House Officers Association

House officers are walking further to their vehicles after their shifts end than ever before.  All house officers should be aware that security escorts should always be available to escort you to your vehicle if desired.  The two programs below are also available: one provides an escort to your vehicle; the other provides a ride to a particular location or parking lot in several urgent/emergent situations.

S.A.F.E.WALK

S.A.F.E.WALK is a campus accompaniment service that functions as an alternative to walking alone on campus at night. Coordinated by staff at the Department of Public Safety (DPS), S.A.F.E.WALK escorts are free of charge and available to all members of the University community.

During the fall and winter semesters, the service is provided daily from 10:00 p.m.-3:00 a.m. Just call (734) 763-WALK (or (734) 763-9255) to request an escort. An employee from U-M Transportation Services will come to your campus location and drive you to your requested location (within a one-mile driving radius of Central and North campuses). During non-service hours, alternative service providers will be identified by DPS (contact (734)763-1131).

Emergency Ride Home

Free taxi rides can be provided in emergency situations for faculty, staff and students to return to their vehicle parked in remote lots or to any location (home, school, daycare provider, etc.). Eligible types of emergencies covered by the program include: personal illness, family illness or injury, unscheduled overtime or other mandatory work-related holdover, stranded carpool or vanpool riders. Fatigued house officers unable to drive home safely should also be covered under this program. The service cannot be used to get to work, for weather-related inconveniences, pre-planned appointments, personal errands or travel between University buildings (including residence halls).

The service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Use of the program is limited to six times per permit year.

To request a ride, call the Department of Public Safety at (734) 763-1131.

Because of recent parking changes, house officers are routinely having to park at parking structures further from the medical center.  These include the parking structures on Catherine, Ann, and Glen Street.

For safety and comfort reasons, in order to avoid house officers having to walk further than absolutely necessary in the dark or the cold in the early morning or late evening, the HOA has asked that all house officers be given access to the M-card reader at the entrance to the medical school beneath the Taubman medical library.  This access will be updated at least quarterly.  Any house officers with difficult with access should contact Robin Tarter.

The route from the medical school to the UMHS medical structures can be seen on this map, along with the routes from the Catherine, Ann, and Glen parking structures to the medical school entrance.

At the HOA board's request, parking services at UM have provided the following, approximate fill times for the parking structures closest to the medical campus.  These do not include any surface spaces.  Full signs may still be intermittently non-functional.

The VA Affiliation Partnership Council (a.k.a. "Dean's Committee") has intermittently had house officer participation, but it has been many years since a resident attended on a regular basis.  The Council is actively seeking house officer participation at this time.

The group meets every two months on Mondays at noon, alternating between UM and the VA.  The dates for the rest of the 2012 calendar year include March 12 (VA), May 14 (UMHS), July 9 (VA), September 10 (UMHS), and November 19 (VA).

More information about the group and its goals can be found within the committee policy.

Please contact Michael Lanham if you are interested in serving on this committee.

The House Officer Mental Health Program is an independent program designed specifically for House Officers. Total confidentiality is guaranteed.

Beverly Fauman and Tamara Gay are the psychiatrists who staff the program. They have experience treating the full range of personal and work-related problems of physicians at all levels of training. They will begin with an evaluation that may lead to recommendations for a full range of interventions including different psychotherapeutic treatments and medication when appropriate.

Offices are located in the main hospital complex or in the Rachel Upjohn Building. They can arrange to meet you at times that suit your schedule. Services are available to you and to your significant other. House Officers may be seen for an evaluation and additional meetings with Drs. Fauman or Gay up to a total of five sessions at no cost. Documentation of these initial five visits is kept outside of the UM electronic medical record. If treatment beyond their care is needed (e.g., a referral to a sub-specialist or more than five visits with them), they will help you access and maximize your insurance benefits to continue with this program or to be referred to a qualified clinician in the community. House officers who have worked with Drs. Fauman or Gay and who would prefer to maintain privacy can be referred to community providers, but those community provider visits would be self-paid or billed to the house officer's insurance. Significant others may be seen for an evaluation and referral only at no cost.

You can contact the program at 647-9776 or 936-6366, pager #13728.