What's So Bad About TeamHealth?

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JohnnySmith

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Hello,
Long time member just under a different UN. I was wondering if anyone can shed some light from their own or someone they personally know in regards to TeamHealth. I've interviewed with them and overall they were not too out of line w/ other offers I've had.

I've heard a lot of people state "they're the devil" etc, but really not a lot of other real +/-'s in regards to working for them. Of course we all know the "rape of emergency medicine" and corporate influences etc, but any other people out there with experience with TeamHealth? and other info I should know?

Thanks!

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Yeah, I've gone back and forth btw them and others. Thank you for the advice, anyone else know of anyone working with TeamHealth or experiences?
 
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I think part of it is going to depend on where in the country you're looking. My contract have good reimbursement for the region, no non-compete agreement, and a lot of flexibility in scheduling. There are also very few residency trained EPs around here. TeamHealth has several divisions around the US, so I think standard terms may vary by region.
 
I think part of it is going to depend on where in the country you're looking. My contract have good reimbursement for the region, no non-compete agreement, and a lot of flexibility in scheduling. There are also very few residency trained EPs around here. TeamHealth has several divisions around the US, so I think standard terms may vary by region.

yeah i think its totally going to depend on the region you are at.

I trained at USF in Tampa, which is partly "administrated" by TeamHealth (or however phrase you want to use, funded, educated, etc). From a business standpoint, realize that TeamHealth takes a %age of everything you bill. There is quite a bit of overhead, huge billing operations, marketing, administration, etc. That, however, also gives you a lot of resources. They do a LOT of med mal review and prevention, which I think is great for either a new grad or something relatively green. They also are able to amount vast amounts of research so if someone was interested in that TEamHealth would probably allow you to snoop around and come up with something.

From a "grunt" standpoint, its probably not a bad gig. Some of my classmates and residents below me signed on with TeamHealth but it was at our home institution, kind of a weird pseudo-academic venture, but the pay is relatively proportionate but not nearly as good as a FFS democratic group.

Q
 
I think our relationship with TeamHealth here at USF has even grown stronger since Quinn left a few years back. Heck, our scrubs even say "TeamHealth/USF" on them! Anyway, most of our attendings do work for TeamHealth with contractual structure built in with USF as well. Plus TeamHealth has an admin fellowship here.

It works well for residency training because we get a LOT of business of medicine/liability/charting/billing stuff from TeamHealth as well as leadership development material from the TeamHealth execs and others who occasionally come to Grand Rounds. In addition, I know that TeamHealth is trying to get much more aggressive in recruitment of new grads and are doing a lot to attract good candidates.

While you can likely make more money if the FFS world, TeamHealth does seem to give competitive rates in the area along with a cadre of resources and flexibility in work sites and hours (just have to work 138.66/month to get benefits).

I've been impressed by the happy lives' my attendings seem to lead as employees for TeamHealth, the opportunities for advancement (for those that are interested) as medical directors/etc, and the work TeamHealth does with us as residents.
 
I'm still trying to figure it out. The pay is pretty much on par with some other groups. There are higher paying groups that I've interviewed with (ffs etc), but otherwise they are pretty close.

Apollyon- I don't quite understand what you mean by a "dead zone", could you elaborate?

Thanks for the other advice so far, I guess the good part is that if it is really bad, I could always leave :)
 
IApollyon- I don't quite understand what you mean by a "dead zone", could you elaborate?
All of the docs can tell people's futures by touching them.:D
Thanks for the other advice so far, I guess the good part is that if it is really bad, I could always leave :)
That's true BUT...some docs have gotten into horrific situations that caused them heartache way in excess of just having to relocate and get a new job. The best example of that was the PhyAm debacle where the corporate group folded and all the docs were left on their own for med mal. It was really bad. Everyone had to try to buy tails and some were stuck having to try to find their own lawyers for cases that were already in the works.

I'm not trying to stress you out and that kind of stuff is pretty rare.
 
Keep in mind that TeamHealth will take right off the top of whatever you bill, 20-28%. I can't recall the exact number, but there is a lto more overhead with TH than there is for any other group.
DocB put it best once, in regards to EM pay. "They take it out of somewhere." You may have a great signing bonus, or a CME account, or a starting salary. But somewhere, money is being taken out to pay for that overhead.

Q
 
Keep in mind that TeamHealth will take right off the top of whatever you bill, 20-28%. I can't recall the exact number, but there is a lto more overhead with TH than there is for any other group.
DocB put it best once, in regards to EM pay. "They take it out of somewhere." You may have a great signing bonus, or a CME account, or a starting salary. But somewhere, money is being taken out to pay for that overhead.

Q

Why does TH have higher overhead than the other corporate behemoth, EmCare?
 
I was wondering the same, also you'd think that the larger the group the admin costs would go down (e.g have own malpractice coverage, 1 recruiter covers 1000md's instead of 12, own their disability etc).

If you think of the business model, I'd think that the larger the group = less cost/person. Something along the lines of WalMart vs mom/pop store etc.
 
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