x98peterson Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 So, I have worked at my job for almost 2.5 yrs, and have been a PA for 10 years. I work in an out pt job with another PA is incredibly slow and everyone is aware of it. She see's pts. every half hour and an hour for physicals. If she is behind they dump all of her patients on me at the end of the day. They usually don't even ask me. Do your offices do this too? What do you think? I have told them this is only enabling her to work even slower. She isn't lazy- they actually have her come in 30min earlier to see patients b/c she is so slow and will often stay until 7pm to get her work done. She is always way behind on dictations, she is just too detailed that it inhibits her. She has been a PA twice as long as I have. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marilynpac Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 There was another thread almost exactly like yours last yr, except the slow one was a NP that wanted to chat. At least she is working. I will say the same to you as I did her. Yes, you are enabling, everyone knows it and no one cares as long as the work is being done by someone and that someone is you. You are not being paid 50% more for doing her work and she isn't being paid 50% less for doing half as much. You are being taken advantage of and that will continue as long as you allow it. The ball is in your court and you will have to decide how you are going to let this ride out. Do you love your job enough to let this continue or are you going to take a risk and speak up about what's fair/not fair. Remember the work is getting done in the end, so to the "powers that be" that's all they care about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x98peterson Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 Thank you for responding. I told the office manager not to dump her patients to me, her reply was, "If you have an opening, it will be filled". I replied, well, I guess I will just change my template to match hers at 12 pts a day so you can't b/c it will be full! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Are you not production based salary? No production bonus at the end of the year? You have been a PA for ten years... U know how the system works. Sounds like it's time to re negotiate your contract or update your resume' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator ventana Posted February 10, 2011 Moderator Share Posted February 10, 2011 I can say I am learning to not continually give extra - this most recent job I have made a point of setting the bar low and making sure I keep it there (still see 27 patients per day in a busy out patinet practice doing urgent care in a family practice setting - easy patients) BUT I have now said anyone showing up more then 10 min late is not to be checked in, I don't touch on all the things I want to because I am told i have to see more patients (stupid in the $$ sense as I bill level 2 instead of level 4's) But I am doing it - but holding my ground to not be made to do more Why do I bring this up? We all are guilty of wanting to help when it is needed, however most times (in my experience) this just redefines the expectations and we get 'over utilized'. I have made the case I should be on productivity (they laughed) and therefor I am doing what I was hired for and only a little more. This is not normal for me but over the last decade I have come to realize that this is what will make it sustainable for me, and avoid the exact situation you are in. I had to learn how to say 'no' and let people get pissed off. You can do the same and it feels good in the long run to get out of work on time most days.... Production based bonus in primary care - yeah that is just about an urban legand - the doc's just don't want to give it up - so my business plan is 1/2 written and in time I will likely be on my own with a hired SP..... then I can gripe at myself :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marilynpac Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I have to agree with ventana....again. Just Steve, you haven't even started school yet but believe me the real world is just a little different. With NPs taking positions normally filled by PAs you just may renegotiate yourself out of a contract. Remember the squeaky wheel doesn't always get the oil, sometimes it gets replaced! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
x98peterson Posted February 10, 2011 Author Share Posted February 10, 2011 So, you guys are basically saying I need to just tell the Docs that I won't see these "dumped" patients? Easier said than done! But I appreciate that you understand where I am coming from. Steve, yes, I was salary plus production, I was making $120,000 a year! Then they switched to MDVIP and we lost half our patients, I had to cut my hours to part time and just salary b/c I knew I was going to loose my bonus, so now I work for $50 an hour MWF 8 to 5, no call, no weekends. Going to be hard to find a job like that anywhere else. So leaving just b/c I am being dumped on would be silly. I am mainly interested to see if this has happened to other PA's- do they move them to your schedule if a provider is behind? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobuddy Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I can understand your resentment towards the other person not pulling their weight. From my point of view - looking at your hours and what you are making essentially part time - I would not be complaining too loudly. I would love a job with those hours, no call and that amount of money. I know salaries vary area to area, but in my neck of the woods - I would be thrilled. HOWEVER - with MDVIP - one of our docs looked into this and it is pretty easy to do the math and figure out how much they are pulling in with the "membership fee" alone. Are the docs only seeing 8-12 patients a day (as the MDVIP people tell the potential members the docs will spend all this time with them)? Essentially - I can see both sides of wanting to stand up for yourself but also not rock the boat too much. What is your relationship with the docs? Is there someone that you can discuss your concerns with that will be objective? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatcat Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I work for $50 an hour MWF 8 to 5, no call, no weekends. Going to be hard to find a job like that anywhere else. So leaving just b/c I am being dumped on would be silly. OR..you could make the overflow by the other clinician work for and extend your hours and salary if you are hourly. It's tough to be in practice with others that don't pull their weight...but relieve yourself of feeling responsible for another employees production /work habits if this isn't in your job description. If you feel abused in this situation then by all means have a constructive conversation with the management about your concerns regarding your own schedule....bringing in another employee's work habits probably isn't going to do much to promote you as a team player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 Telling your employers who you AIN'T gonna see isn't usually compatible with a goal of steady, stable gainful employment (especially in this economy)... :heheh: At first guess, You are probably caught in the middle of a "passive-aggressive" response by your PA-C co-worker to either contracting/renumeration issues, or reprimand/criticism of her level of "thoroughness" in her patient care. Simply put, she is either pissed about her pay for effort ratio or pissed about one or more of the docs telling her that she needs to be much more thorough in her work-ups/documentation/follow-ups. So the obvious passive-aggressive, non-confrontational response would be to slow waaaaay down and be meticulous. So... maybe you too should just SMILE... s-l-o-w... w-a-a-a-a-a-y ...d-o-w-n... and make it so that you walk out of the exam room after seeing your last scheduled patient 5-10 min before quitting time. If you work 0800-1700, the exam room door should be opening at 16:50. Use this time to maximize your time/therapeutic relationship with your scheduled patients. They will love you for the added attention to them and detail. Make it so that they have to put any "dumps" on the end/after your scheduled/contracted hrs. Then... since you said you are paid hrly... every patient you see that isn't yours (after 1700) requires 30min each. They will either have to pay you productivity, or have to pay you for the extra hrs (after 1700) you put in seeing patients. Just my initial thoughts, based upon the info provided. YMMV Contrarian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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