Welcome Current Residents

Dear Residents,

On behalf of the current residents, we welcome you to UNC Hospitals. We are excited that you have chosen UNC for the next stage of your medical education, and we can assure you that you have made a great decision. As you will find during your tenure here, our residents receive excellent medical training as they work to provide the best possible care for their patients. UNC's environment of mutual respect and cooperation sets us apart and makes working and training here a truly outstanding experience. 

The Housestaff Council represents all residents and subspecialty residents at UNC Hospitals. It has made numerous improvements over the years in response to suggestions made by your colleagues. These include an improved disability plan and family medical/parental leave policy, longer cafeteria hours, and a change from traditional meal tickets to a "roll over" card swipe system. The Council was instrumental in efforts to create a hospital-wide recycling program as well as helping to increase the availability of Spanish interpretation services in the hospital and clinics. Our group also organizes the annual Housestaff Ball in February and various other social events and community service projects.

In addition to activities aimed at ensuring resident wellness, the Housestaff Council also offers opportunities for residents to improve the process of providing healthcare to our patients. The Resident Quality Improvement Council was created two years ago to bring together residents and representatives from pharmacy, nursing, information technology, and various other departments in joint efforts to make system improvements and enhance patient safety. This group has already made significant contributions to UNC Health Care, a trend that will continue this year.

Above all, the goal of the Housestaff Council mirrors the goal of residency: to provide the best care possible to our patients. By ensuring that residents live safe and healthy lives and by working to improve our healthcare system, we continue to move toward this goal. As a resident, you are the most important link between patients and the hospital's resources, and your input is critical. We will send out reminders of our quarterly meetings -- the next meeting is Wednesday, August 20, at 6:00 p.m. at The Siena Hotel. Each of you is encouraged to attend and to learn about the issues we are addressing now, to voice suggestions or concerns, and to play an active role in improving your experience and the experience of your fellow residents at UNC.

We wish you all the best of luck and are excited to have you as part of our UNC family. Please contact us at any time with questions or comments. We hope to see you at the first Council meeting this August!

Sincerely,

Tyler Buckner
tbuckner@unch.unc.edu
Departments of Internal Medicine & Pediatrics
President, UNC Housestaff Council

Kevin Schuler
kschuler@unch.unc.edu
Department of Ob/Gyn
Vice President, UNC Housestaff Council

Wesley Ibazebo
wibazebo@unch.unc.edu
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Treasurer, UNC Housestaff Council

Qionna Tinney
qtinney@unch.unc.edu
Department of Psychiatry
Secretary, UNC Housestaff Council