Services

1. CICU/Triage

Trainees on the CICU/Triage rotation spend their time in either CICU or providing assistance to the Attending Physician on the Emergency Consults service (aka Triage). Both services have team pagers. Refer to the call schedule for the junior resident team pager assignments each shift.

a. CICU

An average day in CICU will consist of:

• 7:00 - 8:00 am: Pre-round on patients (note that no prerounding is required on the weekend; just show up at 8:00 am)

• 8:00 - 9:00 am: Virtual teaching sessions or Grand Rounds, when applicable

• 9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Rounds

• Afternoon: Catching up on notes and preparing discharge summaries

• Throughout the day: New admissions

A Cardiology senior resident is available to support trainees in CICU 24/7 with the exception of Tuesday afternoons when the Cardiology resident will be away for their Academic Half Day (AHD). In the absence of the Cardiology resident, the CICU Attending Physician is available to provide trainees with assistance.

The CICU pager (known to UAH Switchboard/Locating as “Cardio Team 1”) must be carried by a resident 24/7 because it is always listed as first contact for Switchboard. The Cardiology resident is listed as the second contact for Switchboard and the Attending Physician is third.

b. Triage

Junior residents assigned to Triage are responsible for supporting the Attending Physician on the Emergency (ED) Consults service. When the Attending does not require assistance, the resident is expected to continue regular duties in CICU.

At the beginning of a shift, acquire the ED team pager (known to UAH Switchboard/Locating as  “Cardio Team 2”) and review the preceptor schedule to determine the name and pager number of the Triage Attending Physician you will be working with. There is usually a different Attending on service every shift. Next, contact the Triage Attending and introduce yourself. Ensure they have your contact information, including the ED team pager number, and ask if they have any special instructions for you. Meet with them if they request this, otherwise continue with regular duties in CICU until you are called upon for ED Consults assistance.

On occasion, there may be a Cardiology senior resident scheduled for a two-week Triage rotation. When there is a Cardiology resident, the junior resident is to contact the Cardiology resident at the beginning of their shift instead of the Triage Attending Physician. Specifically on Tuesdays, the Cardiology resident will be away for AHD in the afternoon. During this time, the Triage Attending Physician will be first call from 12:00 - 4:00 pm.

The ED team pager must be carried by a resident every weeknight, weekend, and holiday during which time it is first contact for Switchboard. The Cardiology resident is listed as second contact for Switchboard and the Triage Attending Physician is third.

During weekday daytime shifts (M - F 0800 - 1600 hrs), the ED team pager is carried when there is a junior resident available to do so. The Triage Attending Physician (or Cardiology resident when applicable) is first contact for Switchboard and all ED Consults should be directed to the Triage Attending. In the event that Switchboard or another physician pages the ED team pager for a consult, direct them to contact the Traige Attending instead. The Attending is responsible for triaging the consults after which they will request your support as appropriate. This practice was initiated in March 2020 in response to the pandemic with the goal of reducing resident/physician traffic in ED. Prior to the pandemic, the ED team pager was first call 24/7. Individuals from other departments may not be aware of this change in procedure. The pager is listed as second contact for Switchboard during weekday daytimes when it is being carried only so that Cardiology staff can contact the junior resident on Triage through Switchboard if needed.

2. Ward/Consults (aka “UAH Card Jr”)

Trainees on the Ward/Consults rotation spend two weeks in Ward 5A5 and two weeks performing Inpatient Consults. The trainee schedule is provided in the rotation orientation email and listed on the contact and information page of the call schedule. 

For Ward 5A5, the Attending Physician is listed as the first contact for Switchboard during the day on weekdays. Trainees on the Ward 5A5 service are to assist the Attending as required. The Cardiology senior residents do not do rotations on Ward 5A5, but do support the service weeknights, weekends, and holidays.

During weekday daytimes (M - F 0800 - 1600 hrs), there are Cardiology residents on rotation with each of the Ward 5A6 and Inpatient Consults services. The Cardiology residents are listed as first contact for Switchboard for these services and the Attending Physician is listed as second contact. The Cardiology resident may be absent on: a) Tuesday afternoons during their AHD, b) Thursday afternoons during their resident clinic, or c) any weekday due to being post-call. When the Cardiology resident is absent, the Attending Physician is listed as first contact for Switchboard.

On evenings, weekends, and holidays, all pages from Switchboard for Ward 5A5, Ward 5A6, and Inpatient Consults are directed to the CICU team pager which is listed as first contact for Switchboard. The Cardiology resident is listed as second contact for Switchboard and the Attending Physician is third.

3. Ward/Consults/Triage (aka “UAH Card Jr”) - Neurology Only

This rotation is offered to junior residents in the Neurology program. Trainees on this rotation will spend two weeks in Ward 5A5, two weeks performing Inpatient Consults, and possibly some individual days throughout the rotation assisting the ED Consults (Triage) Attending Physician. After the call schedule has been organized, the Neurology resident will be notified of their Triage dates if applicable.