FCMA’s Physician Employment Services
With more and more physicians becoming employees of large group practices and hospital systems, FCMA has created a benefit program specifically designed to assist its physician employee members. The program includes providing you with assistance in the following areas:
-
Reviewing and negotiating your employment agreements. Whether you are a resident or fellow in training, a physician employee who completed training years ago, or even a director of a department, whether this is your first contract, or you are renewing an existing contract, you need to understand all the provisions of the contract and how they may impact you. These include compensation, termination, restrictive covenants, what outside activities you can do, protecting your intellectual property, whether you need to pay for “tail” coverage, and other obligations.
-
Dispute resolution. As an employee you might find yourself subject to an investigation because of a complaint by a patient regarding your treatment, or an allegation by a co-worker that you engaged in sexual harassment or a hostile work environment, or an audit by a third-party payor or law enforcement agency claiming that your medical records do not support the claims and billings or that you provided medically unnecessary services or engaged in fraud. What if your employer takes adverse action against you, including placing you on unpaid leave, probation, suspending or terminating you? How can you best protect yourself?
-
Providing educational programs and information. FCMA will provide programs and other forms of information that will benefit you regardless of how many years you have been in practice. These programs are developed with the purpose of providing you guidance on “best practices” as employees, whether it involves how to create a better medical record that can protect you and your employer, how to minimize a sexual harassment claim by another employee, what are your rights under state and federal family leave laws or what happens if you are disabled. Other educational programs frequently requested which the FCMA shall continue to offer include how to best negotiate your employment agreement and better understand the various compensation models.
-
Providing a clearinghouse. FCMA will be a resource for physicians searching for job opportunities and for employers seeking to fill positions.
In addition to the above, FCMA can assist you in a variety of other matters.
If your needs involve reviewing/negotiating your employment agreements and/or dispute resolution, you can consult with FCMA’s General Counsel, Garfunkel Wild, P.C., and speak with either Barry Cepelewicz or Andrew Zwerling at 203-316-0483. Should you decide to retain the firm, you will be provided a membership discount.
