Four Top Complaints of Employed Doctors

The rapid rise in the employment of physicians by health systems has been repeatedly noted. A recent survey by yet another recruitment company found that 70% of health care leaders say physicians are approaching them for employment. Yet, the data has also consistently shown that this is a money losing proposition for the hospitals in many ways, in part because once employed, the hospitals do not facilitate the physicians' clinical integration or undertake any effort to actually improve value [See also issues: #1: 61, 55, 48]. In "Four Top Complaints of Employed Doctors", newly employed physicians complain about (1) being "bossed around by less educated administrators;" (2) not being able to make decisions about staff and personnel; (3) having less authority over billing and charge coding; and (4) being forced to use new equipment and technology. In addition to the efficiencies of many of the organizations now employing physicians, the consolidation in the industry is raising other concerns with respect to provider power and negotiating with plans. It is not hard to imagine that many of the employment strategies will unravel. Whether physicians have prepared well in their negotiations with the hospital in the first place for life after a failed transaction is something that needs to be dealt with in the first place. More to the point, in many instances, health systems and hospitals can get precisely the same impact that they seek from employment without the troubles while physicians can function more effectively in their own environments. We have repeatedly stated this ("Alignment Without Servitude: Leasing the Practice to the Hospital"), and have facilitated many practices in a wide variety of affiliation strategies with hospitals and health systems that fall short of employment and "avoid marriage." [See also issues: #1: 54, 52, 47]