Bakersfield, Calif.-based Kern Medical CEO Russell Judd said April 12 the hospital will suspend its surgery residency program June 30 after the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education stripped the program of its accreditation status, according to Bakersfield.com.
Mr. Judd told the publication ACGME informed the hospital of its decision after a February audit of the program resulted in the termination of its accreditation status. He said the exact reasons for the loss in status are unknown because ACGME has not sent the hospital a formal report documenting its findings.
He said once the hospital receives the report, officials will work quickly to implement changes to fix the issues and reapply for ACGME certification.
There are currently 13 residents enrolled in Kern Medical's surgery residency program, according to ACGME records cited by Bakersfield.com. Mr. Judd told the publication five residents will graduate before the program ends. However, eight residents, including four who were scheduled to begin their training July 1, will need to enroll in programs elsewhere.
Several of the hospital's residency programs have faced challenges during the last few years, according to the report. Mr. Judd said when he came to the hospital, four of its residency programs were on probation.
However, the hospital's surgery residency program has been on probation or under close watch by the ACGME for several years. Mr. Judd said the program's past challenges included a lack of surgeons to train residents in particular subspecialties, Bakersfield.com reports.
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