Improving the Accuracy of Reporting Graduate Medical Education Reimbursements

New York University Langone Medical Center (NYULMC) is a top-tier medical institution that provides graduate medical education to residents and fellows. NYULMC receives graduate medical education (GME) funding from Medicare when residents train in licensed settings or in non-licensed provider settings if appropriate agreements are in place. NYULMC was concerned that time spent by residents in non-provider settings may not be entered accurately into its resident time tracking system. The role of the Capstone team was to determine whether residents were being trained in non-provider settings, establish the length and time of these rotations, and analyze the financial impact on GME reimbursement. The team evaluated 85 programs to determine resident training locations, summarizing the information into a comprehensive document. The team also made recommendations to improve the accuracy of resident reporting. Finally, the team worked with NYULMC to define criteria for letters of agreement with identified non-hospital providers.