Other Benefits
Reimbursement Accounts
Dependent Care and Health Care Reimbursement Accounts are available to you to pay for out-of-pocket dependent care and health care expenses in the most tax-effective way.
You can contribute a maximum of $5,000 towards dependent care expense ($2,500 if you're married and filing separately) and $3,000 toward health care reimbursement expense.
To participate in one or both of these plans, you must enroll within 31 days of hire or the date you become eligible for these benefits.
Tax Deffered Annuities
House Staff are not eligible for a retirement plan, but Stanford Hospital & Clinics provides an opportunity by which you can begin saving a portion of your own earnings through the Tax Deferred Annuity Program. When participating in this program you can contribute as much as 75% of your salary to a $13,000 annual limit through payroll deduction.
There are two companies to choose from and the Benefits Office can provide you with a summary of the program, including investment choices.
Enrollment forms can be accessed on our website at http://www.benefitforms.stanfordhospital.com or http://benefitforms.lpch.org.
Reimbursements
USMLE Part III: Individuals at Stanford Hospital and Clinics in the PGY I category will be reimbursed $590 towards the cost of one sitting of the USMLE Part III examination.
Individuals should provide a receipt from their money order or cashier's check to the Office of Graduate Medical Education for reimbursement.
California Medical License Fees
You will be reimbursed in the amount of $805 toward the cost of initial California medical licensure if obtained after receipt of a House Staff contract at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and prior to September 1st of your PGY II year (or 1st PGY year of training at Stanford University Medical Center).
Stanford interns may receive reimbursement of partial fees (the $505 application fee) if the application is given to the GME Office for mailing prior to March 1st of the internship year. License applications may be notarized in Office of Graduate Medical Education.
Application forms are available from the Division of Licensing, Medical Board of California, 1426 Howe Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95825 (please send them a self-addressed label) or at their web site (www.medbd.ca.gov/).
When you receive your license, please bring it by Office of Graduate Medical Education for verification and arrangements will be made for reimbursement. A Xerox copy of your license will be maintained in Office of Graduate Medical Education.
California Medical License Renewal Fees
Effective 9/1/2002 the Office of Graduate Medical Education will reimburse residents $600 towards the renewal fee for their California medical license. To qualify for reimbursement the resident’s license must expire after 9/1/2002 and during the period of enrollment as a Stanford resident.
Residents will not be reimbursed if the California medical license has been allowed to lapse or become delinquent. To qualify for reimbursement you must bring a copy of the renewed California medical license to the GME Office. It is your responsibility to renew your license in a timely manner.
Educational Benefits
Educational benefits for 2004-05 will be $1,000 per full time resident. The funds may be used for books, journal subscriptions, professional meeting registration, computer software, surgical equipment or other educationally related materials.
Housing Allowance
Each resident commencing training in a Stanford house staff program for the first time will be eligible for up to $3,000 in housing allowance. Individuals transferring from the University to Stanford Hospital & Clinics while remaining within residency/fellowship programs are not eligible for the reimbursement.
Individuals failing to complete at least six (6) months of internship/residency will be expected to re-pay the $3,000 in full. The housing allowance check will be sent to you automatically in August. You do not need to apply or save receipts for this benefit.
Note: The $3,000 will be subject to all of the appropriate taxes.
Pregnancy Leave
Up to six (6) weeks paid leave per annum less any applicable state disability benefits. In addition, the individual has the option of taking available paid personal time off for an additional three (3) weeks at the end of the period.
Additional disability leave must be authorized by your physician. Any other arrangement should be negotiated with your department/division, and cleared with Office of Graduate Medical Education. Any pregnant House Staff member should notify her Program Director as soon as possible after discovery of pregnancy so that scheduling changes can be made to accommodate any leave.
In accordance with California law, a female employee must be granted an "unpaid" Pregnancy Disability Leave for a period of time up to four months during which the employee is incapable of performing her job duties because of medical disability resulting from normal pregnancy, delivery, or post-childbirth recovery, as verified by a physician.
California Pregnancy Disability Leave runs concurrently with the paid leave periods noted above. The sick leave policy will apply during the extended period of disability. Failure to file for disability will not result in Stanford paying the salary amount due from the state.
Paternity Leave
One week with pay. Also see Family Leave Policy (below).
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
The FMLA and CFRA (California Family Rights Act) entitlements shall run concurrently with medical leaves with the exception that CFRA and Pregnancy Disability Leave do not run concurrently.
The criteria for eligibility is one year of service, 1250 hours over the 12 months preceding the leave and that the leave entitlement has not previously been used within the last year.
Reasons for Taking Leave
Unpaid FMLA/CFRA leave will be granted for any of the following reasons:
- The birth of your child, or placement of a child with you through adoption or foster care
- To care for your spouse, domestic partner, child, or parent, who has a serious health condition
- For a serious health condition that makes you unable to perform your job
Certain kinds of paid leave benefits may be used to provide salary replacement during unpaid leave.
Advance Notice and Medical Certification
You may be required to provide advance leave notice and/or medical certification. Taking of leave may be denied until requirements are met. Ordinarily you must provide 30 days advance notice when the leave is "foreseeable."
Stanford University Medical Center may require medical certification to support a request for leave because of a serious health condition, and may require second opinions (at Stanford University Medical Center’s expense) and a fitness-for-duty report to return to work.
Job Benefits and Protection
For the duration of leave, Stanford Hospital and Clinics will maintain your health coverage under its group health plan, provided you pay any premiums you were paying prior to the leave.
Upon return from leave, consistent with applicable law, you will be restored to your original or equivalent positions with equivalent pay, benefits, and other employment terms.
The use of leave will not result in the loss of any employment benefit that accrued prior to the start of your leave.
Personal Time Off
House staff are permitted to take up to three weeks of personal time off with pay during each one-year period.
Personal time off must be scheduled in advance with the approval of the Director of the Residency Training Program in each department or division. Stanford University Medical Center believes that personal time away from the residency program is important to the welfare of House Staff, so unused personal time off does not accumulate from year to year and there is no provision for pay in lieu of time off.
A leave of absence for professional reasons will be considered on a case by case basis. Written consent must be obtained from the program director and Chief of Staff. Continuation of salary and benefits is at the discretion of the Chief of Staff.
Sick Leave
House officers will not accumulate sick leave credit, and no additional compensation will be paid for unused sick leave. They will be granted 20 days of sick leave (4 weeks) per annum, if needed. Salary will continue, offset by state disability or worker's compensation benefits.
If a house staff member becomes ill (or is injured) and is unable to continue in the training program, he or she will be eligible for continuance of all salary, to be offset by any Stanford Hospital & Clinics or State Disability Insurance or any Worker's Compensation payments for which the house staff member may be eligible.
This eligibility will continue for the duration of the appointment year, but not beyond that without the expressed written approvals of the Chairman of their Clinical Program, and the Chief of Staff. Stanford Hospital and Clinics maintains the prerogative in either work- related or non-work-related situations to have a complete physical examination done in order to assess the duration of the stated disability.
In order to qualify for disability benefits under these policies, house officers are responsible for notifying Office of Graduate Medical Education of any illness lasting more than seven (7) working days resulting in hospitalization. Office of Graduate Medical Education will supply disability forms.
Note: Residents are advised that absences of longer than four (4) weeks per year may require additional training in order to comply with board regulations. Please contact your program director for more information. In cases where a leave of absence has been approved by the Department Chair and the Chief of Staff, residents will be paid in full during the additional weeks of residency required to be board eligible.
Working days are considered to be Monday through Friday.
Medical Malpractice Insurance (TAIL Coverage)
Professional errors and omissions and general liability insurance coverage or self-insurance will be provided for you without charge for patient related activities that are part of your official duties at Stanford Hospital & Clinics and at any other institution to which you are assigned during the term of your appointment. Insurance coverage off site is not automatic. The Risk Management Office must be contacted for coverage.
Stanford Hospital & Clinics currently maintains a program of self-insurance through a licensed captive insurance company. Insurance coverage is on an occurrence basis for professional and general liability.
House staff are cautioned that Stanford will not cover you for activities which have not been assigned as part of your Stanford postdoctoral training program, e.g. moonlighting at other institutions.
The professional conduct of house officers is a very important element in Stanford University Medical Center’s exposure to medical malpractice claims. Maintaining good rapport with your patients reduces the risk of being sued.
Each complaint will be fully investigated by risk management and the resident will be notified of the outcome of the investigation and any action taken. If the resident wishes to appeal any decision made in such cases, the resident may do so through the mechanism for resolution of disputes.
Any unusual occurrence or accident involving the care of a patient should be reported immediately on the “Incident Report Form” or on the on-line incident reporting system (Patient Safety Net) available at each nursing station.
Incidents involving the possibility of serious consequences to a patient, or those situations in which a patient and/or family has threatened legal action or requested compensation, should be reported immediately by you or the Unit/Clinic/Department to the Risk Management department (Sheetal B. Shah, Risk Management Specialist) at (650) 723-6824 or by paging the on-call risk manager.
The Risk Management Program investigates claims against the hospitals, clinics and physicians and arranges for any necessary defense of claims that arise out of matters within the scope of physician job duties.
If you are a defendant in a suit, you will be contacted by a claims representative of the hospital. It is also possible that you may be subpoenaed as a witness in a case. Should you receive any legal papers please call risk management.
Acceptance of Legal Documents
You may be personally served with summons and complaints or personal subpoenas which are related to your house staff activities. You or clinic/hospital staff may also direct the process servers to the Risk Management office at the Hoover Pavilion, 211 Quarry Road, Rm N021.
The Risk Management office will then attempt to contact you about whether they can accept the legal documents on your behalf if they are related to your house staff activities.
If you receive any legal documents related to you house staff activities, please contact Risk Management immediately by calling (650) 723-6824.
On-Call Meals
Each house officer required to be on call at Stanford hospital overnight (24 hours) will be eligible to receive $12.50 per night in food credit. A bar code behind your security access card will serve as your meal card. Your monthly food credit is automatically entered at the beginning of each month.
On-Call Quarters
Sleep quarters are provided for house officers who are required to take call at Stanford University Medical Center. Residents taking call from home should check with their residency program director regarding any response time requirements.
Security access cards are distributed at orientation. Replacement cards cost $10 and are available from Security Dispatch in Room H0258.
The majority of the sleep rooms are single occupancy. A handful of rooms with 2 twin beds are located in the hospital. Accommodations for individuals wishing to share with a resident of the same gender are available. Call the GME Office at 3-5948.
4 Working days are considered to be Monday through Friday exclusive
