Cross coverage?

[futuredo32]

I moonlight one weekend a month at a local hospital. I got "emergency provisional status" and they want to keep me and are going through a VERY extensive credentialing process. I had a similar position at a different hospital until they got rid of their locums due the high cost of locums.

They are requiring me to have someone for cross coverage. I make a ton of money at this job and would never do anything to jeopardize it. I would work every weekend if I could. I went in severely ill, right after a fairly major surgery. Unless I am in the ICU I won't call in. I bend over backwards to make them happy.

One requirement they have is cross coverage. It has to be a physician who has staff privileges at the hospital. I KNOW unless I am in the ICU or dead I WILL go in when scheduled, but I understand their requirement. So I am guessing if I asked one of the 3 attendings who work full time, they would say yes. BUT...……. I don't want to get stuck working three weeks when one of them goes on vacation (one just returned from an 18 day vacation or even a week or one week day. I have other jobs. I wouldn't mind picking up an extra weekend, but I have weekday commitments to other jobs. So how reciprocal is this? Is it a weekend for a weekend or is it that I am obligated to cover for the attending who agrees to this for any amount of time with no notice? My prior inpatient moonlighting job didn't have this requirement.

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[hamstergang]

So how reciprocal is this?

I mean, I don't see why it would be -- did they list you as their emergency coverage without your knowledge? But why would we know how your job works? Can't you ask the job itself to get the correct answer?

 

[futuredo32]

It's very non-specific. And I am working through Locums. This is all it said On page 3 of your application we will need a cross coverage practitioner for you. This practitioner must also have privileges with Hospital and Medical Center to provide this coverage. My past locums contact person was awesome. He resigned and I have a new one who isn't as active and doesn't help as much.
I have never been asked to do this so I have no idea how it works.

 

[michaelrack]

Check with the hospital, you probably can just cross that section of the contract out...its aimed at private practice hospital staff, not employees or locums

 

[nexus73]

Agree with michael rack, I don't think the hospital will require the weekend covering doc to have cross coverage setup.

 

[Jules A]

Would you mind sharing how much you are making, the census, ED/consult/call requirements? I also love inpatient weekend work.

 

[futuredo32]

It IS a requirement. I have had a ton of locums jobs and never went through such extensive credentialing. It's ridiculous. For Jules, I wont discuss money but it's max I think 25 patients on the inpatient unit. I am on call 24/7 from Friday 5 pm until Monday 8 am. I see however many consults there are. One day it was 15. It's a ton of work.

 

[Jules A]

It IS a requirement. I have had a ton of locums jobs and never went through such extensive credentialing. It's ridiculous. For Jules, I wont discuss money but it's max I think 25 patients on the inpatient unit. I am on call 24/7 from Friday 5 pm until Monday 8 am. I see however many consults there are. One day it was 15. It's a ton of work.

It is a ton of work! I've seen close to 40 when covering unit, ED and medical floor, thankfully it was a per-encounter pay schedule. It is unfortunate you aren't willing to discuss compensation. Not being transparent is one of the reasons, in my opinion, that rates are so variable and no one benefits but the employers. In the Baltimore DC area as an employee, not locum, weekends are in the range of $3,000-$4,000 for rounding with call average patients 13-20.

 

[futuredo32]

It is a ton of work! I've seen close to 40 when covering unit, ED and medical floor, thankfully it was a per-encounter pay schedule. It is unfortunate you aren't willing to discuss compensation. Not being transparent is one of the reasons, in my opinion, that rates are so variable and no one benefits but the employers. In the Baltimore DC area as an employee, not locum, weekends are in the range of $3,000-$4,000 for rounding with call average patients 13-20.

I earn around that much and extra for overtime. The regular psychiatrists usually don't see the new admits on Friday so there are a ton for me on Sat. I would love to do every weekend and have this be my only job until I miraculously can get a residency in FP. Weekend moonlighting jobs in my area are hard to come by. I'm grateful for this one.

 

[Jules A]

Weekend moonlighting jobs in my area are hard to come by.

You should ask around. I'm hoping as the millennials and their "work life balance" thing continues to take hold there will be more weekend jobs available. In my area a few of the hospitals are wising up that taking the weekend component out of the attending rotation makes them more attractive for recruiting. Having a core weekend team reduces costs compared to using locums, the quality of work may be considered better and there are extra providers with privileges in the event weekday coverage is needed. One of the hospitals pays my weekend rate for prn weekday coverage and most often it is scheduled in advance such as vacations.

 

[futuredo32]

I belong to every recruiting site there is. Locally this is it. They had 3 full time attendings and one abruptly quit, I jumped on it and they did too. I got emergency provisional priveliging. I am just concerned about my current recruiter. The one I had was super awesome, he was on top of everything ASAP. This one is nice, but takes forever. I asked him what to do about the cross coverage and he has been "working on it" for a week. Not being BC closes many doors. Many want BC three years from graduation. Hours and hours away there are more, but I live in Michigan and the snow and black ice can be awful.