House Officer Benefits
Leave
Vacation
PGY 1 - 21 days (including weekends) of non-cumulative vacation leave per year.
PGY 2 and above - 28 days (including weekends) of non-cumulative vacation leave per year.
Sick
14 days (including weekends) of paid sick leave per year.
Educational Leave
House Officers are permitted five (5) days (including weekends) of educational leave to attend or present at medical meetings.
Maternity / Paternity
To receive paid maternity leave, House Officers must utilize available vacation leave, sick leave, and extended medical leave. Paid and unpaid maternity leave for up to six (6) weeks or extended unpaid maternity leave may be granted as appropriate and as required by applicable law. Under special circumstances and/or as required by applicable law, extended leave without pay may be granted.
Any available sick, and vacation leave will be exhausted concurrently with the extended medical leave.
Military Leave
If called to active duty, House Officers are permitted fifteen (15) days (including weekends) of paid military leave. Additional or other military leave, paid or unpaid, will be granted in accordance with applicable law.
Family Leave
House Officers who have worked for a qualifying state agency for twelve (12) months and 1,250 hours in the previous twelve (12) months, may be eligible for up to twelve (12) weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in each twelve (12) month period, in accordance with the requirements of the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA). See the FMLA information on the LSUHSC website. https://www.lsuhsc.edu/administration/hrm/relations-fmla.aspx
Any available sick, vacation, extended medical, parental or caregiver leave will be exhausted concurrently with the FMLA designation.
Leave of Absence
A leave of absence may be granted subject to Program Director approval and as may be required by applicable law for illness extending beyond available sick leave and vacation leave; for academic remediation; to address licensing problems; and/or for family or personal emergencies. To the extent that such leave exceeds available vacation and/or sick leave, any leave granted will be without pay. The House Officer will make arrangements to make up missed training with the Program Director in accordance with the requirements of the Board of the effective specialty.
Health Insurance
House Officers are eligible to enroll in the state employees' health insurance or state managed health care options (HMO's etc.) through Employee Benefits (504-568-7780), or LSU Health Sciences Center student/resident health insurance Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc., 235 Highland Drive, Suite 200, Baton Rouge LA 70810, contact: Phone 225-292-3515 or Fax 225-296-3998. If desired, other health insurance may be chosen and must be paid for individually by the House Officer. A House Officer agrees to maintain one of these plans or another plan with equal or better benefits.
Additional information about health insurance plans is available in the Benefits Guide for House Officers.
Disability Insurance
The Graduate Medical Education Office provides the opportunity for House Officers to participate in group Long-term basic disability coverage /insurance. LSU Health Sciences Center provides disability insurance for all residents. Additional personal policies may be purchased at the discretion of House Officers based on their perceived need. Counseling by third-party insurance brokers regarding additional coverage is offered to House Officers.
Malpractice Insurance
The State of Louisiana provides professional liability coverage pursuant to LSA-R.S. LSA-R.S. 40:1237.1 et seq. to House Officers when acting within the course and scope of their training under the supervision of a health care facility to which they are assigned as part of their prescribed training, regardless of where the services are performed. However, House Officers assigned to a health care facility outside the state of Louisiana may be required to provide additional professional liability coverage with indemnity limits set by the House Officer's Program Director.
House Officers are not provided professional liability coverage under LSA-R.S. 40:1237.1 et seq. when engaging in ANY professional activities outside the scope of the House Officer Program. All professional liability matters should be directed to the Vice Chancellor of Community and Multicultural Affairs (504-568-4810).
Other Insurance
The following other types of other insurance are also available:
Additional information about these insurance plans is available in the Benefits Guide for House Officers.
ACGME Extended Medical, Parental, Caregiver Leave:
- Effective July 1st, 2022
- Human Resource Management determines eligibility
- HRMFMLA@lsuhsc.edu should be notified as soon as you are made aware
- FMLA process will help determine eligibility for ACGME
- Program Coordinators track the leave
- ACGME, like FMLA, may run concurrent to the usage of sick + vacation leave
- Allows for up to an additional six (6) weeks of leave + the possibility of one (1) week personal leave
- Eligibility is only one(1) time per program
- ACGME can be taken in a lump sum, segment of time or intermittently
- ACGME can be designated by Human Resource Management and does not require a House Officer to request
- *Sick leave may be used for a House Officer or immediate family member defined as a spouse, parent, or child of the House Officer*
Retirement
Section 457 of the Internal Revenue Code allows employees of government and non-profit agencies to participate in a Deferred Compensation Plan. All house officers are eligible to participate in the Louisiana Deferred Compensation Program in lieu of Social Security. When choosing this option, 7.5% of the house officer’s gross monthly income is deducted pre-tax for contribution to Louisiana Deferred Compensation. Upon exiting state service, the balance may be withdrawn, without penalty, or transferred to another retirement account. House Officers default to Social Security but have the option of enrolling in the Deferred Comp plan in lieu of Social Security.
House Staff Association
The mission of the LSUHSC New Orleans Housestaff Association is to advocate for all members of the house staff. The association protects the rights of all house staff and ensures that they are represented in institutional and administrative decisions. All house officers are invited to join.
Professional Meetings
Med/Peds PGY-4 may attend one major pediatrics meeting approved by the chairman of
the Department of Pediatrics: for example, the annual American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP) meeting. Five educational days are available per year of residency.
Educational Stipend
An annual stipend of $250 is allotted for Med/Peds residents in their 1st, 2nd, and
3rd years. If PGY-4 residents choose not to attend a national meeting, they receive
a stipend of $500 for purchasing books in lieu of the meeting.
NMPRA Membership
All of our Med/Peds residents are officially members of the National Med/Peds Resident
Association free of charge. We also have an LSU NMPRA resident representative selected
annually to serve as liaison for our institution.
Other Memberships
Membership in the AAP is provided to all residents and includes major publications
(e.g., The Red Book) and subscriptions to PREP and PEDIATRICS. Membership in the Southern
Medical Association is also provided to all residents at no cost. Residents can join
the American College of Physicians (ACP) for a small fee and subsequently receive
the medical knowledge self-assessment program (MKSAP) for free during their residency.
Residents receive a lab coat and beepers at no cost. They are eligible for membership
in the LSU Credit Union, which has two campus locations.
LSUHSC's main library provides residents with access to an extensive collection of
books, monographs, and journals, and residents also have full circulation privileges
at the Tulane University Medical Center Library, located next to LSUHSC.
Free access to MD Consult is available via the library website. Free access to UpToDate
is available at all hospitals, and a personal subscription to UpToDate is available
to residents as well.
Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) courses
and certification are provided at no cost. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) courses
are offered at a reduced rate.
Residents at University Medical Center New Orleans, Touro Hospital, and Children's
Hospital receive $50-100/month for food depending on the rotation. Free food is available
Ochsner Kenner Hospital through the doctor's lounge.
Free access for residents and their spouses and children age 16 and over is provided
to The Wellness Center, which offers weight machines and free yoga, spinning, and
tai chi classes. This facility is located near the main LSU campus. On-site massage
therapy and personal training is available at reasonable rates. There are also gyms
located in University Medical Center and Touro Hospital at no cost to residents.
