From Vice President Cato Laurencin: Partnership Q&As

Several sets of Frequently Asked Questions have previously been circulated regarding the proposed Partnership with Hartford Healthcare. Some questions have been raised again, while a few others have recently surfaced. I trust you will find the attached responsive to these particular issues.

A vibrant Partnership that respects and leverages the strengths of both parties, continues to offer the best long-term solution to many of the challenges confronting us. Please continue to pass along any questions you may have. If you'd like to see the full set of original FAQS, you can find them on my blog: http://www.uchc.edu/vicepresident/blog/partnership/index.html

Sincerely,

Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.

Vice President for Health Affairs

Dean of the School of Medicine

Albert and Wilda Van Dusen Chair in Academic Medicine

Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chemical, Materials and Biomolecular Engineering

The University of Connecticut

 

 

 
Q.    Will SOM faculty be able to remain state employees under the proposed integration agreement with Hartford Hospital?
 A:    Yes, all existing SOM faculty may opt to remain solely employed by the UCHC and continue as state employees, exclusively, and have their existing contracts honored, including those with multi-year appointments/contracts.  The clinical time for these faculty members will be provided to University Physicians, Inc. (UP) under a Faculty Provider Services Agreement, and UCHC will continue to be responsible for paying faculty wages and benefits as it is today. UP will reimburse UConn for that portion of the faculty member’s salary and benefits allocated to clinical time
 
Q.     I heard that many clinical faculty will receive two year employment contracts if the Partnership occurs and that salaries will not be decreasing.  Is this accurate?
A:    Yes.  Department Chairs have been asked to identify and recommend in-residence faculty members who currently have expiring one-year contracts which should be renewed for a two-year period for the next cycle of renewals, should the Partnership go forward. As part of this process, current faculty salaries will be no less than current salaries during the two-year renewal period, subject to meeting productivity targets. The assurance of a two-year contract renewal for a large number of our clinical faculty will be an important part of the UConn/Hartford Health Care (HHC) integration transition.

Q.     How will the partnership agreement affect the benefits of faculty who retain their   state employee status?
A:  All active and retired state employees not included in any prevailing bargaining unit contract, including UCHC faculty who elect to remain exclusively state employees, will retain the same benefits available to other state employees as outlined  in the agreement between the State of Connecticut and the State Employees Bargaining Agent Coalition (SEBAC) ratified May 8, 2009.

Q.     I’m concerned about the reasons for which an In-Residence faculty member could be terminated particularly in light of the proposed integration agreement.
    A:  Every in-residence faculty member is a party to an employment agreement for a term of one or more years and cannot be terminated prior to the end of the term unless the University has cause.  Moreover, Health Center policy requires that any in-residence faculty member be given at least six months notice of a non-renewal of contract.   HYPERLINK "http://www.policies.uchc.edu/policies/policy_2001_5.pdf"" http://www.policies.uchc.edu/policies/policy_2001_5.pdf.  The University’s By-Laws are clear on this matter as well.  For more information, see Article XIV G and H of the University’s By-Laws at   HYPERLINK ""http://www.policy.uconn.edu/BylawsFinal200809.pdf" http://www.policy.uconn.edu/BylawsFinal200809.pdf.

Q.    I’ve heard that the restrictions proposed by the current version of the Partnership agreements would prevent UConn faculty from relocating their practice within 12 miles of the Health Center – that would include St. Francis Hospital or Hospital of Central Connecticut (New Britain General). Is this true?
A:     No.  Existing employed faculty members will not be subject to more restrictive non-compete provisions than currently apply.  More specifically, faculty members who are not presently subject to these provisions will not become subject to them as long as they are continuously employed by UCHC or UP (i.e., a faculty member does not have a gap in employment by UCHC and/or UP).  For those faculty members with existing non-compete/non-solicitation clauses, those provisions will remain in place and unchanged as long as they are continuously employed by UCHC and/or UP.  New faculty members who are hired by UP for their clinical activities will be subject to a 12 mile restriction.

Q.  Will robust clinical programs continue to be operated in Farmington?
    A:    Yes.  The Partnership agreement calls for the University Hospital – Farmington Campus entity to always provide a range of inpatient and outpatient services as one of two campuses of University Hospital serving as the flagship academic referral center for complex tertiary and quaternary care.    Any future changes regarding Farmington’s clinical programs will be the subject of collaborative planning and applicable regulatory approvals.

Q.  Who will define an individual faculty member’s priorities and allocation of time?
    A.  Most directly, the Academic Chair.  The Dean of the School of Medicine and the CEO of University Hospital will work collaboratively with Academic Chairs and individual faculty members to develop appropriate allocations of clinical, academic, and research activities.
With respect to schedules, the UP Operations Board will set broad policy for coverage requirements for UP’s multi-specialty group practice, subject to approval by UP’s Board of Directors.  The individual Department Chairs/Chiefs of Service will determine specific schedules for their departments within the guidelines set by the UP policy.