'As nearly 100 doctors abandon Atrium Health, some experts see the start of a trend.'

[W19]

As nearly 100 doctors abandon Atrium Health, some experts see the start of a trend

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[VA Hopeful Dr]

As the article notes, large, multi-specialty groups can usually pull this off. Of the 4 hospitals I've worked for, none of them had groups like that.

 

[BigRedBeta]

There are a lot of variables that go into such a decision, but practices in the right set of circumstances are likely to try to attempt such a move in the future. Have to be large enough, see a viable patient mix, and able to handle the infrastructure type stuff like HR, benefits, and most importantly the billing and fees collection.

Truth be told, Charlotte and Atrium Health right now is a dumpster fire - between this and the issues going on with the large anesthesia group that is flapping in the wind - has to be a wake up call to the hospital administrator class that physicians will only be pushed so far if they can find greener pastures.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

There are a lot of variables that go into such a decision, but practices in the right set of circumstances are likely to try to attempt such a move in the future. Have to be large enough, see a viable patient mix, and able to handle the infrastructure type stuff like HR, benefits, and most importantly the billing and fees collection.

Truth be told, Charlotte and Atrium Health right now is a dumpster fire - between this and the issues going on with the large anesthesia group that is flapping in the wind - has to be a wake up call to the hospital administrator class that physicians will only be pushed so far if they can find greener pastures.

How happy do you think the competitor hospital in Charlotte is right now...

 

[takeurmeds02]

I love to see the collective efforts of physicians but it's always between a rock and hard place because lives become collateral damage.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

This is quite refreshing. I spent all weekend listening to an older surgeon talk about how medicine is basically dead and that doctors will be "forcibly conscripted to work for the government like soldiers in Vietnam," which was pretty depressing to say the least

 

[Womb Raider]

This is quite refreshing. I spent all weekend listening to an older surgeon talk about how medicine is basically dead and that doctors will be "forcibly conscripted to work for the government like soldiers in Vietnam," which was pretty depressing to say the least

We're a long ways off from that...

 

[Rekt]

In more recent news "100 physicians replaced with Nurse Practitioners at Atrium Health! Come experience the holistic healing of our NPs with that soft caring touch of a nurse and knowledge base of a physician!"

 

[Akewataru]

How happy do you think the competitor hospital in Charlotte is right now...

I’m sure Presbyterian is more than willing to roll out the red carpet. It seems Novant Health just dodged another bullet. There was talks of a Carolinas/UNC merger about a year ago. However, like water and oil those two just couldn’t mix.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

I’m sure Presbyterian is more than willing to roll out the red carpet. It seems Novant Health just dodged another bullet. There was talks of a Carolinas/UNC merger about a year ago. However, like water and oil those two just couldn’t mix.

Two of the three academic hospitals in neighboring South Carolina are in the process of a merger. Luckily, both of those hospitals are run by idiots and so no one (outside of the boards of those two hospitals) is actually expecting it to make a big difference

 

[Psai]

Two of the three academic hospitals in neighboring South Carolina are in the process of a merger. Luckily, both of those hospitals are run by idiots and so no one (outside of the boards of those two hospitals) is actually expecting it to make a big difference

hahahaha

 

[zanzizic]

This is quite refreshing. I spent all weekend listening to an older surgeon talk about how medicine is basically dead and that doctors will be "forcibly conscripted to work for the government like soldiers in Vietnam," which was pretty depressing to say the least

When I was college I used to listen to a family friend who was an anesthesiologist complain incessantly about how bad a career choice that Medicine was and how good the old days were. This was 20+ years ago. He made me really question my career choice.

Fast forward to now. He made $500k/year his whole career and retired in style at 70. I have a great career as a physician and I’m happy with the rewarding choice I made.

Is there more regulation and likely more cuts in reimbursement to come in the future? Well, if our nation keeps voting for people who believe that it’s government’s role to regulate every nook and cranny of our lives then yes. But I believe that medicine will be a great career for many years to come.

 

[Psai]

When I was college I used to listen to a family friend who was an anesthesiologist complain incessantly about how bad a career choice that Medicine was and how good the old days were. This was 20+ years ago. He made me really question my career choice.

Fast forward to now. He made $500k/year his whole career and retired in style at 70. I have a great career as a physician and I’m happy with the rewarding choice I made.

Is there more regulation and likely more cuts in reimbursement to come in the future? Well, if our nation keeps voting for people who believe that it’s government’s role to regulate every nook and cranny of our lives then yes. But I believe that medicine will be a great career for many years to come.

That 500k was worth much more than it's worth now to boot.

 

[7331poas]

I’m sure Presbyterian is more than willing to roll out the red carpet. It seems Novant Health just dodged another bullet. There was talks of a Carolinas/UNC merger about a year ago. However, like water and oil those two just couldn’t mix.

Wait did that fall through? My understanding was they did in fact form a joint board.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Wait did that fall through? My understanding was they did in fact form a joint board.

Questions about control kill merger deal between Atrium Health and UNC Health Care

 

[7331poas]

Questions about control kill merger deal between Atrium Health and UNC Health Care

Based on my conversations with a few docs at CHS (who certainly were not high enough up to "be in the know"), it sounded like the expectation was that CHS was going to have control over the joint system. I suppose UNC emphatically disagreed with that based on the article. Both are massive hospital chains, but CHS is without question much larger.

 

[VA Hopeful Dr]

Based on my conversations with a few docs at CHS (who certainly were not high enough up to "be in the know"), it sounded like the expectation was that CHS was going to have control over the joint system. I suppose UNC emphatically disagreed with that based on the article. Both are massive hospital chains, but CHS is without question much larger.

There was a similar concern with a merger in my state, but as one of the systems is deeply in debt and the other was willing to help them with that there was no question of who was going to be leading the new entity.

 

[DrGasPasser]

Based on my conversations with a few docs at CHS (who certainly were not high enough up to "be in the know"), it sounded like the expectation was that CHS was going to have control over the joint system. I suppose UNC emphatically disagreed with that based on the article. Both are massive hospital chains, but CHS is without question much larger.

Atrium Health (formally known as CHS) is now in negotiations with Wake Forest University and its financially struggling healthcare enterprises known as Wake Forest Baptist Health System to form a new academic healthcare system and bring new medical school to Charlotte.

Although the details are yet to be finalized, I suspect this will involve some takeover of the WFBHS clinical operations since it is a $3B system with less than 1% operating margin while Atrium is a $7B system with a 3% margin. It could be as subtle as Atrium’s relationship with Cone Health in Greensboro whereby Atrium handles the back office operations with Cone’s brand and Board intact. Or, it could be a more complete takeover a la Banner / University of Az where Atrium would assume the clinical brand while Wake Forest University maintains a faculty academic practice and runs 2 medical school campuses (Winston Salem and Charlotte). I suspect more of the latter if Atrium is going to provide significant liquidity to Wake’s aging infrastructure and finance the lion share of this new medical school - that cash will not be free and Atrium will want their logo on the buildings.

Anyway, we will know in a few months. The 2 entities hope to have a final agreement negotiated this Summer and contract signed by Year End. There is a financial incentive to quickly bring as many patients under one umbrella as NC prepares for the Medicaid managed care rollout this Fall.