title: Physician-hospital alignment: "employment lite".
abstract: The American healthcare delivery system is undergoing a major change that involves independent solo and small groups of doctors becoming employed by hospitals. Some describe this as a paradigm shift; we view it as a tsunami that is engulfing physicians across the nation. This phenomenon is unfamiliar to most physicians and represents huge risks with the shift from private, fee-for-service practices to practicing as an employee of a hospital. This article discusses the pitfalls associated with the transfer to a hospital employee using a concept called "employment lite." It presents the advantages and disadvantages of employment lite and why this might serve as an alternative to a fully employed hospital physician. The employment lite option is similar to employment in that it allows the physician to enjoy most of the nuances of employment, yet maintain a desirable level of independence.
authors.affiliation: Coker Group, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. chunter@cokergroup.com
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baum
mesh_terms: D003284:Contract Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018588:Fee-for-Service Plans / Q000458:organization & administration; D006123:Group Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018578:Hospital-Physician Relations; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011331:Private Practice / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States