Doctors Strike

[Birdstrike]

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It's been a long time comin'.

Doctors strike, rally for contract with Allina

Union officials say Allina is offering less pay than the doctors currently make and is resisting demands for more physician control over decisions affecting patient care. Allina says the two sides have made progress but says any contract has to account for rising healthcare costs.

www.mprnews.org

 

[NYEMMED]

And can’t wait for the public comments that doctors make too much and who cares…..

 

[emergentmd]

As a Physician, I don't understand the point of unionizing and striking. Quit and find another job. There are plenty of better jobs rather than beating your head constantly against the C-suite.

 

[bravotwozero]

As a Physician, I don't understand the point of unionizing and striking. Quit and find another job. There are plenty of better jobs rather than beating your head constantly against the C-suite.

On an individual level, yes. I can appreciate that approach of voting with your feet. Will work well if you're in a field that's in demand.

On a systemic level, it accomplishes nothing. People will still face burnout level conditions, patients and physicians will both be worse off for it.

I'd say mobilizing and collective action is a bit more than 'beating your head against the c-suite'. Look at what happened at that hospital in OR.

We are in the post covid pandemic era. People are tired of being abused, and as time goes by, will become more likely to mobilize. Social media is also helping bad actors get a lot more bad publicity - something that might not happen without unionizing and striking.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

Airline pilots ultimately mobilized because of safety. There is a reasoned argument for the same level of control with doctors.

Unions are the only way to enforce the grunt's rights. True, you can vote with your feet and go to a "better shop," but I ask you, with the general way the healthcare landscape is backsliding all grass on the other side of the fence will be scorched earth at some point. And they'll find docs to work them, too....the worst jobs of the worst pay will still fill, perhaps not using docs from this country, but there will never be a true shortage.

The question really only becomes, "what mechanisms protect doctors?"

ABEM? loll
ACEP? rofl
AAEM, maybe, but that spirit bomb needs more energy donated

Ultimately, right now, it's nothing...thus the vote with your feet comment. Because the only human truly looking out for you is you.

 

[sloh]

And to the extent that unionizing would even affect meaningful improvement, it would probably only benefit the next generation of physicians.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

That's very true. But, let's not be like our forebearers. Our forebearers just watched everything burn around them and did nothing whilst selling out to emerging CMG's to enrich themselves. Instead of doing the same "FU got mine" attitude I'd advocate for making the system better, thereby making the specialty itself more appealing again.

Turning into an administrator has made me more wishful in this area. Largely because I've been quite successful at sticking it to insurance companies, I've learned that if you just keep pushing you can make real meaningful difference. Safe staffing and the elimination of private equity are attainable dreams, ones that could change--or save--lives.

 

[Bittersteel]

Airline pilots ultimately mobilized because of safety. There is a reasoned argument for the same level of control with doctors.

Unions are the only way to enforce the grunt's rights. True, you can vote with your feet and go to a "better shop," but I ask you, with the general way the healthcare landscape is backsliding all grass on the other side of the fence will be scorched earth at some point. And they'll find docs to work them, too....the worst jobs of the worst pay will still fill, perhaps not using docs from this country, but there will never be a true shortage.

The question really only becomes, "what mechanisms protect doctors?"

ABEM? loll
ACEP? rofl
AAEM, maybe, but that spirit bomb needs more energy donated

Ultimately, right now, it's nothing...thus the vote with your feet comment. Because the only human truly looking out for you is you.

That's very true. But, let's not be like our forebearers. Our forebearers just watched everything burn around them and did nothing whilst selling out to emerging CMG's to enrich themselves. Instead of doing the same "FU got mine" attitude I'd advocate for making the system better, thereby making the specialty itself more appealing again.

Turning into an administrator has made me more wishful in this area. Largely because I've been quite successful at sticking it to insurance companies, I've learned that if you just keep pushing you can make real meaningful difference. Safe staffing and the elimination of private equity are attainable dreams, ones that could change--or save--lives.

1) ER docs will never organize meaningfully. They are simps that love abuse.

2) The system and speciality are never getting better. We are firmly in frog in pot territory. Starting about 36 months ago, we are witnessing the collapse in real time.

3) You're making more money for your system...ok?? How much of that is rolling downhill to the docs?

 

[JacobMcCandles]

2) The system and speciality are never getting better. We are firmly in frog in pot territory. Starting about 36 months ago, we are witnessing the collapse in real time.

Why 36 months ago? I’m over 10 years out and I’ve been told the entire time that the specialty was done. If you ask your older partners and they were honest, they’ve been under that impression their entire career. While I’m not saying it isn’t true but I will say that narrative is nothing new.

 

[Bittersteel]

Why 36 months ago? I’m over 10 years out and I’ve been told the entire time that the specialty was done. If you ask your older partners and they were honest, they’ve been under that impression their entire career. While I’m not saying it isn’t true but I will say that narrative is nothing new.

Something feels different over the past 3-4 years.

Patients more violent / aggressive / demanding.

More litigation.

PCPs not seeing acute visits and sending literally everything to the ER.

Admin more ridiculous.

It definitely fees worse than it did 10 years ago.

 

[JacobMcCandles]

Something feels different over the past 3-4 years.

Patients more violent / aggressive / demanding.

More litigation.

PCPs not seeing acute visits and sending literally everything to the ER.

Admin more ridiculous.

It definitely fees worse than it did 10 years ago.

I won’t argue that because I understand what you’re saying and I definitely agree. Patient expectations are at an all time high and patient manners are at an all time low. I think most other service-type industries are seeing something similar so that’s why I don’t think it’s necessarily different this time.

 

[AlmostAnMD]

1) ER docs will never organize meaningfully. They are simps that love abuse.

Sadly that's agreeable. I'm just saying it's possible. The group think is pretty rough in this speciality. The amount of people in my old shop complaining about the job but refusing to DO anything about it was depressing. Most docs with a brain are gone, which you can imagine what that did to residual quality.

2) The system and speciality are never getting better. We are firmly in frog in pot territory. Starting about 36 months ago, we are witnessing the collapse in real time.

Yeah, I bring it up largely because once the point of no return is crossed it's up to fate.

3) You're making more money for your system...ok?? How much of that is rolling downhill to the docs?

Zero! But professional services are actually the responsibility of individual group practices. Oddly enough when I try to coordinate with them (usually for prior auth issues they keep effing up that impact facilities) they refuse to cooperate because what i do is "too hard."

I work every other fee other than the physician fees. This pays for techs, nurses, and in fact a new children's hospital we are building!

 

[Bittersteel]

Sadly that's agreeable. I'm just saying it's possible. The group think is pretty rough in this speciality. The amount of people in my old shop complaining about the job but refusing to DO anything about it was depressing. Most docs with a brain are gone, which you can imagine what that did to residual quality.


Yeah, I bring it up largely because once the point of no return is crossed it's up to fate.



Zero! But professional services are actually the responsibility of individual group practices. Oddly enough when I try to coordinate with them (usually for prior auth issues they keep effing up that impact facilities) they refuse to cooperate because what i do is "too hard."

I work every other fee other than the physician fees. This pays for techs, nurses, and in fact a new children's hospital we are building!

You can't really do anything about it except find a new job, new field or quit. You're not changing the system.