Increasing Transparency, Empowering Physicians
Diverse practice models align physician career goals.
ACEP has always supported the right of our members, and all emergency physicians, to make their own decisions regarding employment type. We recognize that the diversity of our membership calls for diverse practice models. ACEP wants to define and clarify the conversation about physician groups and work to ensure transparency in employment models, ownership models and leadership models and to stand firm in our support of best practices. Language repeated in two 2020 Council resolutions directed the Board of Directors to work to ensure billing transparency and due process for emergency physicians. To that end, ACEP has been answering that call for transparency in a three-pronged approach.
Access to the Best Resources
We remain committed to supporting our members as they seek employment by providing resources that equip them to fully understand their employment contract and its implications for their practice. Throughout 2021, we have created or enhanced resources that prepare members to make informed assessments of employment opportunities based upon their personal priorities and criteria.
ACEP worked with our Medical-Legal Committee leaders to create an Employment Contract Checklist to help ACEP members negotiate the many components of an employment contract, including non-compete clauses, geographic location, family/maternity leave, coverage of extended absences within the group, partnership and more. ACEP’s Young Physicians Section organized a webinar, “Standard Contract Precautions: Identify Employment Contract Pitfalls” in May 2021. In tandem with developing contract resources, we believe that emergency physicians should have quick access to job opportunities through a vetted job board. View these resources and more in the ACEP Career Center.
Support From the Strongest Policies
ACEP has continued our emphasis on defining core principles and standing for accountability with all employers. ACEP recently adopted and reaffirmed the following policies:
• Compensation Arrangements for Emergency Physicians (Revised April 2021)
• Emergency Physician Compensation Transparency (Approved October 2020)
• Emergency Physician Contractual Relationships (Revised April 2021)
• Emergency Physician Rights and Responsibilities (Revised April 2021)
• Providers of Unsupervised Emergency Department Care (Reaffirmed January 2019)
• Guidelines Regarding the Role of Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners in the Emergency Department (Revised June 2020).
A Pathway to Employer Transparency
ACEP is working to create greater transparency with all those that employ or contract with emergency physicians in an effort to showcase best practices and physician-friendly policies, including due process, billing transparency clauses and group ownership.
Leading up to ACEP21, ACEP distributed a survey to all employers who advertise with ACEP, including meeting exhibitors, sponsors of ACEP events and advertisers in ACEP print and digital publications. The survey included:
• An attestation regarding the participant’s authority to answer questions about their group’s employment practices
• A commitment to six of ACEP’s recently reviewed policies establishing standards by which all emergency physician sand those who hire them should practice
• A profile to complete on their group’s employment practices. ACEP will incorporate the employer group profile data into a database that will soon be added to acep.org/EmployerProfiles. Employers involved with ACEP21 will have a QR code posted at their booths, in this event program (pages 81-101) and on the meeting app that directs members to their survey responses. Members will be able to assess each employer’s data, and we are working on a mechanism for members to report inaccurate data, much like the process that exists for EMRA Match. Employers will be able to update their data at any time.
Our expectation is that emergency physician employer and contractor groups will not only complete the profile but will evaluate their policies and practices to ensure a competitive marketplace. At the same time, we want to ensure that emergency physicians are able to confidently approach employment contract negotiations, armed with all relevant details and equipped to ask direct questions about contract issues that matter most to them.