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Ombuds Office
Rosa Garner, Ombudsperson
2262 Health Sciences Learning Center
750 Highland Ave
Madison, WI 53705
Direct Phone: (608) 265-9666
Direct Fax: (608) 265-9773
Email: rgarner@facstaff.wisc.edu
 Annual Report
What is an ombudsperson?
The Medical School ombudsperson serves as a neutral, independent and
confidential resource for faculty, staff and students within the Medical School
community. Staff associated with the UW Hospital and Clinics may also find help
here.
- Neutral - The Medical School ombudsperson serves as a neutral, independent and
confidential resource for faculty, staff and students within the Medical School
community. Staff associated with the UW Hospital and Clinics may also find help
here.
- Independent - The ombudsperson is independent of existing administrative or academic structures and is responsible only to the dean of the Medical School. The ombuds office supplements the existing resources available to faculty, staff and students.
- Confidential - The ombudsperson will treat all matters confidentially within the bounds of the law. Your privacy will be respected. Should the pursuit of an inquiry require the disclosure of details that identify you, you will be contacted and no further action will be taken without your permission. When there is a potential threat to safety or a legal proceeding with subpoena, it may have to be shared.
The UW Medical School is a large and complex institution. It has 25 departments and two main locations on campus - the Medical Sciences Center and Clinical Science Center. Misunderstandings and disagreements can occur. People sometimes treat each other in an unprofessional manner. Conflict can drain emotional energy, decrease productivity, complicate a dilemma or add stress. You may need assistance. The ombuds office is a place where you will find help to handle interpersonal and professional difficulties. The ombudsperson is an impartial complaint-handler who strives to see that people are treated fairly and equitably at UWMS.
What will the ombudsperson do?
- Provide a comfortable, confidential environment for students, staff and faculty to air concerns
- Listen to complaints or grievances
- Work with people to develop options for resolving their concerns or complaints
- Open channels of communication
- Suggest approaches for addressing and managing conflicts
- Research and provide answers to questions regarding a policy or procedure
- Serve as a neutral third party in conflict resolution
- Seek fair and equitable solutions to problems
What powers does the ombudsperson have?
- Brings issues to the attention of those with authority to address concerns
- Persuades in decision-making
- Reports systemic issues to the Dean and other leaders with recommendations for resolution
Types of Concerns Reported to the Medical School Ombudsperson
The ombudsperson will provide you with a safe forum to voice concerns, organize thoughts, assess feelings, evaluate a situation and decide on what is important and relevant to your dilemma.
- CAREER AND ACADEMIC ISSUES- academic concerns dealing with performance, grading, compensation, promotion, work planning and scheduling, work environment, work overload, work styles, communication breakdown, job future, impact of reorganizations, mentoring
- ABUSE - harassing unkind behavior, unprofessional demeanor, sexual harassment, retaliation, insensitivity, personality conflicts, hostile workplace, oppressive management practices
- DISCRIMINATION - different treatment due to race, gender, mental and physical disabilities, sexual orientation, religion, age
- INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY - research opportunity, proprietorship or authorship of work, conflicts of interest, professional misconduct, misrepresentation of data, protocol error
- MISCELLANEOUS - fear of retaliation, safety, stress and ethical dilemmas
Working with the ombudsperson, you can explore options ranging from simply talking about your problem to pursuing a formal grievance proceeding. You select the options you prefer. If all attempts at resolving the situation informally have failed, you may choose a more formal grievance process. Medical School policies and procedures, as well as those of the University of Wisconsin, provide many options for formal grievance. Union members will follow the process outlined in their collective bargaining agreement.For many people, contacting the ombudsperson will be a safe first step. If you are in need of specific expertise, referral information will be provided on other issues, policies or resources.
Brief Biography - Rosa Garner, Ombudsperson
Rosa Garner is the ombudsperson at the UW Medical School. She can informally assist faculty, staff or students who are dealing with conflict related to interpersonal interactions, climate concerns or professional barriers within our Medical School community. When appropriate, she may act as an intermediary or mediate disputes between parties.
Rosa holds a Juris Doctor in Law from the University of Denver Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from North Carolina State University. She has advanced training in ombuds practice, mediation, negotiation, public policy development and administrative investigation.
Prior to coming to the UW Medical School in April of 1998, Rosa conducted research for the Wisconsin Council on Developmental and Physical Disabilities and pursued her interests in writing and publishing. Before relocating to Madison with her husband in 1996, Rosa lived in Anchorage, Alaska, for 22 years, serving as ombudsman for the City of Anchorage and the Anchorage School District for four years and deputy ombudsman for the State of Alaska for four years. She also worked as an attorney in private practice and with the state court system and juvenile corrections for many years.
With over a decade of commitment to ombuds service and principles, Rosa is an active member of the University and College Ombuds Association, The Ombudsman Association, and the United States Ombudsman Association. She formerly served on the board of USOA, as president from 1995-1996, and is currently newsletter editor and business manager for the organization.
Medical School Ombuds Listserv
The University of Wisconsin Medical School sponsors a listserv for medical school ombuds across North America - "MedSchOmbuds Listserv." The listserv was developed to provide a forum for discussion of the challenging issues ombuds in medical schools encounter in their work with faculty, staff and students. Topics of interest may include trends in academic medicine and strategies in responding to concerns about work environment stresses, leadership, communication, career management, funding disparities, compensation, promotion, sexual harassment, discrimination, intellectual property, lack of collegiality, academic productivity and ethical dilemmas. Any other related issues can also be raised or discussed.
MedSchOmbuds listserv is private. Postings are by subscribers only. Postings are unmoderated. Postings are not archived. Interested persons may request subscription by contacting Rosa Garner
Ombuds Office - Training
EXPLORING RESPECT IN THE WORKPLACE
A facilitated workshop and discussion available to all Medical School departments, sections, offices, work groups - people who work together - once each month during the academic year. This workshop can be tailored to the concerns of staff or issues in each workgroup. Estimated time required for a session is 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
For additional information and available dates contact Rosa Garner.
Discussion topics may include:- What is respect?
- Why is it important?
- What values, behaviors and skills are important?
- How can we enhance respect within our workgroup?
Featuring "The Respectful Workplace" video series:- Opening the Right Doors
- Diffusing Hostility
- Managing Harmony
- How can we enhance respect within our workgroup?
Facilitators:- Rosa Garner, Medical School Ombudsperson
- Kathleen Holt, Employee Assistance Office
- Steve Pilster-Pearson, Employee Assistance Office
Brief History of Ombudsing
The position of ombudsman was originally created in Sweden in 1809. The Swedish Parliament appointed an ombudsman to resolve difficult problems in the absence of the country's abducted king. Ombud, a common word in the Swedish language, means the people's representative, agent, attorney, solicitor, deputy, proxy or delegate.*
The ombuds concept spread through the Scandinavian nations and, eventually, to countries around the globe. The United Nations views ombudsing as an important tool to help protect and promote international human rights and, as a result, many ombuds offices have been established in the governments of third world countries. In the United States and Canada, ombuds agencies have been created to assist citizens, consumers and employees who wish to address concerns about administrative actions or lack of action. The ombuds function is used in state and local governments, nursing homes, the media, colleges and universities, industry, prisons, and, most recently, in agencies of the federal government.*
Eastern Montana College was the first educational institution in the United States to appoint an ombudsperson (1966). In 1967, Michigan State University became the first major U.S. university to establish an ombuds office. During the period of nationwide campus unrest (the late 1960s and early 1970s), a number of universities established ombuds offices in an attempt to respond to demands for a neutral, confidential and "safe" place to discuss concerns and voice complaints. It is now estimated that more than 200 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada have established ombuds offices.*
Many medical schools in the U.S. began to adopt the ombudsperson role during the last decade. Harvard, Yale and Stanford were pioneers in establishing an ombudsperson for the exclusive use of their medical school communities. In recent years, several public universities opened ombuds offices. The UW Medical School appointed its first ombudsperson in April 1998, under the provisions of the Medical School Faculty Diversity Plan, Phase II. The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center and UCLA Medical Center developed offices on their campuses during the next year. Other private and public universities and colleges have ombuds offices that serve a greater campus community, including a medical school enterprise.
*Excerpts from The University and College Ombuds Association Handbook
The Ombudsman Association Code of Ethics ©1985
The UW Medical School Ombudsperson is a member in good standing of The Ombudsman Association and bases her ombuds practice on TOA's Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.
The ombudsman, as a designated arbiter, is responsibile for maintaining strict confidentiality concerning matters that are brought to his/her attention unless given permission to do otherwise. The only exceptions, at the sole discretion of the ombudsman, are where there appears to be imminent threat of serious harm.
The ombudsman must take all reasonable steps to protect any records and files pertaining to confidential discussions from inspection by all other persons, including management.The ombudsman should not testify in any formal judicial or administrative hearing about concerns brought to his/her attention.
When making recommendations, the ombudsman has the responsibility to suggest actions or policies that will be equitable to all parties.
The Ombudsman Association Standards of Practice ©1985
The mission of the organizational ombudsman is to provide a confidential, neutral and informal process which facilitates fair and equitable resolutions to concerns that arise in the organization. In performing this mission, the ombudsman serves as an information and communication resource, upward feedback channel, advisor, dispute resolution expert and change agent.
While serving in this role:
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We adhere to The Ombudsman Association Code of Ethics.
- We base our practice on confidentiality.
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Any data that we prepare should be scrutinized carefully to safeguard the identity of each individual whose concerns are represented.
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Publicity about our office conveys the confidential nature of our work.
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- We assert that there is a privilege with respect to communications with the ombudsman and we resist testifying in any formal process inside or outside the organization.
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Communications between an ombudsman and others (made while the ombudsman is serving in that capacity) are considered privileged. Others cannot waive this privilege.
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An ombudsman keeps no case records on behalf of the organization. If an ombudsman finds case notes necessary to manage the work, the ombudsman should establish and follow a consistent and standard practice for the destruction of any such written notes.
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When necessary, the ombudsman's office will seek judicial protection for staff and records of the office. It may be necessary to seek representation by separate legal counsel to protect the privilege of the office.
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- We exercise discretion whether to act upon a concern of an individual contacting the office. An ombudsman may initiate action on a problem he or she perceives directly.
- We are designated arbiters and remain independent of ordinary line and staff structures. We serve no additional role (within an organization where we serve as ombudsman) which would compromise this neutrality.
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An ombudsman strives for objectivity and impartiality.
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The ombudsman has a responsibility to consider the concerns of all parties known to be involved in a dispute.
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We do not serve as advocates for any person in a dispute within an organization; however, we do advocate for fair processes and their fair administration.
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We help develop a range of responsible options to resolve problems and facilitate discussion to identify the best options. When possible, we help people develop new ways to solve problems themselves.
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An ombudsman should exercise discretion before entering into any additional affiliations, roles or actions that may impact the neutrality of the function within the organization.
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We do not make binding decisions, mandate policies or adjudicate issues for the organization. |
- We remain an informal and off-the-record resource. Formal investigations - for the purpose of adjudication - should be done by others. In the event that an ombudsman accepts a request to conduct a formal investigation, a memo should be written to file noting this action as an exception to the ombudsman role. Such investigations should not be considered privileged.
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Individuals should not be required to meet with an ombudsman. All interactions with the ombudsman should be voluntary. |
- We foster communication about the philosophy and function of the ombudsman's office with the people we serve.
- We provide feedback on trends, issues, policies and practices without breaching confidentiality or anonymity. We identify new problems and we provide support for responsible systems change.
- We keep professionally current and competent by pursuing continuing education and training relevant to the ombudsman profession.
- We will endeavor to be worthy of the trust placed in us.
Other Useful Links
Links to Medical School Ombuds
 Harvard Medical School
Stanford University Medical School
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
National Institutes of Health (related site)
Links to Ombuds Organizations
The Ombudsman Association
University and College Ombuds Association |
