Why the heck are you guys so worried about mid-levels? Do you have an inferiority complex? Are you afraid they are "just as good" and you won't be needed?
I'm 100% all for independent practice for midlevels. ABSOFRICKINLUTELY. The more independent the better. Go out there, man up, be on your own, buy your own malpractice policy without the name of any "supervising Physician" on it, run your own practice, hire your own staff, run your own add in the paper, contract with insurance companies, build your practice, market yourself, fight for referrals, claw and scratch to get and keep your midlevel-only-group ED contract and,
DONT ASK ME TO COSIGN ANY OF YOUR S--T
Or take any of the liability off your back, or cosign any of your charts, or sign off on any of your billing, or defend you in a Medicare billing audit or investigation, or defend you in court, or hire you, or fire you, or set up a cozy little work environment for you to work in, or pay for your health insurance or malpractice insurance or share overhead, or hire staff for you, or front you any salary while your practice struggles to get out of the doldrums during it's start up phase like all physicians who start a practice must do.
Work independently,
and be independent. Yes,
BE INDEPENDENT.
Man up.
How come so many PAs and NPs always want to have it both ways? How come so many want to cozy protected environment of supervision with the luxury of doctor back up, in a ready made practice environment set up for them, yet want to be considered equal, independent and interchangeable?
Why?
I'm all for it. Welcome to the club. Practice on your own.
Play ball and play it on a level playing field.
Do that and you have every pound, ounce, or gram of my respect.
But as long as somewhere in that chain of paperwork, anywhere, anytime, here, there, at the administrative office or buried in a pile in the hospital credentials office or State Medical Practice Act it says, "Supervising Doctor Birdstrike" for the lawyers to sink their teeth into, there will be a hopeless impasse between doctors like myself and midlevels that want to practice "independently."
I'm 100% in support of midlevel "independent" practice, but it needs to be exactly that and absolutely sterilized and 100% devoid of anything that resembles the riding on the coattails of physicians, or anything that involves any physician back up, liability sharing or responsibility sharing whatsoever.