EROC, EIOC, Jeopardy

The System

The Emergency Resident On Call (EROC), Emergency Intern On Call (EIOC) and Jeopardy (Outpatient coverage) pools are our program's back-up coverage system. The system is designed to maintain adequate staffing of inpatient and outpatient hospital services when housestaff are unable to fulfill clinical duties due to emergent situations.

Residents assigned to the EROC (or EIOC for interns) pools are on call and expected to cover clinical duties of their colleagues whenever called upon.

Jeopardy is built into outpatient rotations. Residents with “Jeopardy” half days in their schedule could be called upon to fill in at a clinic a colleague cannot make it to due to unforeseen circumstances.

Our goal is to preserve hybrid time for residents.

EROC 1

EROC 1 (one week per academic year) will now be a standalone week of EROC without any coupled hybrid assignment. This was based on feedback that residents would prefer to not have another shift that they are already responsible for during this week. It will therefore essentially mirror EIOC. However, we know that some residents on EROC 1 would still like time to do a hybrid of their choosing. If this is the case, please email IM Schedule to request a hybrid during your week of EROC 1. IM Schedule will do their best to accomodate this request, though this won't always be possible. Please note, that if you elect to be coupled on a hybrid during this time, you will not be less likely to be EROC'd.

If you do not answer/report to a shift assigned to you as an EROC, you will be assigned additional EROC time on a weekend you would otherwise have had off (Golden Weekend)

EROC tiers

EROC duties are on a 2-tier system, where residents on EROC1 are more likely to be called in than those assigned to EROC2. There are multiple other factors used to help determine who to call in for coverage on a case-by-case basis. These additional considerations include but are not limited to continuity of care, a resident’s schedule immediately before/after an EROC block, and individual residents’ EROC utilization (both coverage utilized and time provided) across all 3 years of training.

EROC/EIOC Shift

EROCs are eligible to be called in for coverage between 6:00 AM on the day assigned on QGenda until 6:00 AM the next day. Residents may be called for a 28-hour call, so shifts could last until 11AM the next day.

Expectations

Residents assigned to EROC/EIOC will have their pagers on them at all times (6:00 AM on day 1 to 6am on Day 2 AND be available by phone (phone not silenced and powered)

Be ready and able to report to their clinical duties within 60 minutes.

Must be fit to perform patient care (i.e do not consume alcohol to levels that would preclude clinical duties).

Residents should not attempt to utilize the Emergency on Call system for any planned events where a resident could have arranged coverage ahead of time. Examples of inappropriate EROC utilization include but are not limited to weddings, family reunions, academic/research conferences, and planned interviews.

This would be unprofessional behavior and would not be accepted at any stage of a physician’s career.

Requirements

Residents and interns on EROC/EIOC need to:

Carry their pagers AND be available by phone (phone charged with ringer on loud) at all times.

Residents and Interns on Jeopardy need to:

Carry their pagers AND be available by phone (phone charged with ringer on loud) at all times.
Be prepared to be called into clinic for 8AM or 1PM start.
You must be available from 2 hours prior to the start of your jeopardy shift until the end of your shift (either 12pm or 5pm).

Failure to return calls for EROC/EIOC/Jeopardy request is a professionalism violation and will result in submission of a professionalism form. Further, if you are called for EROC/EIOC/Jeopardy and you do not answer, you will be assigned additional future EROC/EIOC days. Finally, repeat offenses may result in escalation within the program leadership with potential for disciplinary action.

FAQs

How will I be contacted if I have been EROC'd/EIOC'd?

The Chief-on-Call will page, text, and/or call you. They will try to give as much advance notice as possible.

How do I call EROC/EIOC for my own emergency?

Call the Chief-on-Call. You can also page the Chief-on-Call. Do NOT rely on text messaging to contact the Chief-on-Call (especially after business hours). Once you have talked to that Chief, the Chief will confirm that he/she has arranged an EROC/EIOC to cover for you.

Can I trade my EROC shifts/rotation dates?

Yes. However, it is preferred that entire weeks of EROC/EIOC are traded to maximize continuity of care. That being said, exceptions will be made to facilitate trades of EROC/EIOC of shorter duration in certain circumstances.

What about interview season? ***

Interviews for fellowship and/or jobs are vital for physicians to advance their careers. For that reason, the program does its best to support travel and time away for interviews. During interview season, the scheduling committee will allow residents to trade EROC shifts that affect interviews/required travel. It is still each resident’s responsibility to arrange coverage for any day they are absent from their assigned clinical duties.