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December 9, 2005

More on the Cut of 180 Faculty

The hard knocks keep coming to the medical school. In my last entry I quoted the University's article on the decision to cut 180 faculty. The dean names one of the consultants below.

December 9, 2005

The University has been proactive in developing a plan in response to Hurricane Katrina. A consultant firm with an international reputation was hired to work with the Health Sciences Center Leadership to develop a vision and plan for the future. This team was headed by Dr. David Chin, a Harvard M.D. and a Stanford MBA. In addition, several Presidents of Universities who oversee world renowned medical centers acted as consultants.

President Cowen has announced publicly that he wants our School to be in the upper echelons of Medical Schools. To achieve this goal we have had to define what is mission critical for our School so that we can develop a firm base on which to grow and expand in the future. A clear indication of the President’s commitment to this goal is the fact that the University is guaranteeing the total salary of mission critical faculty through June 30, 2007. This represents almost two years of post-Katrina support which will ensure the quality of our faculty and our educational programs. This will also ensure our educational mission continues to be central to everything we do. The educational experience for our students and residents this year has been of the highest quality thanks to the dedication of the Tulane faculty and the generosity of the South Texas Alliance. We are all committed to continuing to provide the highest quality education when our students and residents return to New Orleans for the next academic year.

Ian L. Taylor, M.D.
Associate Senior Vice President for the Health Sciences
Dean, Tulane University School of Medicine

More on Dr Chin here, a report on a project he did for the VA, an article about the project. He is on the advisory board for Harvard Med's Health Care Policy department. He works for PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Here he is on a video from PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

I've heard talk of people suing for damages that were caused in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Payroll cuts are THE sure sign that an organization is having a tough time. In light of payroll cuts, I don't think anyone with a vested interest in the school would be looking out for their own interests by trying to milk money from the school, whether to punish the school or because they need money. To the punishment argument: that's just not going accomplish a systemic effect without punitive damages, and, given the weakness of the case to begin with, I don't think punitive damages are reasonable goal. To the argument that a student needs the money: in the long run, and this may seem cold-hearted but read on, those scant posessions in a dorm are non-issue. Reading on, think about the conversations my wife and I must have had with a mortgage and a house full of possessions accumulated over ten years, toys for kids, etc. Thankfully we didn't get hit. Meanwhile we're paying a mortgage in a house we're not living in. Anything that fit in a dorm room is a rounding error in the life of a future physician. Get over it, the school is more important. Come meditate on the pull-out couch I'm sleeping on for nine months.

Also, by comparison, LSU Health Science Center laid off 430 without pay or benefits.

This post isn't in favor of the dean, the university's consultants, the faculty, the students or anyone else. I do believe the organization should be everyone's long term concern because it seems to be on shaky ground and we all signed on. Ship, shipmate, self.

Posted by Niels Olson at December 9, 2005 5:42 PM

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