Hundreds of Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center Residents to Hold Rally in Support of Contract Agreement

Fearing a closure of their medical residency training programs and an impending health care crisis for Metropolitan Detroit, residents jointly sponsored by Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center are holding a rally in support of a contract agreement on Friday, October 13. There are currently nearly 850 co-sponsored WSU/DMC residents in over 65 specialty and subspecialty departments.

Detroit, MI (PRWEB) October 13, 2006 -- Fearing a closure of their medical residency training programs and an impending health care crisis for Metropolitan Detroit, residents jointly sponsored by Wayne State University and the Detroit Medical Center are holding a rally in support of a contract agreement on Friday, October 13. There are currently nearly 850 co-sponsored WSU/DMC residents in over 65 specialty and subspecialty departments.

The rally will take place on Friday, October 13 between 12:00-1:00 pm in the grounds between the DMC’s Detroit Receiving Hospital and Scott Hall of the WSU School of Medicine.

The partnership between the Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University has been functioning under successive contract extensions since 2001. Ongoing contract disputes have come under close scrutiny of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) after the failure of previous negotiations resulted in the closure of one of the nation’s largest orthopedic surgery residency programs at the end of the last academic year.

The shut down of all jointly sponsored specialty and subspecialty training and medical care provided by WSU/DMC residents could result from either the failure of a contract agreement, or ACGME decision that the institutional support is no longer conducive to the educational and clinical requirements for accreditation. The latter may be determined by the ACGME during a WSU/DMC institutional review scheduled for November. The ACGME has experience in mass relocation of resident physicians after the transfer of residents necessitated by the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Residents believe that termination of the WSU/DMC partnership would harm the individual goals and missions of both institutions. They also fear that their relocation would cause a health care crisis in the region.

In a September correspondence to the residents by President of the WSU/DMC Resident Council, Paul Bozyk, M.D., wrote, “We are dedicated to the service of medical care-giving irrespective of race, religion, gender, age, or socioeconomic status. We acknowledge our vital role in the provision of care for the most vulnerable members of our community. As the City of Detroit is already medically underserved, and comprised of the largest number of uninsured persons in the state, we have great fear that the loss of physician workforce at such a grand scale would have dire consequences to a community with the greatest need. Such an occurrence would have financial and healthcare repercussions that would affect all regional healthcare providers and cause immeasurable damage to the City of Detroit and its surrounding areas.”

WSU/DMC residents have organized a rally to show support for continued partnership between WSU and the DMC and encourage immediate vigorous negotiations as a formal review by the ACGME in November rapidly approaches. This rally is supported by the WSU School of Medicine Student Senate, comprised of student leadership representing over 1,000 medical students.

Contact:

Paul D. Bozyk, M.D.

President, WSU/DMC Resident Council

Detroit Receiving Hospital

Suite 5S-10

4201 St. Antoine

Detroit, MI 48201

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