously so as to maximize the likelihood that each Resident will finish training in a timely fashion.
        • At the outset of a temporary Resident transfer, the program must inform each transferred Resident of the minimum duration and the estimated actual duration of the temporary transfer, and continue to keep each Resident informed.
        • Residents will be informed if a temporary transfer is extended to and/or through the end of a training year.
        • Transferred Residents will be allowed to return to D-H as soon as the institution is operative, or they may stay at the transferred institution for a reasonable length of time in order to maintain a continuum of education.
      4. The Program Director will regularly confer with the Residents and Program Director(s) at the site to make sure that educational needs are being met.
      5. The Program Director calls or emails the appropriate Review Committee Executive Director with information and/or requests.
    3. Residents:
      1. Call or email the Program Director as soon as reasonably possible to verify current/anticipated location, and any changes to contact information.
      2. Call or email the appropriate Review Committee Executive Director or the Office of Resident Services (residentservices@acgme.org or 312-755-5000) with information and/or requests for information.
      3. All transferred Residents must refer to instructions on the ACGME Web Accreditation Data System (ADS) to change Resident email information.
  3. Salary and benefits
    1. D-H is responsible for maintaining continuity of Resident salary and benefits during a declared disaster.
    2. All Residents must elect to receive paychecks electronically in order to guarantee continuation of salary during a declared disaster.