Anyone have experience or thoughts about this company? Basically doing tele consults for the ED/hospital floors for different hospitals. Shift work with base pay of 350k.
SOC/Access TeleCare Job?
- Thread starter moto_za
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I never liked these positions. If there's ever an issue the lawyer will ask why you weren't in person to do an evaluation on an acute pt.
You can call and talk with the recruiter who will lay out all the details. Basically expect a consult an hour for 8 hours and rarely if ever see the same patient twice. They want you to work 40 hours a week, but because you cover 24/7 ED and med/surg consults it will not be 8-5 M-F. You will have nights and weekends required. I think they are understaffed and keep expanding so it will stay busy. I don’t think the pay is worth it because of the schedule. It’s good for someone who wants 100% remote and willing to deal with that schedule. The schedule could be pretty annoying, like day shift Mon/Tues, swing Fri/Sat, overnight Sun. I think they expect at least 2 weekend days a month. It sounds like an ED but you work 20-22 shift a month instead of 12-15 like ED.
It's also a higher risk job. Consults in general, especially ED consultation is higher risk. You will get privileges at dozens of hospitals (50+, maybe 80), you'll have multiple state licenses to maintain. You will not know any of the staff at the hospital the patient is at. You won't know any of the local resources or the typical way things are done. For example, some places may accept dementia patients onto psych, other places never do. If you live in Texas and see a patient in Michigan, if you get sued the case is filed in Michigan, which means if an in person meeting/deposition is required you go to Michigan. And if you ever have a board complaint, even if dismissed, you have to report it to every state you have a license and to every hospital's med staff office...PITA.
Risk aversion is a huge problem with telepsych. Telepsych consultants seem to always be looking for any reason to recommend psych admission. Why wouldn't they, it absolves them of liability. I have seen examples of delirious patients get recs to admit to psych because their confusion makes them "danger to self" and that means inpatient psych. Most places implementing telepsych have no other options, so something is possibly better than nothing. But can actually be counterproductive when telepsych says a demented patient is so high risk they need inpatient psych care. No psych unit will ever take them because they have dementia and they really need SNF or ALF or memory care. But no SNF/ALF/memory care will take them because telepsych has a note saying how high risk they are. That person is living at the hospital for 6 months.
It's also a higher risk job. Consults in general, especially ED consultation is higher risk. You will get privileges at dozens of hospitals (50+, maybe 80), you'll have multiple state licenses to maintain. You will not know any of the staff at the hospital the patient is at. You won't know any of the local resources or the typical way things are done. For example, some places may accept dementia patients onto psych, other places never do. If you live in Texas and see a patient in Michigan, if you get sued the case is filed in Michigan, which means if an in person meeting/deposition is required you go to Michigan. And if you ever have a board complaint, even if dismissed, you have to report it to every state you have a license and to every hospital's med staff office...PITA.
Risk aversion is a huge problem with telepsych. Telepsych consultants seem to always be looking for any reason to recommend psych admission. Why wouldn't they, it absolves them of liability. I have seen examples of delirious patients get recs to admit to psych because their confusion makes them "danger to self" and that means inpatient psych. Most places implementing telepsych have no other options, so something is possibly better than nothing. But can actually be counterproductive when telepsych says a demented patient is so high risk they need inpatient psych care. No psych unit will ever take them because they have dementia and they really need SNF or ALF or memory care. But no SNF/ALF/memory care will take them because telepsych has a note saying how high risk they are. That person is living at the hospital for 6 months.
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Sounds like a nightmare. I knew someone working for SOC who told me that they "sell" their services to ERs promising a lower rate of psych admissions if seen by their telepsychiatrists. Very risky if true and the psychiatrist would be left holding the ball if things go bad.
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I interviewed with them, I was not impressed with the pay given the schedule and the risk, it was a hard pass from me.
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Lol the independent contractor pay is a joke:
$740 Minimum Guarantee / 8 Hour Shift Plus Another $185 / Consult (after 4th consult)
Uh so you'll only pay me 90 bucks an hour to be "on call" for 8 hours essentially and only pay me extra after the 4th consult. I made more than that as a resident seeing lexapro and suboxone refills outpatient. LOLOLOLOL
$740 Minimum Guarantee / 8 Hour Shift Plus Another $185 / Consult (after 4th consult)
Uh so you'll only pay me 90 bucks an hour to be "on call" for 8 hours essentially and only pay me extra after the 4th consult. I made more than that as a resident seeing lexapro and suboxone refills outpatient. LOLOLOLOL
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Exactly this and when I pointed that out they’re like “we might be able to increase it slightly if you work all nights” I'm like no thanks…
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The independent contractor minimum for an 8 hour shift is barf-inducing. Works out to $92.50 an hour. I'd rather twiddle my thumbs at those rates.
