Women's Dermatologic Society

Advice for Negotiating Physician Contracts in the Post-Covid Era Special thanks to James D. Kelso, JD, LLM of The Kelso Health Law Firm, PC for taking the time to speak with us and providing invaluable advice for negotiating physician contracts.   His law firm specializes in addressing the needs of health care providers and is almost exclusively limited to Health Law Services. His firm reviews hundreds of physician employment agreements and his guidance is incredibly helpful for our WDS members. How have contract negotiations changed in the post-covid era? Ultimately, contract negotiations have not been significantly impacted by COVID.  Force Majeure clauses were added to most agreements. This allows a party to terminate in the case of a riot, pandemic, war, etc. These were never found in physician agreements before COVID because physicians were supposed to go to work sick. You want this type of clause to apply to both parties equally. In the height of the pandemic, practices ...

Things I Wish I Had Have Done Differently at My First Job   Advocate for yourself - Don’t be afraid to be firm in your requests in contract negotiation, for instance a signing bonus or payment structure. - Make sure maternity leave or family leave policies are clear. Don’t be afraid to ask for more time than what is originally offered. - Be firm with your support staff regarding boundaries and tasks, which can be even more challenging if you stayed where you completed residency. - Maintain connections with mentors and groups like the WDS who may be able to provide resources for practice management or avenues to hone or learn new skills to implement in the clinic. Consider the practical “nuts and bolts” of the job - Review your clinic schedule templates with young physician colleagues before starting. Build in “buffer slots” or longer visit times in the beginning to prevent yourself from falling far behind in the clinic. - Don’t overextend yourself with clinic hours. Administrative ...