Summa Health's emergency medicine residency program will lose its accreditation after the system's appeal was denied, according to a March 29 staff memo.
The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) informed Summa that it will uphold its early February decision that withdrew accreditation from the emergency medicine residency program and put the Summa Health, as the sponsoring institution on probation.
"While we are disappointed, we respect the decision and will move forward with the process of helping our current emergency medicine residents who are not graduating find new programs," Summa's interim CEO Dr. Cliff Deveny said in a memo to staff. "Please keep in mind that while Summa remains on probation as the sponsoring institution, our other residency programs are not and have not been on probation."
The probation status for the institution means Summa can't start new residency programs or increase the size of existing programs, and it must notify current residents and applicants it is on probation.
In the memo, Deveny thanked those who worked on the appeal for their "dedication to our residency programs, our residents and our community."
He recognized the "great deal of disruption" the change in emergency medicine providers had on the program, and noted the impact it has had on the organization.
U.S. Acute Care Solutions has been staffing Summa's EDs since the start of this year after negotiations with Summa Emergency Associates — the independent group that had for decades staffed Summa's EDs — broke down in the final days of 2016. The resulting backlash ultimately culminated in the resignation of CEO Dr. Thomas Malone.
"I pledge to our community and to each of you as members of the Summa family that despite today's decision, we will remain completely committed to our residency programs, we will continue to aggressively recruit core emergency medicine faculty and we will work tirelessly to rebuild the Emergency Medicine Residency Program," Deveny wrote.
"Summa Health's emergency residency program appeal denied" originally appeared in Crain's Cleveland Business.