The North Carolina Medical Board (NCMB) convened a small focus group yesterday afternoon to discuss the increasing numbers of employed physicians – those who work for health systems or hospitals – and the NCMB’s role in ensuring patient safety and quality care when a physician also is governed by their employer.
The panel included both employed physicians and a physician assistant from large health systems throughout the state, an independent physician and several lawyers with experience representing physicians before the board including a representative from a medical malpractice insurance carrier.
The Medical Board was seeking to begin what they hope will be an ongoing conversation by having each panelist describe how they see the challenges as well as benefits employment holds for both physicians and their patients. NCMB board members and staff present said they hope to continue the discussion on how the Medical Board can address the issues that come to them involving employed physicians.
This is a good effort and needs to be ongoing as the current environment of care continues to evolve. There are and needs be several parallel and ongoing discussions as well as concerns. What is the culture of care? Collaboration? What is the real primacy of the mission? The business of patient care? The patient care business? What happens when financial stewardship collides with patient advocacy? How should care transitions really be constructed and tested for success? how do we link disconnected employed inpatient care to independent and employed outpatient care? Do patients really know what we have waiting for them in this new world?