University of Iowa
Department of Family Medicine

FPInfo: Resources to support patient care

DFM Info

SUBJECT:  Family Medicine Acute Absence Process

 Purpose:  Establish procedure by which all necessary personnel are notified of provider’s acute absence.

 Acute absence can be due to ILLNESS OR AN EMERGENCY.

 

Procedure:

 IF YOU ARE ON CALL, YOU WILL MAKE 2 PHONE CALLS:  one to appropriate person for call coverage as listed below and the second call using instructions listed in #1 directly below.

 

If provider is scheduled to be in clinic:

 

  1. Before 7:30 a.m. on the day of absence, provider must leave a message to report absence, expected length of absence and if possible, a suggested clinic make-up date, by calling 384-7776.*

a)      Leave absence message when prompted.

b)      When you are finished, hang up.

      The phone system will broadcast the message to the following mailboxes:

      38953 (DFM Reception), 47556 (nurses), and 47812 (business office).

  1. Residents are responsible for calling attending/supervising physician on their assigned rotation.
  2. Nurse station will notify nursing personnel.
  3. Business office will notify business office personnel
  4. The DFM reception desk will notify the following to report the absence: 1) appropriate faculty secretary, 2) if resident, the residency director or residency coordinator at 384-7507 or 384-7957, and 3) if resident, the chief resident if call coverage is required, 384-7956 or 384-7955.
  5. The Area Medical Director or his/her designee, the Family Medicine Schedule Coordinator (Beth Morden), the Charge Nurse and the absent faculty’s secretary will assist in the rescheduling of patients or finding a physician replacement for staffing.

 *This number is listed on the last page of the monthly schedule under “Important Phone numbers”.

 

If faculty is scheduled for day/night call:

 Day call faculty acute absence: He/she should notify the night call faculty for that night who is providing back-up. It is the duty of that night call faculty to assist his/her colleague in finding an appropriate replacement. The night call faculty will notify the absent faculty’s secretary of the absence.  For a prolonged faculty absence, the night call person is expected to cover the hospital service until other arrangements can be made.

 If additional assistance in finding a replacement is needed, night call faculty can contact the DFM Director of Inpatient Services and Outreach for additional assistance or the Area Medical Director in his/her absence.  In the event that both are unavailable, the office of the Department Head is to be contacted.

 Night call faculty acute absence:  He/she must call the day call faculty who will assist the night call faculty in finding replacement following above protocol.

 The absent faculty’s secretary will notify 1) the Project Assistant Coding and Compliance Coordinator (Roze Murphy), 2) the Family Medicine Schedule Coordinator (Beth Morden), who will notify hospital operator, and 3) Lead resident for inpatient team.

If provider is scheduled for OB Call:

OB faculty acute absence before taking OB Call:  He/she should notify the physician on OB Call.  The physician on call will cover until a replacement is identified and available.  The physician on OB Call, the Director of Obstetrical Services or the Area Medical Director if Director of OB is not available, will identify a replacement faculty.  The OB on-call physician will notify the absent faculty’s secretary.  If assistance is needed, the office of the Family Medicine Department Head may be contacted.

For change in call duties, the absent faculty’s secretary will notify 1) the Project Assistant Coding and Compliance Coordinator (Roze Murphy), 2) Family Medicine Schedule Coordinator (Beth Morden), who will notify the hospital operator and labor and delivery, and 3) Lead resident for inpatient team.

Acute absence on weekends:

1.  The on call physician remains responsible for care until a replacement is found.  The on-call physician and the director of the appropriate medical service or in their absence, the area medical director, will be notified and assist in finding a replacement.  When a replacement is determined, the hospital operator will be directly notified of the change.  Beth Morden, Roze Murphy, and absent faculty’s secretary will be informed of the change by e-mail.

If faculty is scheduled for office time/meetings/lectures/teaching:

1.      Provider must call DFM Reception phone, 353-8953, by 8:00 a.m. on day of absence.  Leave a message to report absence, expected length of absence and any special instructions related to the day’s calendar.

2.      Reception desk will notify the appropriate secretary of absence.

3.      The secretary will notify nurse triage of faculty absence.

 

Approved by DFM Faculty July 2006

Revised September 2006.