At the same time salary and benefits as offered by the residency are not unimportant. We are happy to answer any questions you might have about these quantifiable benefits. Stipends provided by University Hospitals Case Medical Center –Time Residents are as follows:

Current Stipend

Program Year 1 $40,625
Program Year 2 $41,998
Program Year 3 $43,370
Program Year 4 $45,292
Program Year 5 $47,213
Program Year 6 $49,135
Program Year 7 $51,056

As of July 1st, 2007: Stipend

Program Year 1 $41,850
Program Year 2 $43,851
Program Year 3 $45,232
Program Year 4 $46,770
Program Year 5 $48,630
Program Year 6 $50,606
Program Year 7 $52,603

BENEFITS SUMMARY

Educational Allowance: The Family Medicine department allots a sum of money to reimburse each resident for educational expenses. The current allowance (aka "book money") is $600.00 for residents and fellows.

Meal Tickets: Every department at University Hospitals provides meal cards for use at the cafeteria (and the coffee stand!) whenever a resident is scheduled for overnight call. The number provided depends on the length of the call.

Case Western Reserve University Facilities: All residents have access to Case Western Reserve University facilities including libraries and fitness facilities. More information available at www.case.edu.

Fitness Center : Case Western Reserve 's on-site “ONE TO ONE Fitness Center” encompasses all aspects of health enhancement. Discounted memberships are available to employees and Residents. Membership fees can be paid through payroll deduction. “ONE TO ONE Fitness Center” was recently voted best gym in Cleveland by Scene Magazine. http://listings.clevescene.com/gyrobase/BestOf/BestOfAward?Year=oid%3A25995&Section=oid%3A19128&oid=oid%3A28389

Maternity/Paternity Leave: It is the right of any resident, male or female, to receive up to six weeks of maternity or paternity time for every pregnancy during their period of training. The UHCMC Family Medicine Residency program has had a longstanding attitude to support family life and preserve the family unit.  Four of these weeks are available without extending the residency, but any others must be taken in conjunction with an elective. In this department a four week/one month period of time after birth or adoption may be treated as an away elective at the discretion of the Residency Director. This is considered a formal elective rotation and the resident must discuss specific educational objectives with their advisor to appreciate the medical and educational training implications of this experience.  It is recommended to have a reading elective immediately after the maternity/paternity month to ease the transition back into residency. Due to the complexities of scheduling residents for their educational blocks and service coverage, it is requested that residents inform the Program Director and Chief Residents of the need for a maternity/paternity leave as soon as possible.

Interviewing Time for Graduating Seniors: Senior residents are permitted up to five days out of practice for the purpose of job placement interviews. Permission must be secured from the Resident Advisor and the Residency Director six weeks in advance, in writing, by the resident.

Educational Leave: Each PGY2 and PGY3 is entitled to take five days educational leave for conferences, annually. This leave must be approved by the Program Director, Rotation, Medical Director, and Chief Resident, at least two months in advance. This request must be made in writing. A copy of the conference announcement should accompany this request.

Payment for Professional Membership: The Department of Family Medicine will cover dues to:
                American Academy of Family Physicians
                Ohio Academy of Family Physicians
                Cleveland Academy of Family Physicians
Members of these associations will receive their publication journals, such as American Family Physician, and may be eligible for their other group benefits.

Reimbursement for Travel Expenses: All requests should be placed in writing at least three months in advance to both Dr. Montgomery and Joan Langan, Administrator. These should include the amount of dollars needed to support the effort, the location of the meeting or elective, and the reason for the expense. Coverage of travel experiences is granted by the discretion of the Residency Program Director, in writing, based on the availability of funds. Expense receipts should be submitted upon return.

Parking: Parking is available to all employees and Residents in a variety of structures and open lots. All are within easy walking distance to UHCMC. Cost is dependent upon your choice of parking area and the number of hours you are scheduled to work. Deductions can be made on a pre-tax or post-tax basis.

Discounts: UHCMC employees and Residents receive a 10% discount on cafeteria purchases by presenting their hospital photo I.D. Discounts are also available on selected merchandise in the Atrium Gift Shop.

Payroll: After registration through the Office of Graduate Medical Education (“Office of GME”), all Residents are on University Hospitals’ payroll and commence with being paid an annual stipend. The stipend amount appropriate to a Resident's contracted Post-Graduate Year (PGY) level will be stated in his/her contract. These established stipend amounts are reviewed annually and amended from time to time. For information on the compensation schedule, please consult the Office of GME. Payrolls are prepared for a bi-weekly period ending on Saturday. Pays are dispersed through direct deposit on the following Thursday, with the exception of a holiday week.

At the time of registration, each Resident must complete a Withholding Allowance Certificate (W-4) for the purpose of withholding Federal Income Tax and State of Ohio Withholding Exemption Certificate (IT-4) for the purpose of withholding State Income Tax. City income tax is also withheld. A Social Security number is required. All residents must also complete an I-9 form and provide supporting documentation of identity and eligibility to work in the United States. A new W-4 and IT-4 must be filed when there is a change in family status.

Direct Deposit: University Hospitals uses an online Oracle tool called Employee Self Service (ESS). You will be able to access ESS on any computer that can connect to the Internet. This means you can access your information at home or at work, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Tax/Social Security Deductions: University Hospitals is required by law to withhold federal, state, and city income taxes from your pay. The Hospital pays its social security tax assessed by the federal government on your wages. You pay a matching amount through payroll deduction. The amount of your contribution to social security as well as amounts withheld for federal, state and city income taxes appear on your paycheck stub.

University Hospitals Case Medical Center offers Residents a flexible benefits program called CHOICES. CHOICES offers a wide selection of benefits and allows you the flexibility to select the benefits that best meet your individual needs. From time to time, the specifics of the benefit programs change. For this reason, you should obtain copies of each Summary Plan Description (SPD) directly from HR Services in Medical Center Building (MCCO) at 220 Circle Drive.

Health Insurance: Starting January 1, 2007 the medical plans in the UH Benefits Program will be offered through Anthem.

The Traditional Plan provides you with three options to receive your medical care. In the Traditional Plan, you receive the highest level of coverage if you use a UH facility. You can also access care directly in the Anthem network or through any non-network provider you choose at reduced levels of coverage.

The Consumer Choice Plan represents a promising new direction in our approach to making high quality medical coverage available to our employees. The Consumer Choice Plan provides a more individualized approach to managing your healthcare expenses through an employer-funded account, called the Consumer Choice Account, which can be used to pay eligible healthcare expenses.

Health insurance is available to employees who are regularly scheduled to work at least 16 hours per week. Coverage is effective the first day of the month coinciding with or following your employment date. Contributions for the coverage are payroll deducted on a pre-tax basis.

Dental Insurance: You have two dental plan options from which to choose, the PPO Plan and the Dental Care (DHMO) Plan. Both plans are administered by CIGNA. Under the PPO Plan, covered services can be obtained in or out of the network. The out-of-network benefit has a higher deductible. Preventive care is covered at 100% in and out-of-network. Basic restorative services are covered at 80% in and out-of-network, and major restorative services are covered at 50%. You may be subject to higher out-of-pocket costs by using an out-of-network provider. Each covered individual has an annual in-network maximum benefit of $1,200. The out-of-network maximum benefit is $1,000. Orthodontia treatment is covered at 50%, to a maximum lifetime benefit of $1,000, for eligible covered dependent children up to age 19.

The Dental Care (DHMO) Plan is a Dental Health Maintenance Organization that offers richer benefits, including adult orthodontia coverage, through a specific network of dentists. There is no out-of-network benefit option. There is no deductible to meet, no annual dollar maximum, and no claim forms to file.
Coverage is effective the first day of the month coinciding with or following your employment date. Employees who are regularly scheduled to work 16 or more hours per week are eligible for coverage.

Professional Liability Insurance: The Hospital furnishes professional liability insurance to Residents without cost to them. This insurance covers Residents during the time they are within and acting on behalf of University Hospitals, following schedules that have been issued by their Program Directors. Residents are also covered for legal actions relating to their residency training, which are initiated after they leave the program.

Life Insurance: The Hospital provides group term life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance equal to one times your annual salary. You become eligible for coverage the first of the month following 90 days of continuous employment. Additional insurance may be purchased, up to three times your annual base salary. You can also purchase Dependent Life Insurance, Supplemental AD&D Insurance and Long-Term Care Insurance

Short Term Disability: You are eligible for this benefit on the first of the month following 6 months of continuous active employment in the UHCMC residency program. If you experience a non-occupational illness or injury that prevents you from performing the material and substantial duties of your regular occupation, you may be eligible for a short-term disability benefit. The STD plan continues payment of a portion of your salary after the satisfaction of a 14-day elimination period. If the insurance carrier approves your claim, UNUM, you will receive 60% of your salary up to a maximum of $2,500 per week, to a maximum of 24 weeks. STD begins on the 15th calendar day of your disability and ends when you return to work, when you are no longer disabled, or when long term disability commences.

Long Term Disability: The first day of the month following 90 days of continuous active employment, UHCMC provides you with base LTD coverage equal to 50% of your monthly earnings to a maximum benefit of $1,500. You may purchase a higher level of coverage equal to 60% of monthly earnings to a maximum benefit of $10,000. This benefit can be purchased with pre-tax or after-tax dollars. Benefits are payable after you have been disabled for 180 consecutive days.

Flexible Spending Accounts: Flexible spending accounts are available for pre-tax payment of employee health and dental premiums, and certain un-reimbursed medical and/or dependent care expenses. Enrollment in the flexible spending benefit must be within the first 30 days of employment or during the annual election period. You are able to designate the amount of money that you wish to have placed in a flexible spending account. Any money that remains in an account at the end of the year after all of your eligible expenses have been reimbursed will not be returned.

403B Matched Retirement Savings Plan: All Residents are eligible to contribute to the 403b Matched Retirement Savings Plan. Residents who have reached age 21, have completed one year of service and have worked at least 1,000 hours in the 12 months beginning with the date of hire, are eligible to receive a match. UHCMC will match 50% ($0.50 for every $1 you contribute to the plan) up to 6% of your salary. You are 100% vested to your matching contributions after completing three full years (36 months) of vesting service. Refer to the Summary Plan Description for further details.

Jury Duty: If you receive a notice that you are to report for jury duty, notify your Program Director immediately so coverage can be arranged for you. UHCMC will pay you your regular salary for the length of time connected with either the selection process or jury duty. Upon returning to work, written proof of your jury duty must be submitted to your Program Director in order to be reimbursed.

Savings Bonds: You may purchase United States Savings Bonds through payroll deduction. The series EE bonds offer the benefits of tax deferral, competitive rates and complete safety with your savings. Bonds can be purchased in the following denominations: $100, $200, and $500. See Policy 38, Benefit Summary, in Volume I of the Administrative Policy and Procedure Manual.

Updated: March 27, 2007