We Hear You and We Evolve

On a regular basis, our program leaders evaluate the program and solicit feedback from the residents through a variety of channels, such as the monthly Medical Education Business Meeting, annual program reviews and the yearly retreat sessions, with the goal of identifying ways to make our program stronger. By aligning these recommendations with the core competencies, we build on our program’s solid foundation with effective practices that are shaped by the voices of the residents.

New Educational Opportunities

Based on resident requests, new electives are constantly being added to better prepare residents for future careers:

• Mental and Behavioral Health
• Palliative Care and Pain Management
• Procedural Elective (coming soon)
• Transport (coming soon)
• Outpatient Surgical Potpourri (coming soon)

New curricula have also been added to the noon conference calendar:

• Communication
• Quality Improvement
• Child Advocacy
• Parenting (coming soon)
• Global Health (coming soon)

Ward Support

• Nurse Clinicians:  After receiving consistent feedback from residents concerning the workload on the ward service, Kosair Children's Hospital provided a nurse clinician for each ward team to aid in completing work involving communication and patient care. This team of nurses also provides month-to-month continuity.
• The Purple Team:  a fifth ward team that is staffed by attendings only in order to take some of the extra patient load from traditional ward teams. This team started in 2010 as a weekdays- and winter-only service but has since been expanded to 7 days/week, 365 days/year to support the residents everyday.
• Try, Try Again:  In line with new 2011 duty hour standards, the wards structure has certainly been a work in progress. Program leadership meets monthly with residents to discuss what is and is not working. Changes have been made to the ward system almost every month based on resident feedback.

Meal Plan

In order to help keep residents going while they are on call, we now provide residents with a free meal voucher for call shifts, including two on weekend days.

Designated Hitter

Through the process established by the Resident Leadership Council (RLC), residents identified a need to redesign the back-up call or "designated hitter" system. The residents noted that the system was somewhat uneven and by working as a team, the residents and program leaders on the RLC proposed a new system that assigns a resident points each time they are called in and takes away points when they need to use the system. Further, residents can negotiate a pay-back shift in order to avoid being assessed points. The proposal was presented to all of the residents, voted on, and approved.