Navigant update

The immediate impact of the Navigant recommendations as they apply to the FM Department are expected to be limited to the loss of three faculty positions. The Urgent Care position has remained unfilled for the past year and those duties covered by current members of the faculty. That strategy will continue long term and the unfilled position officially closed. One faculty member is scheduled to retire the end of August and that faculty line will be closed. One additional faculty member has decided to make a change to another practice opportunity and when that occurs, that faculty line will be closed.

To the best of my knowledge, there will be no staff cuts in the administrative staff upstairs. It is anticipated that there will be a small reduction in downstairs/clinic staff but I do not yet have details regarding that.

Navigant recommendations included the convening of a Task Force consisting of UTMB people to further study the residency and fellowship programs and make further recommendations regarding those. I do not yet know who will be on that Task Force or what their timeline will be. My personal speculation is that we will know something near the end of the calendar year. The Dean has given her word that all current residents and fellows would have the opportunity to complete their training program according to the current expectations for progress and promotion.

From my perspective, the FMR will continue to move forward on our improvement projects, working toward a program of excellence as has been our goal for the past two years. We've made a lot of progress toward the excellence criteria and hope to realize the achievement of some longer term goals in this new academic year. I anticipate no dramatic impact to our program at this point from the Navigant recommendations.

The Chiefs are updated weekly and they are, as am I, willing and available to answer any questions you may have or respond to concerns related to the Navigant report.