INTRO TO THE NEW ESA VACATION LOTTERY
The ESA Vacation Lottery for physicians is now a process conducted using the ESA VACATION APP. Information about the lottery goals, rules and procedures, instructions on accessing the app, and a link to "How to Use the App" can be found on this page. If you wish to receive text messages about the lottery, please navigate to the "How to opt in to Twilio SMS Messaging" and to the "ESA VACATION APP Privacy and SMS Consent Policy" and follow the instructions. This is not required to participate in the lottery.
The 2027 ESA Vacation Lottery will be carried out using the ESA VACATION APP to achieve the following goals:
1) Reduce the administrative burden of carrying out the lottery.
2) Provide a user friendly interface for providers to select their vacation weeks.
3) Maintain a stable level of weekly staffing for patient care.
3) Ensure adequate night and weekend call coverage for each hospital.
4) Allow providers to view the grid and select available vacation weeks in real time.
5)Incorporate time limits to ensure completion of the lottery in a reasonable timeframe.
6)Maintain the traditional ESA vacation lottery structure of restricted prepicks and randomized pick numbers.
7) As before, lack of access to the internet will be handled by direct communication with Mike or Joy.
THE VACATION LOTTERY STRUCTURE AND RULES
Each week of the year, a limited number of physicians can be on vacation at one time. Each participant will be assigned a randomized number indicating their order of picking vacation weeks for each round. "The vacation grid" is viewable within the ESA VACATION APP and will show each week of the year (numbered 1-52), with associated dates, and the "slots" that are available for each week. The grid is color coded green to show selections that are available and yellow to show selections that are taken. Slots on the vacation grid that are not available to anyone will show as N/A and will be gray. The grid will be restricted during the PREPICK rounds. At some point during rounds 8 or 9, as late as possible, some remaining slot number 8's will be converted to N/A. This is necessary to maintain stable staffing throughout the year.
The PREPICK rounds (for eligible call takers) will be tightly restricted as in years past for those that qualify. A maximum of 2 slots from each week can be taken during the two PREPICK rounds. For the MAIN LOTTERY, the grid will be expanded to 8 slots for each week during at least rounds 1-7 but reduced as necessary late in the lottery to ensure stable staffing. The number of Call Takers per Call Team on vacation at one time will be limited to ensure adequate weekend coverage. If your selection is blocked and you receive an automated message related to Call team coverage, you may offer to work an attached weekend and I will override the block. No physician is permitted to occupy more than 2 holiday weeks (Public Spring Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years) and this will be manually enforced.
Each ROUND of the PREPICK LOTTERY and the MAIN LOTTERY will run in consecutive order, alternating forwards and backwards (e.g. 1 to 50 or 50 to 1) such that the provider picking first in round 1 will pick last in round 2. The pick numbers will be re-randomized for every odd numbered round to minimize any perceived advantages to being #1 (This is new from previous years). When it is your turn, you will be prompted by email (and also text messaging if you OPT IN) to review the vacation grid and select a vacation week (using the app) within 24 hours. A participant can first change prior selections made during an earlier round (tap on that earlier round before executing your pick for the active round). Selections and changes for the current and prior rounds can be made during your turn and only during your turn. A five minute grace period allows for corrections or changes after you CONFIRM your pick for the current round. After 5 minutes, your selection is finalized, your seletion window is closed, and the lottery advances to the next physician. Anytime you make a selection or change one, you can observe the changes on the grid in real time and also confirm by tapping and viewing your personal SELECTIONS SUMMARY which will update in real time.
If your 24-hour window closes during a vacation round without having made a selection, you must contact the lottery administrators (Mike or Joy). The administrator will insert your late pick and exchange a prior selection (if requested) based on what is still available. The grid will be constantly changing as others make their selections in real time. There is no guaranteed response time for having a late pick entered, but it will occur ASAP.
Each physician will need to first download the ESA VACATION app to their device. Instructions for downloading the app for iphone and for android devices are found in separate links below. Do not search the App store and Google Play Store, use the direct links provided. Details on using the app can be found using the link at the bottom of this page (How To Use The ESA VACATION APP).
Everyone will receive email updates about their selection window (from notifications@esavacationlottery.com). These messages will indicate when your turn is approaching "next", when your turn begins, will include a reminder every 2 hours during your turn, a warning when your selection window is an hour from closing, and a notice that your window has closed). Once a selection is made, the next physician’s 24-hour window opens. 24 hours allows for the occasional situation where a physician is unavailable for a day, however for this to work in a reasonable time-frame, we do need most physicians to make their selections ASAP once their window is opened.
If you opt into text messaging (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED after reviewing our ESA VACATION APP PRIVACY AND SMS CONSENT POLICY), you will also receive the exact same automated notifications via text to your phone. This may be particularly helpful if you don't frequently check your email account, but is not required. SMS messages and email notifications will be silenced between 11pm and 6am. I you prefer a larger window of silence, please silence your phone.
You can download the ESA VACATION APP by following the instructions in one of the links below:
Instructions for downloading the IPHONE ESA VACATION app
Instructions for downloading the ANDROID ESA VACATION app
How To Use The ESA VACATION APP