We just got a message from our dean at nyu about this topic. Not sure if it pertains to NYU or all dental schools...(btw, interesting note on how NYU had to accept more students for this upcoming fall in order to offset the potential loss of funds...)
Dear friends and colleagues- As you may have heard by now, we have achieved
a marvelous result from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
on our Graduate Medical Education (GME) issue. Although our lawyers are
still reviewing the specifics of this complex rule, I think it is absolutely
the best result we could have achieved from this agency. The specifics are
that the CMS has eliminated the retroactive aspects of the proposed rule, in
which they sought to recover funds for resident training already provided or
committed at dental schools. In addition, they have agreed to honor
commitments to dental residents who entered their programs on or before
October 1, 2003 until the end of their residency, or for three years,
whichever comes first. Since all dental residencies (except Oral Surgery
which is hospital based, and therefore exempted) are for three years or
less, all of our currently enrolled residents will be covered through
completion of their programs.
This is wonderful news, and it eliminates budget deficits at the dental
school. We will not need to continue to attrite employees, nor to implement
the large layoff we had planned; and, we can restore most of our other
budgetary cuts. In addition, although we are committed to a larger D1 class
in the fall because the admissions process is complete, I do expect to get
back on our strategic plan to continue to make the College smaller beginning
in September '04. However, we will not reverse out the revenue generating
activities that we put in place during the crisis, because these changes
also make for better patient care and better education.
Finally, I want to take a moment to thank you all for your help through this
crisis. I had the sense, based on many conference calls with dental deans
nationwide, that the university administration at NYU responded faster and
better than any other. Whether it was generating a presidential letter, a
congressional response, a legal analysis, or a budgetary finesse, we seemed
to be there first. Moreover, you, my friends and colleagues at NYUCD, were
simply terrific. I estimate that NYUCD generated about 3,000 INDIVIDUALLY
WRITTEN letters. Indeed, we sent so much mail to CMS that when I went to
Baltimore in June to argue the case with CMS on behalf of ADEA and ADA, a
staffer begged me to "turn off the spigot". I told her that is not going to
happen, and felt great pride that NYUCD had made such an impact on them.
All in all, it was a great example of teamwork. Thank you!
