April 21, 2008

Our website has been revised to include the updated NMFF Consultant Checklist and the Immunization Record which is now required to be submitted with all NMFF Consultant application packets. 

NMFF Notice:

As part of NMFF’s infection control initiatives and in order to comply with OSHA standards bring the consultants in line with our members and staff, the Consultant Immunization Record form must be completed and submitted with the Consultant packet. The Immunization Record Form is now on the QA/Risk Management website as part of the consultant packet. The Consultant Checklist has been updated to include the new form. I have attached both forms for you perusal.

Again, Legal Services will review the Consultant Agreement only after all items in the Legal Services packet for Consultants are complete. After review, Legal Services will forward the Immunization Record to Anna Galindo, Supervisor of Employee Health and Patient Safety, for filing and follow-up.

For concerns or questions, please contact:

Bonnie E. Melikian
Director of Clinical Quality and Professional Risk
Suite 1118 - 680 North Lake Shore Drive
Phone: 312-695-9842
Fax: 312-695-9505

March 20, 2008:

Please note that the offer letter templates have been revised so that the Division Chief's signature appears before the DoM Chair's signature.  ALL offer letters must be printed on the Division's letterhead and co-signed by the DoM Chair.

February 28, 2008

What is the NMH Access Program?

The Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) Access Program was developed to facilitate the process for non-employee researchers (such as NU, RIC and CMH employees) to obtain access to NMH facilities and resources for research purposes.  The program is designed to ensure compliance with state and federal health facility regulations, promote patient and employee safety, and ensure compliance with privacy laws for the protection of confidential information. The NMH Access program does not apply to NMH residents, NMH medical students, NMH medical staff and clinical fellows.

NMH Access Program requirements:

Before receiving an NMH identification badge and/or issuance of a user name and password to NMH information systems, non-employees requiring access to NMH for research-related activities are required to (at a minimum) meet the following requirements:

• Satisfactory criminal background check
• Completion of the NMH annual Safety training
• Completion of the NMH annual Corporate Integrity training
• NMH Corporate Health clearance
• Completion of PowerChart training (If PowerChart access if needed for the research activity)
• Obtain privileges, authorized by the NMH Office of Professional Practice and Development (If the individual is providing research-related patient care)

What role do NMH Managers and Directors have in the NMH Access program?

September 12, 2007

Please make sure you are using the most current appointment forms!  FSM Faculty Affairs will not process outdated forms.  All forms should have a 2007 date for when they were last revised; if you are not using a form from 2007, your appointment will not be processed!

August 27, 2007

Reminder! Faculty Affairs does not intend to back-date appointments per the Dean and Provost.  Please submit paperwork to DoM FA at least 5 or 6 weeks ahead of the appointment/reappointment start date in order for it to be processed properly.  If it is not submitted early enough, we will ask you to push the effective date of the appointment/reappointment back. 

August 21, 2007

FSM Faculty Affairs has asked us to limit the length of research assistant professor reappointment terms to one year at a time. Currently, they are not limiting the number of reappointment terms, and you can still request a reappointment the next year regardless of how long the faculty member has been at the rank of research assistant professor. However, the Provost and FSM Faculty Affairs view the research assistant professor as "transitional faculty" and want to limit the total number of years spent at the rank of research assistant professor. Please limit your research assistant professor reappointment terms to one year at a time (e.g. 09/01/2007-08/31/2008 as opposed to 09/01/2007-08/31/2010).

August 9, 2007

We would like to give our opinion regarding the usage of credentialing services for out of state new faculty hires. It has been our experience that these services have been a hindrance slowing down the various processes, i.e., medical licenses and medical staff applications, for a new faculty member. We would not recommend these services as a reliable resource. If your new faculty member asks about utilizing one of these services, please inform them that it is better to deal directly with the department of medicine faculty affairs office, state licensing boards and medical staff office for questions they may have.

July 11, 2007

If it is possible that a foreign national will be hired for a continuing (tenure track or non-tenure-track) faculty position, it is essential that the position be advertised with at least one print advertisement in addition to any on-line postings.  The Department of Labor has decreed that such print advertising is necessary to satisfy the competitive recruitment provisions of the  immigration law relating to institutional sponsorship for legal permanent residence. If a department hires a foreign national who desires to apply for permanent residence and if the position was not advertised in print, the department will be required to conduct an entirely new search for that position before the person can apply for permanent residence.

A small investment in a print advertisement can pay rich dividends in obviating the need to conduct a new search for a given position.   I would be grateful if you would share this advice with units in your school engaged in advertising faculty positions.

June 27, 2007

For all clinician-investigator, investigator-clinician, investigator track faculty positions, please be sure and include a copy of the offer letter and/or a cover sheet explaining the % time protected and resources allocated for their research goals. If possible, please also include information on the type of research the candidate will undertake. FSM Faculty Affairs requires that we include this information in the Chair’s letter to the Dean.

June 12, 2007

Please note that, unless otherwise indicated, when we refer to "faculty" we mean regular faculty (e.g. clinician, clin.-inv., inv.-clin., or investigator tracks) and not research faculty.  We refer to research track faculty as "Research-level faculty." 

May 23, 2007

Please note that all appointment documents must be signed by your division chief before the DoM Chairman can sign.  That is, your division chief must review and sign all NU Recommendation for Appointment forms before the DoM Chairman will approve the appointment or action.