Provena-Covenant Medical Center
http://www.provena.org/covenant/

A.  ORIENTATION

Provena Covenant Medical Center is a 288-bed comprehensive medical facility with a rich history in the Champaign-Urbana community.  Through our predecessor organizations, Mercy Hospital (founded in 1919) and Burnham City Hospital (founded in 1894), we have a legacy of advanced, compassionate care that stretches back over a century.  And today, we're one of east central Illinois' most advanced medical facilities, with a medical staff of 250 physicians representing 37 areas of specialized care.

By merging with two other Catholic health organizations, we became part of the Provena Health System in 1997.  Through this new organization, we're part of an extensive network of hospitals, extended care facilities and clinics dedicated to improving community health care.  And we're working hard locally to put those resources to work.

Through the Provena HeartCare Network, we serve the cardiac care needs of patients in 13 central Illinois and western Indiana counties.  Working together with our sister hospital, Provena United Samaritans Medical Center, we provide a full array of cardiovascular health services, including prevention and wellness education, diagnostic testing, intervention and surgical procedures and cardiac rehabilitation.

We also have the area's largest rehabilitation center, featuring facilities for physical, occupational and speech therapy.  We also have a hospital-based skilled nursing unit designed to help patients integrate more effectively and prepare for going home.

In January 2000, we completed the addition of a brand new cancer center that will offer new treatment methods pioneered locally.  Its design incorporates a holistic approach to care, much like our state-of-the-art Family Maternity Center that includes home-like birthing suites.  While the special touch makes both facilities comfortable for patients, they also feature advanced technology.  Our birthing suites are connected to a Level III Center for Perinatal Care and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, while our new cancer facility features 3-D treatment planning and a new linear accelerator for the precise radiation application.

Provena Covenant also features the area's only dialysis unit and an emergency department that treats more than 30,000 patients each year.

After more than a century of growth and change, we've assembled a team of skilled physicians, nurses, technicians and medical workers dedicated to providing patient-focused community care that makes a difference.  It's an accomplishment we're proud of and a commitment we're determined to keep as the next century unfolds.

The Provena-Covenant Clinical Education Center (CEC) is operated and staffed by the College of Medicine.  It coordinates medical student educational activities at Provena-Covenant Medical Center.  The CEC Director is Dr. Claudia Nugent. Dr. Kathleen Collins is the Clerkship Director. 

The CEC provides support for the Medicine, Psychiatry, and Obstetrics and Gynecology clerkships as well as Electives, Tutorials and the Internal Medicine Residency.  The CEC is staffed from 7:00 am-4:00 pm, Monday-Friday.

Outpatient Clinic:  Students will be assigned to the following outpatient clinics during their Medicine I rotation: 

Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic—1 afternoon
Ambulatory Clinic—typically the last two weeks of the clerkship

B.  REQUIRED CONFERENCES  

You will receive a separate conference schedule with locations and times. Required lectures/conferences include:

C.  HOLIDAYS, SICK, AND PERSONAL DAYS

Students should arrange with their resident for relief from patient responsibilities on either Saturday or Sunday each week.

No lectures or call are scheduled on University holidays.  Arrangements for release from patient responsibilities for the observation of religious holidays can be made through the Clerkship Director and Chief Medical Resident.

Please call the Clerkship Coordinator at 337-2373 if you will not be available because of illness or other personal reason.  Excused absence can only be obtained from the Clerkship Director by prior arrangement.  Extended absences for whatever reason will require the completion of makeup clerkship time.

D. CALL NIGHTS AND TOURS OF DUTY

Call is every fourth night. Sunday thru Friday from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. - 7 a.m.

Call duties: If you are called to evaluate a new patient, review of your completed initial work-up with the resident.  In addition to working up new admissions, you will be called for problems arising with your assigned patients as well as other patients on the teaching service.  This responsibility should encourage you to familiarize yourself with the problems and plans being formulated for all patients on the teaching service.

 E. MEDICAL RECORDS

Medical Records Copying

Copying of any part of the medical record may be done only in the Medical Records Department after obtaining the proper patient release of information.  Photocopies of portions of the medical record cannot be made for rounds or other teaching activities.

Medical Records Dictation

Medicine I students are not to use the Provena-Covenant dictating system.  The required dictated H & P and discharge summary is a residents responsibility.  All student notes must be legibly handwritten or typed.

F. TEACHING SERVICE

A chief medical resident who is responsible for all day-to-day activities on the service staffs the teaching service.  Working with, and under the supervision of the chief resident, are six residents and the medical students.  It is important for good patient care, that interactions among these team members be exemplary.

Rounds with Interns.  The teaching service housestaff and students will make daily work rounds.  The patient’s attending physician should be consulted daily.

Teaching Attending. Student’s case presentations should be concise and well organized.  You should not refer to your notes; however, you are encouraged to present your case in a conversational manner.  A review of the relevant details of a case is important.  In addition, you must dig deeper into details of a case—obtain old medical records, call a previously consulted physician, etc.  The quality of your case presentation is one of the major criteria attending use to evaluate your clinical performance.

Consultations and conferences.  When a patient under your care is presented to a medical conference or a consultation, your attendance is required.  When your patient is to be presented, you will present the case.  Therefore, you should review this ahead of time with your resident.

Cardiac arrests.  When you are on call, go to these with your intern as you are able.