Vanderbilt Financial Problems?

[cowboy1020]

---

Members do not see this ad.

So apparently Vanderbilt is having some financial problems and is laying off 1000 staff from the medical center on top of 300 earlier this year. They're also planning to cut their medical school class size down. There's also reports of some big medicare fraud charges? Does anyone know how this will be affecting their anesthesiology program? It's one of my top choices and I'm interviewing there next month but now I'm a bit concerned.

 

[Maverikk]

I'd tread lightly, I applied last year and one of my friends at Wake Forest said not to go there because they laid off almost 1,000 people and recently another couple hundered. He's in surgery, not in anesthesia but says the support staff for surgery now suffers; doing a lot more scut work, PAs/NPs would help him get the H&P and BS consults out of the way and follow ups done and now he says he does a lot more busy work because they basically don't have the numbers. This just turned me off, in hard times the residents will take up the extra work. The support you get comes from your department which is variable between programs, I'm glad I ended up at a program with funding to keep people happy and the work flow flowing. That being said I don't know what exactly is happening at Vanderbilt.
It's been a predicted trend that small/medium sized hospitals would be taken over by larger ones with the new healthcare model, having one system that coordinates care is what the selling point is supposed to be. Kind of surprising because Vandy is a medium to large hospital from what I remember but I don't know who else is in Nashville

 

[namethatsmell]

If it makes you feel any better, lots of big name health systems are going though this too. I've heard that Cleveland clinic and Emory, amoung others, have laid off staff (though not as much as 1,000 people).

I think it's important to take this seriously and see how it may impact your training...but this may be a reflection of the larger medical landscape and wherever you end up may go through the exact same thing.

 

[lane]

the support staff for surgery now suffers; doing a lot more scut work, PAs/NPs would help him get the H&P and BS consults out of the way and follow ups done and now he says he does a lot more busy work because they basically don't have the numbers.

So basically they have to do the stuff an independently practicing physician would be expected to know how to do efficiently and effectively? Yes it sucks, but that's the point of residency.

 

[Random Anesthesiologist]

So basically they have to do the stuff an independently practicing physician would be expected to know how to do efficiently and effectively? Yes it sucks, but that's the point of residency.

I kind of thought the same thing. This is intern work, aka what I do every day.

 

[Orin]

So apparently Vanderbilt is having some financial problems.

http://www.wfsb.com/story/23364976/vanderbilt-medical-center-to-have-nurses-cleaning-up
"
A manager writes in the email, "We have undergone some major budgetary changes ... this means we will need to pull together like never before."

The email says nurses will now have to pull their own trash and linens, sweep up and spot mop. Nurses, care partners and nursing assistants will be responsible for all patient care areas.

"The priority will be what the patient sees," the email states.
"

It sounds like a tough environment right now there.

Between that and their anesthesia medicare billing fraud case, it is understandable to have concerns.
http://nashvillepost.com/news/2013/...s_allege_vast_vumc_medicare_billing_deception

Still, Vandy is a great program despite the financial problems. You might not get the Vandy Valet service, but you'll get good training.

 

[cchoukal]

So they're going to try to save money by firing the janitor who makes $40k per year and have the nurse who makes $100k per year sweep the floors and prolong room turnover?

 

[IlDestriero]

So they're going to try to save money by firing the janitor who makes $40k per year and have the nurse who makes $100k per year sweep the floors and prolong room turnover?

They blocked Facebook and candy crush, and added a 10% surcharge for online shopping, so they have nothing better to do. Might as well be actual work.

 

[Stellar Clouds]

OP--just ask the residents at the pre-interview dinner if/how the financial situation affects the residents. I'm sure you'll get more realistic answers there then you will on SDN.

 

[Idiopathic]

So apparently Vanderbilt is having some financial problems and is laying off 1000 staff from the medical center on top of 300 earlier this year. They're also planning to cut their medical school class size down. There's also reports of some big medicare fraud charges? Does anyone know how this will be affecting their anesthesiology program? It's one of my top choices and I'm interviewing there next month but now I'm a bit concerned.

why dont you ask the chairman during your interview day. nothing wrong with asking the hard questions before you match somewhere.

 

[amp3r5and]

somebody asked the chairman at our interview day about the fraud stuff -- i can't remember exactly what he said (didn't pay as much attention because i hadn't heard the rumors at that point), but i remember it being pretty much that no major effects would be seen. also, of the 3000 jobs cut, i was told 2000 were unfilled positions at the time. so, 1000 folks were cut and those were mostly admin/non-medical personnel. they are pretty open to questions, so like someone else said, just ask at the dinner/interview day.

 

[Jay K]

So they're going to try to save money by firing the janitor who makes $40k per year and have the nurse who makes $100k per year sweep the floors and prolong room turnover?

I agree that the bean counters and admin are completely clueless in this sense. A few of our hospitals fired transport ($10/hr job?) among other staff, so turnover, particularly on weekends, suffers and at $60/sec OR time as well as having "higher paid" professionals transporting, I fail to see where the hospital is making signficant and sustainable cost savings.

 

[pgg]

the support staff for surgery now suffers; doing a lot more scut work, PAs/NPs would help him get the H&P and BS consults out of the way and follow ups done and now he says he does a lot more busy work because they basically don't have the numbers.

So basically they have to do the stuff an independently practicing physician would be expected to know how to do efficiently and effectively? Yes it sucks, but that's the point of residency.

But as independently practicing physicians they'll have PAs/NPs to help them with scut, no?

Sure, scut is a learning opportunity for students, interns, and residents. But it ceases being a learning opportunity once they've learned it, and then it's just ... scut. Scut needs to be done, but's still scut. Pretending that scut=learning is a hallmark of bad programs.

 

[lane]

But as independently practicing physicians they'll have PAs/NPs to help them with scut, no?

Sure, scut is a learning opportunity for students, interns, and residents. But it ceases being a learning opportunity once they've learned it, and then it's just ... scut. Scut needs to be done, but's still scut. Pretending that scut=learning is a hallmark of bad programs.

Like it or not, it's part of the job. Don't confuse some cush country club program where mid levels do all the undesirable work as a solid program. There's still plenty of undesirable work to do in the real world, with or without a PA/NP.