University of Washington Medical Center Top Value and Reputation
The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle (UW) is focused on training proficient and empathetic physicians who will have a significant impact on their patients' lives. In addition to exceptional clinical training, UW is keen to provide diverse learning settings and research opportunities. To create such a positive and inclusive, as well as safe and caring, environment, they require their medical residents to follow specific guidelines.
Unfortunately, many residents feel overwhelmed by the pressure of working with patients hands-on and the myriad of rules they are supposed to follow. When this happens, they sometimes find themselves, even accidentally, violating the hospital's policies. If you or someone you love is suspected of disobeying such things, the best thing you can do is hire an attorney advisor to help advocate on your behalf. Call Attorney Joseph D. Lento today.
Medical Resident Policies at UW Medical Center
Every day hospitals help patients heal and reach better quality of life, but they are still a business, and as a business, their first goal is to stay profitable. As such, they spend a lot of time cultivating their reputation. To ensure their physicians are helping in this endeavor, they seek out candidates for their residency program who have a competitive spirit, love medicine, and will provide their patients with quality care. So, when a resident violates the hospital's policies, they are actively betraying that ultimate goal and will be consequently punished.
At UW Medical Center, medical residents receive a copy of the hospital's guidelines the moment they begin their program. One of these documents outlines their policy on professional conduct and requires residents to never:
- Commit a physical assault or another uninvited contact, shout in a degrading way, or make demeaning comments.
- Retaliate when someone raises concern about their behavior.
- Exploit or neglect their subordinates.
- Obstruct the hospital's ability to operate.
- Fail to respond to repeated injuries within a reasonable time frame.
- Harass other residents, patients, their families, and hospital staff.
Instead, they are asked to do things like:
- Follow the rules of professional ethics.
- Maintain ethical research practices.
- Uphold patient confidentiality.
- Treat everyone with respect and empathy.
When a medical resident is accused of disobeying these rules, they will be referred for disciplinary action, which can include several kinds of punishment, up to and including expulsion from the program.
UW Medical Center does try to match the severity of the violation with the severity of the punishment, but sometimes hospital disciplinary committees go too far, and residents are forced to suffer unnecessarily. To be sure you do not receive the same treatment, call Attorney Lento today.
Risks of Violating the UW Medical Center Medical Resident Policies
Medical residencies are a required stepping stone to starting your own medical practice. The point is to give newly graduated students a chance to work with real patients and gain real-world experience, as well as more specialized training in the field they hope to pursue.
When residents are accused of violating hospital policy, it can prevent them from completing the final steps to achieving their dream of becoming a doctor. For instance, if they are expelled from the program and try to gain admission to another program at a different hospital, they may have to explain the situation over and over. Most hospitals, as we explained before, are very interested in having unmarred reputations. Accepting a resident who was expelled from another program could affect their reputation. Additionally, when students choose to leave the program early or are expelled, they still have to pay back their considerable student loans from medical school. Most residents will find that quite hard to do, given that they do not have the physician's income to rely on.
All this added stress can bring about several mental health concerns, including depression, anxiety, and self-loathing. It can also make it very difficult to regroup and figure out how to move on, which is it is so important to work with an attorney-advisor.
Protective Procedures for UW Medical Center Medical Residents
UW Medical Center, like all hospitals in America, allow their medical residents accused of violating their guidelines to face their accuser and defend themselves. A well-prepared medical resident will want to gather relevant evidence and witness testimony to bolster their defense argument. Unfortunately, just the idea of starting this process can be jarring and uncomfortable. Attorney Lento can help ease some of that burden.
When a resident is accused, the first thing the hospital administration will do is reach out to the resident to discuss the issue. During that initial interview, the resident will be able to explain what actually happened. But, if the hospital administration suspects there is enough evidence to prove that the accusation is correct, they will notify the accused resident of a more formal hearing.
During the hearing, both the accused resident and the hospital representative will be able to present their sides. Once they have finished, they will each have an opportunity to cross-examine the other side's witnesses and evidence. In doing so, you hope to prove your argument – or disprove the other side's argument.
After the hearing ends, the committee in charge will meet separately to discuss what they have heard and determine whether the medical resident is actually responsible for the accused conduct. Once they decide, they will also determine which punishment is appropriate, given the nature of the conduct. From there, they will notify the resident of their decision.
Many medical residency programs have ways to appeal these findings. The instructions for appeal can generally be found on the notification of their decision.
Winning Representation for UW Medical Center Medical Residents
Throughout the country, medical residents are being accused of violating their hospital's regulations and subsequently forced to defend themselves. Attorney Joseph D. Lento is an experienced medical resident attorney advisor who understands how overwhelming these complex disciplinary proceedings can be. His approach is simple but effective. He will even work with the hospital on your behalf to help you return and finish the program later. Call 888-535-3686 today or schedule a consultation online.
