Compliance Updates

Updated 10/20/25: Smartsheet has been reporting performance issues today and we are currently experiencing issues accessing our data and the automated messaging screens. This will delay processing of flu documentation, and residents/fellows may receive duplicate or old status messages.

Residents and fellows must complete the GME Flu Shot Reporting form at z.umn.edu/GMEFluShot and provide documentation of their flu vaccination or current documentation from their health provider about the medical reason for declining the flu shot.

A few important notes:

1. The deadline to report is Friday, October 24. Entries recorded on the form after 11:59pm on October 24 will be recorded as late.

2. Program leaders will be informed on October 31 which non-compliant residents and fellows must be pulled from clinical service starting November 1.

3. You can view your flu shot reporting status at z.umn.edu/GMEFluShotTracker and the date of when the tracker was updated with new entries.

4. If you completed a form but don't see it reported here, you might have submitted information to the wrong form. Verify you are submitting information to the "Influenza Immunization Reporting for residents and fellows in the the Health Sciences" and NOT the Influenza Immunization Reporting for students in the Health Sciences."

Email reminders were sent to residents/fellows who have not reported or need to provide new documentation to the GME flu shot reporting form on Saturday, October 18, and Sunday, October 19. Emails reminders will be sent on Tuesday, October 21, and Thursday, October 23, to incomplete residents/fellows and their Program Administrators.

1. Residents and fellows were assigned the 2025 HIPAA training through training.umn.edu and are required to complete the 2025 training. Anyone who completed the 2024 version during onboarding this past summer must still complete the 2025 HIPAA training. 

2. Residents and fellows must upload proof of completion for the 2025 HIPAA training to their New Innovations RMS checklist. Proof of completion will be saved the Attached Files section of their personnel record. 

Onboarding and Continuing Checklists: All residents/fellows can mark this step on their onboarding or continuing checklist as complete after reading the information. Bookmark the fit testing website for future reference.

New Innovations Upload: Fit testing forms from the July 1 GME Fit Testing sessions are in the process of being scanned and individually identified so they can be uploaded to New Innovations RMS. Fit testing forms will be uploaded by next Wednesday, July 9 (z.umn.edu/FindRMSFiles).

MedGate Reminder Emails: Trainees will continue getting reminders for another week. Please be patient as there is a delay in all of the processing steps due to the high volume of forms and the University being closed for Independence Day.

Onboarding and Continuing Checklists: All residents/fellows can mark this step on their onboarding or continuing checklist as complete after reading the information. Bookmark the fit testing website for future reference.

MedGate Reminder Emails: Fit testing forms from the June 17 GME Fit Testing sessions are in the process of being scanned and individually identified so they can shared with the Biosafety and Occupational Health Department (BOHD). Updates to the Occupational Health portal will take BOHD a few days to complete. Reminder emails from MedGate will continue for a few more days but should end soon.

New Innovations Upload: Fit testing forms will be uploaded in the coming days. 

Beginning July 14, study subjects will have four days to complete the consent and disclosure. Once the study subject completes this, they will have 10 days to have their fingerprints and photograph captured.

What changed?

Currently, study subjects have 14 days to complete the consent disclosure and the fingerprinting and photograph requirement. When an entity user submits a background study application on or after July 14, the study subject must complete the consent and disclosure within four days. Once completed, they will have 10 days to have their fingerprints and photograph captured.

Study subjects who initiate their own background study application will continue to complete the consent and disclosure in the applicant portal when filling out their application. Once the entity submits the applicant-initiated application, the study subject will then have 10 days to have their fingerprints and photograph captured.

Frequently asked questions

Refer to the Consent and Disclosure FAQ page for more information.

Continuing residents and fellows whose medical clearance evaluations renewal dates are in 2026 or later have have the step marked as complete or not applicable in their New Innovations RMS Continuing Checklist. Residents and fellows with a renewal date that is overdue or expiring in 2025 must complete this step. Email gme@umn.edu with additional questions.

Incoming residents and fellows who will be attending the GME orientations will be fit tested on the day of Orientation. You can ignore the overdue reminders from the Medgate system as there is no way to turn off automated notifications from that system. Email gme@umn.edu with any additional questions.

NETStudy 2.0 will be offline for a server upgrade beginning on 4/25/25 at 7 pm. The system administrator expects normal operations to resume by 4/28/25 at 8 am.

Incoming residents/fellows will not be able to access NETStudy to submit or edit applications.

Background study processing by the GME office should not be impacted as the system upgrade will be occur over the weekend. Updates will be posted if this changes.

If you are receiving an error trying to activate your UMN email account:

1. Try not entering your social security number.

2. Verify that you are entering your 7-digit UMN ID number in the "UMN ID Number" field.

3. Log into New Innovations RMS and verify that your social security number and birthdate are listed correctly.

   1. If correct, call the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at 612-301-4357 to request assistance.

   2. If the information is incorrect, call Le Que Heidkamp at 612-626-3479 to correct your DOB or SSN.

4. If you attended the University of Minnesota or applied to a UMN program in the past, there may be a pre-existing record that is conflicting with the new account activation process. Call OIT at 612-301-4357 for assistance. Be sure to have your 7-digit UMN ID number handy.

If OIT requests verification that you are enrolled, email gme@umn.edu and we will provide verification.

Onboarding materials and agreements for residents and fellows whose Data Exchange records were submitted by their programs to the GME office by April 7 have sent. Any questions or technical issues can be sent to gme@umn.edu.

Time sensitive questions be can sent by Google chat to leque@umn.edu. Note that chats must be sent from a umn.edu account.

Onboarding materials and agreements for residents and fellows whose Data Exchange records were submitted by their programs to the GME office will be sent in the afternoon of March 14 or the morning of March 15. Data Exchange records that were submitted on or after March 1 will not have their materials ready for release at this time, but will receive their onboarding materials in the next two weeks. Any questions or technical issues can be sent to gme@umn.edu.

Time sensitive questions be can sent by Google chat to leque@umn.edu. Note that chats must be sent from a umn.edu account.

A few residents have reported their NPI numbers have been deactivated. Residents and fellows who are notified that their NPI has been deactivated should contact the NPI Enumerator at customerservice@npienumerator.com or (800) 465-3203 from 9 AM–5 PM Eastern Time.

Residents and fellows ("trainees") starting a new program at the University of Minnesota must complete the GME Data Exchange Mandatory Information Acquisition Form ("Data Exchange"). Residents and fellows will be sent an email by their program administrators with information, links and program-specific deadlines. Programs will communicate to you program-specific due dates for when you need to complete the Date Exchange so they can review your information and submit the program section of your Data Exchange entry. The GME Office will not have information about your submission due date.

Resources

• Data Exchange Guide for Residents/Fellows - These Google Slides have detailed instructions with screenshots to guide you through completing the Data Exchange. See the slide 2 for documents you will need before you start, slide 3 for frequently asked questions, and slides 27-29 for what's next.

• UMN GME J-1 Visa Application website - Anyone training on a visa must work with their program administrators on the next steps for your J-1 visa requirements as soon as possible. If you have questions about J-1 visa sponsorship, please contact Christy Illig at gme@umn.edu with any questions. Christy will assist you as you proceed through the application process.

• UMN GME Background Study Overview - ALL residents and fellows entering a new University of Minnesota (UMN) residency or fellowship are required to complete a Background Study (also referred to as a background check) for the Office of Graduate Medical Education (OGME or GME) through the Minnesota Department of Human Services (MN DHS) NETStudy system before they begin program training (Minn. Stat. 245. C.04(f) at https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=245C.04). Know the basics of what to plan ahead for getting this complete. Trainees cannot engage in clinical duties until they obtain clearance which will delay program training and negatively impacts patients.

The Office of Graduate Medical Education uses Smartsheet to send notifications about important requirements. Residents/fellows must have their University of Minnesota email account provisioned (activated) in Smartsheet in order to receive these automated notifications.

CURRENT RESIDENTS/FELLOWS: To test if your email account is provisioned, click on z.umn.edu/gmeflushottracker and log in to Smartsheet (resource: Smartsheet Login Instructions). If you do not see a report with your flu shot reporting status, please email Le Que Heidkamp at gme@umn.edu with a screenshot.

INCOMING 2025 RESIDENTS/FELLOWS: Your welcome email from the Office of Graduate Medical Education will contain information on activating your new University of Minnesota email account. After activation, log in to Smartsheet (resource: Smartsheet Login Instructions).