First Things First: How to Claim a Reimbursement

  1. Call any taxi company or rideshare (town car and limousine services are not eligible).
  2. Request a receipt that indicates the pick-up, drop-off point and the fare paid, not including tip. Electronic receipts may be used.
  3. Submit the receipt, along with reason for the taxi ride, date and time, and pick-up/drop-off locations, through UW GME’s new submission form. (This is a new process for Safe Ride Home requests that makes it more difficult for us to track denials and issues, so please reach out to hthompson@cirseiu.org if there are any problems with your request for reimbursement.)
  4. Receipts must be submitted within thirty days of date of service.

Purpose

We would like to avoid the situation where a resident who is unsafe getting home after work gets injured while on their way home. Our worry is that a resident who feels unsafe still chooses unsafe methods to get home because they don’t feel they have a better option. The UW GME has enacted some measures, which are protected by the UW-RFPU CBA, to help mitigate this concern and are outlined in the UW GME Emergency/Safe Ride Home Program policy. We appreciate these efforts made by the UW GME to mitigate this concern, but we do not feel they go far enough to minimize the risk posed to residents. The primary determining factor of whether or not a resident may use the UW GME safe ride home program is whether or not the city buses are running at the time the resident is seeking to go home as the GME feels this is a safe option if they are running. The RFPU disagrees and feel that unsafe situations are likely to arise even while the city buses are running, and if a bus is a resident’s only other option for getting home, they are still likely to choose an alternative unsafe option. Thus we enact the Supplemental Emergency/Safe Ride Home Program to help mitigate the risk posed to residents at times when the UW GME Safe Ride Home Program does not apply.

Description of the Program

If a situation arises where, due to extreme fatigue, illness or the late hour, an intern, resident or fellow (“trainee”) is unable to safely get home at the end of or during his/her shift using the method in which they got to work that day, the trainee may use the RFPU Supplemental Emergency/Safe Ride Home Program. This program provides transportation to the trainee’s place of residence via taxi from an approved training site. Please note that any reimbursements requested by the RFPU which could be fulfilled by the GME Emergency/Safe Ride Home program will be submitted to the GME by the RFPU on behalf of the resident.

Examples of Emergencies:

  • You have worked extended hours (over 16 hours) and are feeling sleep-deprived.
  • You feel fatigued or ill and are concerned about falling asleep while driving, regardless of the length of shift you’ve worked.
  • You walk bike, and worked longer than expected and don’t feel safe getting home walking or biking
  • You have used the GME Emergency Safe Ride Home Program and now need a ride the next day back to the place of training as you had to leave your bike or car.
  • You do not feel safe commuting to work or back home from work because of emergency weather i.e. ice or snow storms, extreme weather advisories/warnings, etc.

Examples of Situations Not Considered Emergencies:

  • Travel from work to a scheduled appointment or other destination that is not your home.
  • Use of the program on a routine basis for commuting home when you have to work late.
  • Travel from a training or non-training site location to your home because of a personal emergency situation at home.
  • Commuting from a distant training rotation site to your home.

Important Note: Rides that could be reimbursed under the GME’s policy can still be submitted to RFPU. We will pass along to GME on your behalf, and cover appropriate reimbursements if they fail to do so!