Completing PLOA

  1. Can I use the BCM Template for all affiliate hospitals?

The BCM Template may be used for all institutions besides Methodist and MD Anderson. Both MD Anderson and Methodist draft their own PLOAs.

  1. What do I put on the third line of the PLOA

If your program completes special rotations with different site directors, you can add the specific rotation here, if not, then you can just put your program name. Example: Emergency medicine completes an orthopedic rotation, so the first line would be Emergency Medicine and the third line would be Orthopedic Rotation.

  1. We are sending trainees to both TCH Medical Center and TCH West Campus/Katy, do I need two separate PLOAs

Satellite campuses, such as TCH West Campus in Katy, should have their own PLOAs. While TCH and Women’s Pavilion may be covered under one single PLOA.

  1. I cover 3 subprograms, with the same program director and site director, do I need 3 separate PLOAs or does one suffice?

Although a single PLOA that provides all the appropriate information (i.e. the content of the experience, supervision, evaluation, length of assignment, policies and procedures) for three subprograms at the same facility would be acceptable, such a document may be long and overly complicated. It may be easier to have the three separate PLOAs to avoid confusion, depending on the situation.

  1. Who signs the acknowledged section?

Some programs choose to have their section heads or chairmen sign under the BCM acknowledged, which is fine! Some institutions choose to have their CEOs or legal sign under the affiliate/site side, such as BSLMC and TCH.

  1. Help, I added a name, and the spacing is all off now!

No worries! Legal has the ability to edit the formatting. Please submit the PLOA as it is, and I can have legal unlock the document to fix this problem.

  1. What should be included under “basic information?”

The basic information should include the normal work hours, program director and site director

  1. My trainees don’t have didactics, call, or continuity clinic, what do I put there?

If the residents do not participate in any of these, please put ‘not applicable’.

  1. What should go under goals and objectives?

ACGME requires PLOAs to specify both the duration and content of the rotation. Exhibit A is meant to fulfill the “content” requirement. Please provide a brief summary of the goals and objectives. They can be bullet points, and the same general summary can be used for multiple PLOAs if possible.

  1. I have completed the PLOA template, now what?

Once the PLOA is complete, please send them to Lauren Macha, she will forward them to legal for their approval. Once legal has approved, you will be notified that signatures may now be obtained.

  1. Should I send a word doc or a PDF?

Please submit your PLOAs in a word document format, so if edits need to be made they can be made easily.

Elective PLOAs

  1. Someone is sending their trainee to BCM, what do I do? What template do I use?

Rotators that are coming to BCM to complete an elective should complete the BCM rotators template.

  1. I am sending my trainee to a different hospital for a one month elective, what do I do?

Firstly, please check with the institution to see if they have their own PLOA template. If they do, then please submit the completed form to Lauren and she will send to legal for their approval. If the institution does not have their own template, then the BCM outside rotators template may be used.

  1. Someone is sending a trainee for longer than a month, What do I do?

Typically, elective rotations are a one month, one time only rotation. If a trainee will be participating in a rotation that is longer, this will need to go through DRMAC for approval before the trainee can start.

  1. I have an outside rotator coming to BCM for a TCH rotation

In this case, TCH will sign as the ‘acknowledged’. The agreement is primarily between BCM and the outside institution sending the trainee, with TCH being the actual site. The bulk of the PLOA will pertain to BCM and the outside institution with only TCH signing the acknowledged section as a third party.

Common Questions

  1. My Program Director has changed

When Program Directors change, new PLOAs must be drafted to reflect this change.

  1. My chairman has changed

Chairmen are no longer required to sign PLOAs. Therefore if a chairman has changed, the PLOA in place is still valid. If you would like to redraft the PLOAs on the new template so that the chairman is not listed, that is completely fine but not necessary.

  1. How long are PLOAs good for?

There is no minimum effective term, but the maximum for all PLOAs is 5 years.

  1. How do I know when they have expired?

If you would like to check to see if the PLOA is still valid, please see the ‘Term and Termination’ section to see the effective term length. By using the effective date as the starting date, you may then count the effective term length to see if it has yet expired. Also, keep in mind that the Program Director and Site Directors must still be valid for the PLOA to be valid. This information can also be found under ‘General Provisions’ on the older BCM templates.

  1. The template says ‘residents’ but is for ‘fellows’

The ACGME recognizes all trainees, whether residents or fellows, as residents. Therefore residents is the appropriate legal terminology for PLOAs.

  1. I received an approved PLOA, but is missing the BCM legal stamp!

In the past, BCM Legal would stamp the PLOAs and require a hardcopy original to be signed. Recently, BCM has dissolved this policy and no longer stamps PLOAs, nor requires hardcopy originals to be signed. You will receive an email saying that the PLOA has been approved, and from thenceforth you may obtain the necessary signatures.