Human Resources: When You Must Fire a Physician
How to avoid the pitfalls
By Robert Anthony No medical practice enjoys the thought of severing ties with one of its physicians, but sometimes it’s the only practical solution to a bad situation. Perhaps the practice has repeatedly tried to work with a troublesome physician without success, or maybe the doctor has committed some unpardonable offense — whatever the case, there are some circumstances in which a practice must let a physician go.
We all start relationships — whether they are personal or business-oriented — with the best of intentions. But every relationship encounters trouble, and sometimes that trouble just can’t be worked through, says Paul Angotti, president of the medical practice consulting firm Management Design LLC in Monument, Colo.
“It’s analogous to a marriage,” Angotti says of the working relationship between physicians. “It needs to be a trusting relationship, where doctors trust their patients to the other doctor when they’re on vacation, and the other doctor is on call. … Sometimes it just doesn’t work out; sometimes there are personality conflicts.”
If your practice had to fire a physician, would you know what to do? Do you know what steps you need to take to protect your practice from a lawsuit? Even if there are no problems now, you should know how to protect your practice in case problems arise in the future. Continued...
