Questions to ask a potential employer

[deleted185747]

Please contribute to this list as it helps us all.

-Are procedures done in-office, ASC or hospital
-Is there a fluoro tech at the office/ASC/hospital
-Are meds to be injected single use?
-Can contrast be injected for most epidural injections without being accused of waste?
-What steroids are available for injection?
-How are prescriptions written by computer/erx/hand written
-How are phone call questions triaged
-How are medication refill requests handled
-Are UDS collected in-office or is patient sent to lab
-What is the turn around time to get a procedure authorized
-How long was the last guy here
-How long does it take to collect from insurance once note is signed off
-Patient volume, age, payer mix

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[geauxg8rs]

Why did the last guy leave and what are his digits?

 

[lonelobo]

Are you willing to show me your books, collections, insurance contracts?

 

[EtherBunny]

The most important questions...

1. What is the treatment philosophy of the docs in the practice? Is it a multidisciplinary approach with an emphasis on interventions when appropriate, purely medical management, or entirely interventional? Is there an opioid prescribing policy for the practice? If not, what are the docs' prescribing habits?

2. Why is the practice hiring another physician?

3. Have any physicians left the practice? If so, why did they leave?

4. Is there a partnership track for the position? If so, what exactly does it mean to be a partner in the practice? What are the ancillary revenue streams in the practice and are these income streams available to new partners in the practice? Is there a buy in or is it a "sweat equity" arrangement? How does that work exactly? Does the practice have any significant debt currently?

All the other questions can be answered during a site visit (what steroids are available for injection, how prescriptions are filled, EMR, etc.).

 

[drusso]

Are you willing to show me your books, collections, insurance contracts?

I wonder if that would be more appropriate to ask when buying in?

 

[geauxg8rs]

You can't just leave it up totrusting the employer to tell you why the last guy left. I left a practice because the guy was screwing patients and me over. I Declined his "partnership offer. "

He told my potential replacements that I didn't like the area. Only one person bothered to look me up and call me and I told her the real story and she didn't take the position.

Trust everyone but cut the cards anyway!

 

[lonelobo]

I wonder if that would be more appropriate to ask when buying in?

Well if I was going to commit to a position, I would ask this now and not wait one to two years prior to potential Partnership.
If everything is on the up and up, they should be willing to share a lot of this info.

 

[drusso]

Well if I was going to commit to a position, I would ask this now and not wait one to two years prior to potential Partnership.
If everything is on the up and up, they should be willing to share a lot of this info.

Maybe its not about being on "the up and up," but about wanting to protect business sensitive information. Getting to a person and developing trust over time goes a long way...consider dating first...

 

[lonelobo]

Maybe its not about being on "the up and up," but about wanting to protect business sensitive information. Getting to a person and developing trust over time goes a long way...consider dating first...

I also know that dating doesn't always get you "married", so if an employer doesn't have some level of transparency from the start what makes you think they are going to change if offered partnership. Some of us have been around long enough to know that not all partners are created equal and sometimes this means there is some unscrupulous things going down.

 

[DOctorJay]

when you PP docs hire on a new physician as an employee with potential partnership in future do you provide health insurance benefits for that physician? his/her family? do you provide health insurance benefits for other employees (RNs, MAs, receptionist)?

 

[lonelobo]

when you PP docs hire on a new physician as an employee with potential partnership in future do you provide health insurance benefits for that physician? his/her family? do you provide health insurance benefits for other employees (RNs, MAs, receptionist)?

I do, while it is expensive I pay all premiums for my employees as it just feels like the right thing to do

 

[DOctorJay]

I do, while it is expensive I pay all premiums for my employees as it just feels like the right thing to do

you sir are unique, at least in my search, which included in my opinion excellent private practice opportunities at the time (until I lifted the veil).