Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Postgraduate Medical Education Office
Safe Ride Home Pilot Project
Pilot Extension to December 2025
Purpose
Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) and the Postgraduate Medical Education Office support and encourage the implementation of fatigue risk management (FRM) strategies at the program level to mitigate the challenges of trainees working long-hours and not being in a safe place, physically or emotionally, to drive home safely.
In some circumstances, mitigation is not possible. As such, KHSC and PGME are launching a pilot project to provide financial support to learners with a one-way taxi ride home to mitigate the effects of fatigue. To ensure it’s equally accessible to all trainees, it will be run on reimbursement so that trainees in on rotation anywhere in Ontario will be able to access funding if they don’t feel it’s safe to drive home. The pilot project is accessible to all residents and clinical fellows.
References
Queen’s PGME Fatigue Risk Management policy
Resident Doctors of Canada
Restrictions
The funding for this program is specific for trainees who are managing fatigue and cannot safely drive home (must be 5 kms or more from the workplace). To be clear, this program is not to be used to address parking for regular and on-call attendance at work.
Requests will be reviewed and monitored during the pilot project to determine if there are systemic issues occurring that would be better managed by changes within programs to address fatigue and trainee wellness.
Process
- This Program will apply to all learners (residents and clinical fellows) inclusive of those away on rotation or permanently based in Oshawa, Peterborough or Belleville.
- Learners will complete this form within 15 business days of using the taxi. It will be reviewed by KHSC and the PGME Office within 15 business days. If it meets the criteria and is approved, the respective office managing payment will email you directly with instructions for reimbursement. Failure to submit the request within 15 days will result in forfeiture of payment.
- KHSC will reimburse MOH funded learners.
- The PGME Office will reimburse sponsored trainees and clinical fellows.
- Periodic audits will occur to determine ongoing need for the program and identify systemic trends that may require other solutions to mitigate fatigue and address trainee wellness.
- Trainees who are not utilizing the program as intended will be required to repay costs.
Questions may be directed to:
Chris Gillies, Vice-President, Medical and Academic Affairs, KHSC
Or
Jordan Sinnett, Associate Director, Operations, Postgraduate Medical Education