In so many words I'm sure you're referring to what happened to the Hopkins internal medicine program. As you're aware new work hour regulations went into effect this past academic year and in an attempt to stave off government regulation (the RRC is not a government agency) a program had to be chosen to be made an example of.
The word on the street has always been that Hopkins has a rather grueling IM residency program and apparently one of the interns this year filed a complaint with the RRC. This led to an investigation of the residents' work hours. Hopkins was found to not be in compliance with the new regulations with multiple residents. To show that the RRC meant business, Hopkins was chosen as an example. In some ways it was merely a slap on the wrist. The program could immediately reapply for certification and did (i.e. ability to sit for IM boards, continue to a fellowship, apply for hospital priviledges, etc.).
Per the Hopkins website at
http://deptmed.med.som.jhmi.edu/housestaff/notice.html they have indeed regained their certification. Naturally this event was for less well publicized than the decertification which made national news.
So take it for what it is, the RRC giving notice that things are not to remain the same yet acknowledging that the new regulations are very difficult to follow. Every program in the nation is struggling with either the 80 hour limit or the 30 hour limit.
