what do you think of this Primary Care package?

[PC2ED]

Hey guys and gals,

 

 

I recently interviewed w/ a major (corporate) multi-specialty group for a position in P.C. I have been practicing for a little under a year and looking for a change to cut my long traveling hours and not having to worry about changing jobs often. Out of their multi locations, 3-4 are close to my house (<1hr commute, one of them 10 minutes walk). Location is great, package is better than what I have currently, but I would still like to receive more knowledgeable feedback on the specs...

 

 

The specs: 

 

salary: 90-95K

 

hours: M-F total 45hrs (includes two late shifts a week) + 1 Sat/month (4hrs) (work 4hrs less the following week when I work Saturday)

 

Pt load: ~ 20-30/day uses EMR

 

Malpractice: Fully covered up to 3 Million (I believe), but I am not sure yet if it's claims or occurrence-made

 

Health benies: health, dental and vision

 

Retirement:  ? (I'll ask them soon)

 

Recert & Professional Expenses: (I'll ask them soon)

 

Other: 25 PTO, 10 holidays, 5 CME days w/ $2500, 5 sick days (total 45 days/yr)

 

Turn over: Low (per recruiter)

 

 

 

what do you think? Anything I should inquire more about?

 

your suggestions and advice are greatly appreciated!

 

 

 

 

~PAC

 

 

 

 

[rev ronin]

Still some holes.  The number of patients to be seen per day seems relatively high--I'd take that job for $45/hour, plus charting ON THE CLOCK and time and a half for anything over 40 hours per week.

 

This sounds very similar to what I had at Group Health initially, which was a reasonable deal until they want you to see more and more people, and if they can keep cramming people in and you have to chart on your own time--so 45 hours per week becomes 60, or you can start cutting corners in patient care.  Remember, if they say "20-30", they mean "30, maybe more if we can get it out of you..."--no big group has any soul or ethics, they are run by MBAs to whom the patients are not people but revenue streams.

[ventana]

if you see 20 patients a day for 5 days (your min) and you get $80 per patient as income to the clinic - that is $8000 income in a week and you are getting $2000 in salary - cover you overhead with another $2000/week - and you are costing them $4000/week but making them $4000 profit per week

 

Numbers are not that simple but you get the idea that you are making them ALOT of money

 

I would say a few things

 

1) you get control of your schedule - front office needs to review with you

2) you get full access to your billing and collection data

3) anything over 200% of you salary in one month an you get 25% - ie you make $8000/month - once the clinic gets $16,000 in receipts you start a 25% bonus of collections

4) you need to get more in writing on days off, hours worked over 40, forced overtime, scheduling, ENSURE their is NEVER a call committment(and if so it is compenstated)

5) I would put a absolute CAP on the number seen in a day/week - ie 30/day, 120/week - this stops them from just overworking you

 

MUST get everything in writing.......

[PC2ED]

I recognize that these are two solid advice; however, being new to the workforce and not being fluent in contract negotiating, I am afraid that I have no clue in how I would present these demands to HR. 

[electric130]

If you are working 45 hours per week every week except for vacations your hourly rate comes out to 40/hour.  With benefits of course that could possibly be reasonable, but honestly seeing 20-30 patients a day they are going to make a killing off of you, and honestly I don't think as professionals we should accept that low of pay.    You could calculate that extra 5 hours at a per hour rate and ask for that on top of the offered salary,  which would be another 10k, or ask if they would offer a production bonus.  I get 5% of total collections which I think is pretty standard, or you could ask for 25% of whatever you bring in after you collect double your salary.  I work 24 hours a week and bring in around 200k in collections so you could possibly bring in double this.  If you haven't had a bonus on collections keep in mind this is on total collections, not what is billed.  Everything you bill will not be collected so that has to be kept in mind.  I would also ask them what you are bringing in every six months to a year.  I really think that allows the practice and yourself to realize that you are a benefit to the practice monetarily and of course to your patients. 

I would also look at your retirement benefit and ask about that.  I do not have any other benefits because I do not need them with my husband being military, but they do give a 3% of my salary profit sharing into  my 401k.  You should definitely get something with that.  I have worked at the low end with 3%, and then worked another place that contributed 18% of my salary, it came out to 18k per year, in Interventional Radiology... 

[bwardward]

The offer seems to be a bit low but reasonable. There are several community health center primary care jobs similar to this that will pay > $105k with a sign on bonus.