Student Rotation Information

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Important Policy Information

Please note that the policy shown below is subject to change without notice due to changes in our fiscal picture. At this time housing cannot be guaranteed and no per diems will be paid. 

COLORADO AREA HEALTH EDUCATION SYSTEM (CAS) ROTATION POLICY V.2.2

Effective date: 07.01.2005
Revision date: 01.03.2006
Termination date: 06.30.2005
Review date: 01.01.2006

This policy will apply to all students of higher education institutions throughout Colorado and residents (participants) in Colorado hospitals who take part in sponsored educational and experiential opportunities in rural and medically underserved areas. Such opportunities shall be referred to as rotations.

1. EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS POLICY: This policy will be in effect for those rotations which begin on or after the effective date. Rotations in place before the effective date will be reimbursed according to the policy in effect at the time the rotation began.

2. ROTATION DEFINED: A rotation is defined as a supervised educational experience approved by a participating school/department. Such rotations shall take place in rural and/or medically underserved areas. Participants may take part in multiple rotations. Housing eligible rotations in excess of three per participant per academic year must be reviewed and approved in advance by the appropriate school coordinator.

3. GEOGRAPHIC SPECIFICATIONS: Areas within a thirty-mile radius of Denver (thus, communities such as Boulder, Golden, Castle Rock, Brighton are not eligible) regardless of status, e.g., a medically underserved area, will not be eligible for reimbursement.

4. TYPES OF ROTATIONS ELIGIBLE: Participants may choose to commute to the clinical site or live-in the community served.

5. HOUSING PAYMENT PARAMETERS: A. AHEC Provided Housing: For those participants who choose to live in community, a maximum of eight (6) weeks (42 days) of housing will be provided for each rotation. Extra weeks must be approved by the department and the AHEC System Office.  Housing, when available, will be coordinated using the regional Area Health Education Center (AHEC) offices. Housing, when available, will be provided either through accommodations owned or leased by the regional AHEC office, or through host housing. Host housing that has been obtained for the participant by the regional AHEC office, will be prepaid to the landlord by the regional AHEC office. For those participants who reside in housing that is either owned or leased by the regional AHEC offices, no lodging or housing charges will be assessed but the maximum length of stay may not exceed 42 consecutive days without the permission of the CAS office. B. Student Obtained Housing:
Students can only find their own housing when AHEC has been unable to find housing or find housing that meets a special medical need.

For those participants who obtain their own housing, through proper procedures, while on rotation, a maximum of $10/day will be reimbursed up to a maximum of 42 days ($420) upon presentation of a properly completed rent receipt. This reimbursement will occur at the end of the rotation and will be made using the University of Colorado travel voucher form. The participant who arranges for housing is responsible for any payments made to the landlord. No reimbursement will be made for participants who reside with relatives. No advance of funds can be made to participants to pay for housing. No reimbursement of lodging will be made to participants in areas of the state where the AHECs have owned, leased, or host housing which was available and unused by the student or resident. Further, if housing that has been obtained for the participant is unused; reimbursement will not be made unless extraordinary circumstances prevail.

Housing Reminder: 

• All students who require housing or will be requesting housing reimbursement must first register online. Students should check that they do require housing. If they AHEC cannot find the student housing due to lack of availability or allergy (other instances will be reviewed on a case by case basis), then and only then, is the student allowed to find their own housing. If host housing was available through the AHEC and the student did not use the AHEC host housing, the student will not be reimbursed for their own host housing. If the AHEC was unable to provide housing and the student found their own housing, in order to be eligible for the reimbursement, they must still check YES under housing required and enter the name and address of the host where they plan to stay.
• Relatives of the student cannot be reimbursed.

6. COMMUTATION EXPENSE PAYMENTS: As of January 1, 2005 students will no longer receive the per diem of $10.00 per week or other rotation expenses.  No reimbursement of any kind will be made to the participant for mileage.

7. METHOD OF REIMBURSEMENT: The reimbursement of for student paid housing will occur at the completion of the rotation using the University of Colorado travel voucher form. An Internal Revenue Service form W-9 will not be required. Reimbursement checks will be mailed directly to the student or resident from the office. The completed updated travel voucher form must be submitted no later than thirty (30) calendar days following the completion of the rotation. Travel voucher forms must be reviewed and approved by the school or department clinical coordinator before it is submitted to the CAS office for approval.

8. REGISTRATION FOR ROTATION(S): A. Method:
All participants who seek housing and/or reimbursement for a rotation must register in the CAS database: https://www2.uchsc.edu/ahec/finaid. No reimbursement will be made if the rotation information cannot be located and verified in this database. B. Timely Registration:
Participants who will require housing while on rotation are strongly encouraged to register in the CAS database at least six (6) weeks prior (more if possible) to the beginning of the rotation.

If you cancel or change a rotation you must notify your department coordinator and the regional AHEC housing coordinator know as soon as possible. If timely notice is not provided you may be charged for the housing.

9. ADHERENCE TO RULES AND REGULATIONS: Participants who stay in housing that has been provided or arranged for by the regional AHEC offices must abide in full with any required housing rules or regulations.

10. OUT-OF-STATE PAYMENTS –LIMITATIONS: A. Expenses:
Housing cannot be reimbursed for those clinical sites outside of the state of Colorado. In certain circumstances the regional AHEC office may be able to provide assistance in locating host housing in sites outside Colorado but cannot provide payment to host housing that is not within the state. B. Travel:
No reimbursement will be made for airfare, bus or train tickets. This ends the policy.

Background for Student Rotations As part of its core mission, the Colorado Area Health Education Center (AHEC) System –a part of the University of Colorado Denver –seeks to improve health care delivery to the state of Colorado especially in rural and medically underserved areas. Students in Colorado colleges and universities as well as medical residents are assigned to rotations in rural and/or underserved clinical sites. Local health care providers, acting as preceptors, benefit from the teaching experience while local areas receive thousands of hours of health care from students and residents who bring up-to-the-minute health care innovation and education to the clinical experience. Additionally, it is hoped that health care professionals will choose to practice in rural and/or underserved areas of the state upon completion of their degree. It has been demonstrated that students who have enjoyed a rotation in a rural and/or underserved area are more likely to practice in a similar setting and also perform better on board or standardized testing than students who did not participate in a rotation. The state is divided into five regions and the Colorado AHEC System has offices in each of these regions to help find student/resident housing and provide support to local health care initiatives that will serve the Colorado AHEC System’s missions and goals. Currently, students may request reimbursement for a maximum of three rotations each year. (The year is measured from 1 July to 30 June.) The maximum number of days for which a student or resident may be reimbursed per rotation is 42.

General information:

• If you will need housing during your rotation you are required to register prior to the start of your rotation. It is strongly recommended that you sign up at least 6 weeks in advance of your start date to permit sufficient time to find housing for you. Colorado AHEC System cannot guarantee we will find housing for you, especially in mountain towns during peak tourist seasons, but every effort is made to find lodging in a host home or in housing that is owned or leased by the Colorado AHEC System. The housing coordinator at each regional AHEC office will contact you with information about your housing as soon as it is known. If you are not contacted by the housing coordinator before your rotation is scheduled to begin, and housing has been requested, please contact the Regional AHEC Office or your department rotation coordinator immediately. If host housing has been arranged for you, please make contact with your host 1-2 weeks prior to your start date to confirm your arrival and finalize any special arrangements that may be needed. Colorado AHEC System has apartments/housing that we own or lease in Grand Junction, Alamosa, Pueblo, Greeley and Fort Collins. For other parts of the state, we find housing for you in private homes when possible. Colorado AHEC System apartments are shared units with other students. Students share kitchen and bathroom facilities. Laundry services are on your own. Computers with Internet access are available. Phone service is also provided but you must use your own telephone calling card. When staying with a host family the rules vary but generally you will fix your own meals and provide for your own laundry. You will be provided a private room. All student/residents are expected to provide their own linens and toiletries. There are no overnight guests allowed in any AHEC or host housing. No exceptions will be made.  No pets are allowed. 
• If you cancel or change a rotation you must notify your department coordinator and the regional AHEC housing coordinator know as soon as possible. If timely notice is not provided you may be charged for the housing.