The Fellowship Council (FC) recognizes that fellows, program directors, and faculty may be called on to provide care that is outside the normal scope of our daily practice. Given the extraordinary crisis that we are currently under, it is incumbent upon all of us to do our part to contribute to and support the delivery of care to patients, in accordance with established institutional guidelines. We support the recommendations put forth from the ACGME, American College of Surgeons, SAGES, ASMBS, and other professional societies in providing care in this challenging situation.
The FC expects that fellows be both aware of and able to appropriately respond to this viral disease. They must understand the expected type of patient care contact and the patient care they might need to provide in the context of their respective specialty educational programs. The FC also expects Sponsoring Institutions and their hospital, medical center, and ambulatory care sites to provide residents, fellows, and faculty and other staff members with adequate resources, facilities, and training to properly recognize and care for these patients, including the need to take a complete travel and exposure history in patients presenting with signs and symptoms associated with COVID-19.
At the current time, there are very few physicians who have had experience treating patients with COVID-19, and who have expertise in managing the unique treatment and infection control protocols and procedures required. In this context the FC expects that:
- all fellows, and faculty members asked to provide care to patients potentially infected with COVID-19 will receive training in treatment and infection control protocols and procedures adopted by their local health care setting; and,
- all fellows who provide care to patients will do so under the appropriate supervision for the clinical circumstance and the level of training of the resident/fellow. Faculty members are expected to have been trained in the treatment and infection control protocols and procedures adopted by their local health care settings. Sponsoring Institutions and programs should continually monitor the CDC website for any updates concerning the treatment and infection control protocols and procedures.