PAs who have been furloughed

[ANESMCR]

30 minutes ago, Cideous said:

Ummm what?  How is that even possible?  Got to be more to this story.

Nope. That’s about it. I’m technically still in the “probationary” period of the job. Still, I either took it or got completely furloughed. 

[EMEDPA]

41 minutes ago, ANESMCR said:

Is there such a thing as being “half” furloughed? Had my salary cut in half today, 50% slice until further notice while still expected to work FT. 

work half as hard

I can see almost 1 pt/hr MF!

[turtlesrule]

33 minutes ago, EMEDPA said:

almost 1 pt/hr

ALMOST....slow down young buck, you'll burn yourself out

Kidding aside, good luck ANESMCR

[CAdamsPAC]

4 hours ago, ANESMCR said:

Is there such a thing as being “half” furloughed? Had my salary cut in half today, 50% slice until further notice while still expected to work FT. 

https://www.propublica.org/article/coronavirus-er-doctors-nurses-benefits?fbclid=IwAR3k_dWiOYcfKIPlnv0VlQfBCibDw_bytnY5CEBnuoDprOU1JuVVP9KayEo

[CAdamsPAC]

On 3/25/2020 at 8:25 PM, entpac said:

I received a DFAS newsletter today.  Army announced voluntary recall of retired providers today.  NPs mentioned but not PAs.  I am a retired Army PA with over 20 years active service and am disappointed in this decision.  As an LPN prior to choosing the PA Career Path, I never saw this coming.  

As an "Old Soldier" who recalls when the first PAs were selected and then appointed I can say  PA have always been the "red headed step-child" of the AMEDD. The PA was   the only group that was completely created from the EM ranks then given officer authority and even challenged the status quo of the other AMEDD Os. IMHO after almost 50 years the PA profession remains a somewhat atypical group in the AMEDD family .

[Cideous]

1 hour ago, CAdamsPAC said:

https://www.propublica.org/article/coronavirus-er-doctors-nurses-benefits?fbclid=IwAR3k_dWiOYcfKIPlnv0VlQfBCibDw_bytnY5CEBnuoDprOU1JuVVP9KayEo

 

The fury I have after reading that can hardly be expressed in words....

[ohiovolffemtp]

The reason TeamHealth did not cut pay is that they had just cut all physician pay by 4% about a month prior and eliminated all CME allowances for all physicians, PA's, and NP's.  They have also been cutting staffing hours at many sites.

Edited April 1, 2020 by ohiovolffemtp

[mgriffiths]

10 hours ago, Cideous said:

The fury I have after reading that can hardly be expressed in words....

Maybe I'm just pessimistic, but I wonder what all of these "volunteer" healthcare workers will do to the job market?  If a hospital can accept 10 volunteer staff, what stops them from accepting the volunteers and furloughing paid staff (providers to CNAs to whatever would be considered clinical).

But, as someone who has been staunchly opposed to centralized healthcare on an almost daily basis I am becoming more and more of a fan.  It is ridiculous that during a time of greatest need medical providers are being asked to put themselves at risk while also have pay, benefits, etc. cut.

I see three potential pathways that lie ahead when this crisis is over:

1. We allow ourselves to go back to the status quo being controlled and abused by our administrator overlords
2. We continue with privatized medicine, but we revolt and take back control due to the buffoonery that is currently going on
3. We transition completely to centralized healthcare (whatever you want to call it...Medicare4All...whatever) for better or worse...but at least it's a change

To be honest, I'm terrified the answer will be #1

[Cideous]

If this. crisis does not start a real movement towards Medicare4all, I don't know what would.

[sas5814]

Well the financial bite came to my house. My wife works at a psych hospital. They are moving 25% of their beds to another facility and closing the doors. Within hours we (in the urgent care system) got notice that clinic hours were being shortened, we are now single coverage everywhere, and they would "try" to get us 30 hours a week.

Times are tough and I forsee a lot of people making tough choices just to get by.

Edited April 2, 2020 by sas5814

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

With all these diminished services being put into place, it makes me wonder what the realistic need is for actual healthcare services in this country?  The other diseases haven't changed, only the addition of COVID-19.  Is it possible (no) that the mindset of the American population could actual change with regard to what needs to be assessed?  This excludes surgical cases obviously, though if it is an emergent issue, they'll still get surgerized.

Scott, I'm sorry to hear about your status change, and that of your family.

Edited April 2, 2020 by GetMeOuttaThisMess

[sas5814]

Thanks brother. I just had an ER nurse as a patient. She said the ER is actually being used for emergencies. She described it as "weird".

[Guest Paula]

 I'm voluntarily off for 2 weeks as our main clinic hours were cut and one satellite clinic closed and 2 with shortened hours.  Our director asked who was willing to have shortened hours or to be aware we would be working less.  Since I care for my hubby who is on home palliative care and I'm close to retirement I volunteered off.  I'm supposed to go back to work April 6th but I'm calling in today to discuss an extended leave of absence  through  April or longer or just retire.  I am hoping the younger PAs at my clinic with the school age children will be able to maintain hours.  We also went to telemed during my time off and I did not sign up yet...

The national and international domino effect of this virus may bring us all to our knees with long lasting consequences.....

[SedRate]

19 minutes ago, Paula said:

 I'm voluntarily off for 2 weeks as our main clinic hours were cut and one satellite clinic closed and 2 with shortened hours.  Our director asked who was willing to have shortened hours or to be aware we would be working less.  Since I care for my hubby who is on home palliative care and I'm close to retirement I volunteered off.  I'm supposed to go back to work April 6th but I'm calling in today to discuss an extended leave of absence  through  April or longer or just retire.  I am hoping the younger PAs at my clinic with the school age children will be able to maintain hours.  We also went to telemed during my time off and I did not sign up yet...

The national and international domino effect of this virus may bring us all to our knees with long lasting consequences.....

 

3 hours ago, sas5814 said:

Well the financial bite came to my house. My wife works at a psych hospital. They are moving 25% of their beds to another facility and closing the doors. Within hours we (in the urgent care system) got notice that clinic hours were being shortened, we are now single coverage everywhere, and they would "try" to get us 30 hours a week.

Times are tough and I forsee a lot of people making tough choices just to get by.

Good luck to both of you. Hard times indeed. This is only the beginning, so buckle up and keep your wits about you. You guys will get thru this. 

Reduce your recurring expenses as much as possible. Verizon has some cheap plans and are temporarily extending data plans to accommodate current requirements. I pay $35/mo for 6GB with autopay. If you have Prime, get rid of the other services. Cancel paid music subscriptions. Call home owners insurance Co and ask for eval of coverage; we saved $500/yr, parents are now saving $1500/yr. Evaluate car insurance plan. Cancel any landscaping, pest control, pool servicing, etc you are able to take care of yourself. Start buying whole foods or in bulk and freeze instead of ready-made packaged goods that are twice the price per lb. Freeze or cancel gym memberships. 

These all add up! We're saving probably somewhere on the order of $1000-1500/yr just by reducing. My parents are already saving $2500/yr and they still have some other areas they can lean up.

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

I think that this has been said previously, but to think that I retired in October because I didn't think that I had it in me to deal with another flu season.  Man, was I off base on that one; lucky for me.

Edited April 2, 2020 by GetMeOuttaThisMess

[rookiejay]

NO BODY WANTS US!!!! 

I have been out of work starting 2.20.2020  I have over 25 years experience. I am in the Seattle area. 

I cant find any kind of work right now, they all want MD/NP - hell they will even take students over us. Bring back an 80 yo MD, but for the love of GOD dont even mention PA as a part of the medical workforce. I am so angry - I started as FD Medic its in my nature to help in some way, Applied for Rapid Response Team (S) > 10  ( no answer on Any ) Applied for TeleMedicine (MD/NP Only) I made my own PPE, I printed my DNR out, Im READY to work. 

..... Crickets ....

 

 

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

It pains me to say this, especially for those who are just entering, or only have a few years in, but you know the expression that pregnancy is a great stress test for a female and what to be wary of over the coming years? I’m afraid that this crisis is showing the true, unadulterated opinion of this profession and where it’s headed. I can’t even say over the long haul because unless something changes relatively soon PA’s may become an afterthought.

 

 

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[Cideous]

16 minutes ago, GetMeOuttaThisMess said:

It pains me to say this, especially for those who are just entering, or only have a few years in, but you know the expression that pregnancy is a great stress test for a female and what to be wary of over the coming years? I’m afraid that this crisis is showing the true, unadulterated opinion of this profession and where it’s headed. I can’t even say over the long haul because unless something changes relatively soon PA’s may become an afterthought.

 

 

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One of these days I'm going to go back and dig out my "This profession is dying, here's why...." threads.  I have lots of them.  I have been blowing the trumpet of warning for literally a decade + here.  To much ridicule.  I was screaming we need to have practitioner in our name somewhere back in the late 90's when it was laughed at and dismissed.  I posted a 5 year dead man walking thread for PA's about 3 years ago when I began to see and experience NP's being chosen over PA's for jobs.

As someone who has been a PA since the early 90's it just simply kills me to watch this field implode through inaction, arrogance and decades of professional leadership malpractice.  But here we are.  I don't have much left to give this profession, and if I was asked by a 22 year old "should I go to PA school?"   I would tell them no.  Go to NP School.  Their future is much brighter than ours, and it will only be a matter of time before we are working for them.

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

A PA that I formally worked with who was an RN prior to PA school has used this time to have their RN reinstated by the state which opens the door to NP training. It’ll be a piece of cake with their experience. The question is which specialization area?


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[Cideous]

3 minutes ago, GetMeOuttaThisMess said:

A PA that I formally worked with who was an RN prior to PA school has used this time to have their RN reinstated by the state which opens the door to NP training. It’ll be a piece of cake with their experience. The question is which specialization area?


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With the utter avalanche of support NP's are now getting from state and federal politicians and the lack of chip on their shoulder from having "Assistant" seared into their foreheads like we have....I would say any specialty they want.  I would do a residency/OTJ training in Derm if it was me.  Hell with their autonomy and lack of professional restrictions....sky's the limit.

[TexasPA28]

I don't agree with the comments above. 

NPs in outpatient clinics are getting hit just as hard.  Hell even MDs are being furloughed.

If you don't work in the adult ER/ICU setting in a major coronavirus outbreak area, there's a good chance you're not busy and at risk of being terminated or furloughed.  It's not personal against PAs.  MDs and NPs are in exactly the same boat.

 

 

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

I don't agree with the comments above. 
NPs in outpatient clinics are getting hit just as hard.  Hell even MDs are being furloughed.
If you don't work in the adult ER/ICU setting in a major coronavirus outbreak area, there's a good chance you're not busy and at risk of being terminated or furloughed.  It's not personal against PAs.  MDs and NPs are in exactly the same boat.
 
 

The point is not who is getting furloughed, it is who other areas of the country are asking for to assist.


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[mgriffiths]

17 minutes ago, GetMeOuttaThisMess said:

The point is not who is getting furloughed, it is who other areas of the country are asking for to assist.

Obviously everyone's experience is going to be different, but I have personally been contacted by multiple hospital recruiters looking to see if I could help in NY and other areas of MI (where I live).  I am not even putting my information out there.

This does NOT mean I believe we shouldn't be striving for change...we ABSOLUTELY should be.

[ohiovolffemtp]

Another thing to think about, especially for the older ones of us: the recently or about to retire folks like GMOTM.  The fall of the stock market is having a big effect on retirement savings.  My retirements are back to being only down approximately 25%.   While I expect that there will be a slow recovery over the next few years, it's also quite possible that I will be working longer than planned.

[SedRate]

19 hours ago, GetMeOuttaThisMess said:

It pains me to say this, especially for those who are just entering, or only have a few years in, but you know the expression that pregnancy is a great stress test for a female and what to be wary of over the coming years? I’m afraid that this crisis is showing the true, unadulterated opinion of this profession and where it’s headed. I can’t even say over the long haul because unless something changes relatively soon PA’s may become an afterthought.

 

 

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Possibly. In hearing the various news stations being played in the doctors lounge, I have heard quite a few references to PAs. I actually heard a PA being interviewed yesterday and discussing our roll, especially during this crisis. I do hope that we continue to make our presence felt and known. 

It was a shame to overhear two anesthesiologists dissing PAs while the interview was going, one of whom just finished residency and the other out about 20-30 years. The young one has a thick accent, so I'm not sure if he's an FMG or just born in another country and came here. Regardless, they didn't like the idea of us pursuing independence and trying to get paid like the doctors. No mention of NPs pursuing independence, which I found interesting. I wonder if they've already accepted that ship has sailed?