Union leaders at Rutgers University School of Medicine are condemning recent developments as the university moves forward with merging its two medical schools. The move would make the newly established Rutgers School of Medicine one of the largest schools in the nation if it passes accreditation.
Under requirements set by the Medical Education Liaison Committee, which accredits medical education programs, the combined schools will need a single “leader” on both campuses. The news was provided in an email announcement this month from two current deans: Robert L. Johnson of Newark and Amy P. Murtha of New Brunswick.
The two campuses remain “equivalent,” the deans wrote, but the union is skeptical.
A July 10 report from the Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences to the Board of Governors maintained that the campus would have its own dean despite the merger. “Each school will have a local dean and neither school will be subordinate to the other,” the paper said.
Katherine Monteleone, president of the AAUP-BHSNJ faculty union and an immunologist on the New Brunswick campus, said this is the first, but surprising, decision since President Brian Strom revealed the controversial merger plan in 2019. He said that while this is not something that should be done, it is a contradiction to his commitment to the medical school. “This is the first time that this really contradicts what has been said,” Monteleone said.
“Our intent from the beginning has been for each school to preserve its culture and remain an equal partner with local leadership and governance,” a Rutgers University spokesperson said in an emailed statement. , this will not change.This is and will not change.''
“The Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the World Federation of Medical Education as the leading authority for accreditation of medical education programs, recently identified the need to identify a new program leader. “Rutgers Medical School is included as a requirement for accreditation. We remain committed to our vision of an equitable campus with local leaders who support that effort.” The email said, adding that Rutgers “will actively seek input from the community as we plan our leadership framework.”
Single dean structure
A recent campus-wide email from deans ensured that despite the changes announced in March, there will be a continued focus on priorities important to each campus. “A single dean structure will enable regional leadership to address day-to-day and urgent issues and needs on campus and contribute to a culture of efficiency, consistency, and accountability.” said the report.
The school also said that having a single dean would “ensure that the priorities of the school as a whole serve as a guide.”
Monteleone said it's “scary” to say that the medical school's overall priorities take precedence. That's because the two campuses have vastly different priorities and cultures.
The union expects University of New Brunswick Dean Amy Murtha to take the dean position at the combined school. Monteleone said the Newark campus understands the community and unique pressures it faces, given that Johnson, then dean of the New Brunswick campus, briefly assumed leadership of Newark several years ago. He said that under a dean who does not do so, the university could become a “ship without a rudder.''
The merger drew protests from doctors and nurses.
The merger of the Newark and New Brunswick medical schools has been a source of controversy since the university's Board of Governors voted to approve it in July, with public comment from doctors and nurses from the Newark campus community. There was a loud protest.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has also publicly stated that the merger is proceeding without safeguards for Newark and campus employees.
Critics of the move have questioned whether the cash-strapped university hospital's clinical services, jobs and funding would be diverted to RWJBarnabas Health, a large private hospital system and Rutgers partner in New Brunswick. is doubtful.
And they question the consolidation of campuses serving such disparate populations without clear fiscal and programmatic implications.
Faculty and staff have long been frustrated that Strom and the university ignored requests to provide details on the final cost of the merger after the board vote passed.
Diomedes Sheetrus, executive director of AAUP-BHSNJ, said the union and community members have repeatedly requested costs to integrate curriculum, hire new staff and implement new management structures for the combined schools.
For example, redesigning the curriculum will take hundreds of hours, union leaders said. These are just some of the many administrative and operational details that current faculty are being asked to take on by their supervisors as part of task forces and committees established to implement the merger.
Monteleone said these are an additional four to five hours a week on top of faculty workloads, and there was no discussion of additional compensation or time off for clinicians.
“There’s not a lot of information coming back to faculty,” she said of these committees. “If you're going to get materials to consider, you're going to do it in the evenings. Who's going to pay for teachers who spend all their time creating curriculum?”
Financial transparency regarding the merger and how it impacts faculty productivity is a university-wide discussion comprised of elected representatives of Rutgers faculty, students, staff, administrators, and alumni. It was among the issues raised in a list of concerns submitted by the institution, Rutgers University Senate. .
“This combination will position Rutgers to navigate the dynamic landscape of health care and thrive in a competitive marketplace while meeting the evolving and complex needs of the future,” Strom said in a July statement. said. “We will strengthen Rutgers' position as a pioneer in 21st century medical education and solidify our role as a leader in advancing the frontiers of medicine.”
