House Staff Council
The House Staff Council is the self-governing body and representative body of the residents of Creighton Medical School of Medicine Residency Training Programs located at CHI Bergan Mercy.
Mission Statement
The mission of the House Staff Council shall be to represent the House Staff of Creighton University to develop, promote and advocate for medical education and patient centered care in the community.
We have representatives elected to serve on the GMEC and its subcommittees and in doing so are able to provide input into policies on patient care, the community, and decisions affecting the house staff such as the efficient use of house staff time, along with salary and benefit planning.
In recent years, the Council has addressed house staff healthcare issues, including the approval of Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) disability insurance with no medical exam required for all house staff officers. The Council has also worked with the administration on work hours and supervision, and participated in the establishment of a House Staff Relief Fund to support house staff educational initiatives. We are also involved in effecting quality of life improvements such as meal cards. The Council also donates to various charities in the Omaha Metro area.
In addition, the Council hosts social events to bring together residents from all departments. The House Staff Relief Fund provides financial support to fellow house officers who suffer from catastrophic or unforeseen major expense.
To be effective, the House Staff Council needs the participation and assistance of all members of the house staff. Each department has at least one elected representatives on the House Staff Council unless they have more than 10 members in which case they’d have at least two.
Each department meets the third Wednesday of each month. House staff interested in serving on the Council should or anyone with suggestions and comments can feel free to contact the officers of the HSC directly or the president at HouseStaffCouncil@creighton.edu.
President
May Li-Jedras
Vice President
Josh Babbin
Secretary
Rutvij Patel
Treasurer
Marcellus Singh
Privacy Officer
Nick Mielke
Social Chair
Marisa Varghese
Community Service Chair
Caitlin Leconte
Quality Improvement
Ali Bin Abdul Jabbar
DEI Chair
Nasrin Rahimian
The House Staff Council meets monthly to discuss new business related to residents and to provide updates on ongoing projects and initiatives. House Staff Council meetings are also an important open forum for residents to provide input on new issues.
House Staff Council meetings take place at 5:30 pm on the third Wednesday of each month. All residents are encouraged to attend meetings to provide feedback to the administration as well as to learn about policy and procedure changes being implemented.
Relief Fund Request
Download the Relief Fund Request Form (.docx)
The House Staff Relief Fund is a slush fund that is subsidized, managed, and disbursed by the Creighton University House Staff Council. Its purpose is to serve as an emergency source of funds for house staff physicians in extraordinary, acute financial need.
Eligible to all of Creighton University’s house staff.
- House Staff physician must be a current member in good standing of his/her respective GME sponsored program.
- House Staff are eligible one-time during the entirety of residency or fellowship training
- House Staff who complete two separate training programs at Creighton University (e.g. residency followed by fellowship) are eligible only once during both tenure.
- House Staff must demonstrate acute financial need, including the following situations encountered by the House Staff member or a dependent:
- Unexpected or extensive health care costs accrued
- Unexpected personal debt (vehicle or housing unexpectedly lost or damaged)
- Travel for family emergencies
- Loss of or unexpected gap in employment and subsequent salary
- Unexpected loss of research or other funding source
- Death of a dependent or spouse
- Death of House Staff member (note that in this situation a deviation from set guidelines on disbursement amounts is appropriate and allowable)
- Other situations will be entertained on a case by case basis
Additional Resources for House Staff Physicians
Guaranteed Standard Issue Disability Insurance:
We are excited to share that effective January 1, 2026, a new Guardian Guaranteed Standard Issue (GSI) Disability Insurance Plan is now officially available to all Creighton Omaha trainees. This program is available exclusively through PH Financial Group and Pacific Advisors and provides residents and fellows access to one of the most valuable financial protection benefits available to physicians.
A Guardian GSI plan allows eligible trainees to secure high-quality, specialty-specific individual disability insurance while in training, without medical underwriting, and with significant long-term advantages throughout your career.
Key Advantages of the Guardian GSI Plan:
- Guaranteed approval — no medical exams or underwriting required
- True Own-Occupation coverage with enhanced specialty language for physicians
- Up to a 30% permanent discount locked in during training
- Portable coverage you keep when you graduate, change jobs, or relocate
- Tax-free benefits, unlike most employer group disability plans
- Partial disability and residual benefit protection
- Optional cost-of-living (inflation) protection
- Ability to increase benefits later as income grows
- Helps protect your most valuable asset — your future earning potential
