Resident work-hour bill lives on in Senate

The measure keeps pressure on physicians despite new ACGME resident work-hour rules.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. May 19, 2003.

The medical education community may have thought federal lawmakers would cut it some slack while it adapted to self-imposed limits on resident work hours, but no such luck.

Sen. Jon Corzine (D, N.J.) reintroduced legislation April 30 to limit the hours medical residents may work. The move keeps the hammer of federal regulation over physicians' heads as they count down to July 1 -- the day when the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education officially restricts all residents to an 80-hour workweek.

Policy watchers say the message to physicians is clear: If you aren't successful in policing yourselves, the government will do it for you.

Darius Goore, Corzine's spokesman, said the senator supported the ACGME efforts but that outside oversight was needed. "The reason why legislation is still necessary is that it will ensure compliance," Goore said. "Many hospitals failed to comply before because there was insufficient oversight and enforcement."

The bill and its companion House legislation, sponsored by Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D, Mich.), would limit resident duty hours to 80 hours per week. The ACGME's cap is 80 hours per week, averaged over four weeks.

Peter Watson, MD, resident trustee of the American Medical Association, said the AMA fully supports the ACGME's efforts. The Association is not opposed to federal legislation but believes it is too soon to go that route, he added.

"Clearly, Corzine and Conyers are sending a message that the public is closely watching what does happen," Dr. Watson said. "These bills give added pressure to get this job done."