Neurosurgery Spine Contract Negotiation

[EmmaMarie]

Hi gang,

I'm hoping you all can help me. I have been working with a solo practice physician for 3 years now. We make an excellent team and he is very easy to work for. Regardless, I feel like I am being shorted financially and I am trying to work with him to improve my compensation/benefits package. Here is what I get now:

 

$109,000 base salary, includes stipend to buy own health insurance policy

bonuses - basically quarterly, generally always $1,000 pre-tax, amorphously tied to my production/performance

2 Fridays off per month + 4 weeks of PTO (vacation, sick, and CME leave)

CME allowance of $2,000 /yr

reimbursement for cell phone

DEA, CDS, licensure all paid

membership in ~2 professional societies paid

 

I routinely work 50+ hrs/wk and routinely take work home on the weekends (3 ish hrs of patients papers to review that I just don't have time for during the week or discharge summaries, etc)

 

I suggested the idea of additional pay based on services I referred for (for example we do in house EMG/NCS and I assume benefit financially from every referral for an in house one that I make) and for surgeries I assist in. I have also requested an improved benefits package to include more money for health insurance, paid disability coverage, life insurance, etc.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I am also considering just leaving this position to do something else like hospitalist. I am feeling burned out on this job and not completely certain that I want to keep fighting to improve this compensation/benefits package.

 

Thanks for your insight & help!

[PennPA4]

Financial depend on location state. I do agree though that most of the time health insurance is separate from salary since it seems ever year it goes up. Good health plan/ disability on its own can cost $5000/ year.

Are you the only PA/NP in the practice. If you are able to get good financial reports or EMR, talk to him about productivity compensation where you get certain percentage after seeing so many patients.

[jdenning]

Before you negotiate you should really think about whether you want to stay.  If the type of work or amount of work doesn't change, is more money really going to make it better?