Re: Resignation from Group

[Guest guest]

My wife and I left a large multispecialty group in 2003. The devil is in the details of your contract and ownership agreement. Watch out for restrictive covenants and other monetary penalties for practicing in the vicinity of your current group. Locke's in Colorado wrote: Any advice, from experience or otherwise, for someone planning to resignfrom a group partnership?There is an exit contract that covers some of the timing and costs

ofleaving the group.Nothing firm in determining assets, per se.I have an attorney for backup.A potential problem with my exit is -- to avoid financial penalty, I have togive 9-months notice, so I will be in the office awhile after I make theofficial resignation announcement.Any advice on things to pre-empt?Thanks Locke, MDBasalt, COUniversity of Kansas Medical School 1991Eau (WI) Family Medicine Residency 19945 Years in Air Force -- [Laughlin AFB (Del Rio, TX) // Spangdahlem AB,Germany]Alpine Medical Group -- Private Group Practice since 1999http://www.alpinemedical.mdJob Share w/ WifeAMG went independent from hospital MSO 10/04AMG made downpayment on Centricity EMR 12/04AMG went "live" with Centricity EMR 15 April 2005

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[Guest guest]

,

I left a multispecialty group in 11/03. I was supposed to give 3 months notice, but only gave 2. They all knew I was unhappy and had put my house up on the market months (5) before. I had also told the administrator months before that he should start looking for a new doc. They didn't give me a hard time. I am not advising you to do the same, just letting you know my experience. I think that my partners knew how miserable I was and didn't want to force me to stay, so they didn't bother taking any action to make me stay. I wouldn't want to force someone to stay with me if they didn't want to. Maybe they wouldn't want to make you stay either. Naureen

[Guest guest]

,

I gave notice Jan 2005 to leave a group, with 6 mos notice required.

It was a mutual parting of the ways, as I could not keep up with the

documentation and #visits being asked of me and I had reached my

limit of trying to deal with it. The caveat in my case was that I

was to keep up with demands of practice until I left, and that was

not negotiable. So in addition to trying to do something I had not

been able to do for 5 or more years, I was also trying to put

together a new practice.

As part of the changes, my nurse of 8 years left 2 months before I

was to leave, when her family moved out of state. So I ended up

trying to finish out with substitutes, not the same person every

day, and the most consistent ones were new to our office, did not

know the EMR nor our workflow very well, but when I tried to point

that out I was chastised for " being critical of staff " . As it turned

out, I was cut out of seeing patients sooner than I or my patients

had expected, and patients were told I was gone. That didn't seem

fair to the patients, as all the details I had expected to help them

work out at a final visit were left in the air. Can't fight city

hall.

So watch for the little details, don't count on " one more visit "

with patients to square away issues, and don't count on being able

to tell patients of your new location in a letter or general

announcement. I was allowed to tell patients who asked, but not to

have a letter in the waiting room or exam rooms. As " company policy "

patients were not told of my new location, only that I had left the

practice.

It did help to have friends at the reception desk, who told selected

patients (I left to do a specialty niche practice in AD/HD) where I

had gone, and even gave out my cards. The phone operators turned

over so fast that a general call always met with " he's gone " , no

hope there.

Good luck, hope it works out well, and that your new practice gets

off the ground well.

Dave

Pomeroy MD

drdave@...

8 years EPICcare as EMR, 10 months with SOAPware.

26 years general Family Medicine in Pacific NW (4 offices)

10 months solo practice in AD/HD medicine, and lovin' it !

> >

> > Any advice, from experience or otherwise, for someone planning

to

> resign

> > from a group partnership?

> >

> > There is an exit contract that covers some of the timing and

costs

> of

> > leaving the group.

> >

> > Nothing firm in determining assets, per se.

> >

> > I have an attorney for backup.

> >

> > A potential problem with my exit is -- to avoid financial

penalty,

> I have to

> > give 9-months notice, so I will be in the office awhile after I

> make the

> > official resignation announcement.

> >

> > Any advice on things to pre-empt?

> >

> > Thanks

> >

> > Locke, MD

> > Basalt, CO

> > University of Kansas Medical School 1991

> > Eau (WI) Family Medicine Residency 1994

> > 5 Years in Air Force -- [Laughlin AFB (Del Rio, TX) //

Spangdahlem

> AB,

> > Germany]

> > Alpine Medical Group -- Private Group Practice since 1999

> > http://www.alpinemedical.md

> > Job Share w/ Wife

> > AMG went independent from hospital MSO 10/04

> > AMG made downpayment on Centricity EMR 12/04

> > AMG went " live " with Centricity EMR 15 April 2005

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I just resigned--May 12th-- from a large Hospital owned practice. I

got a lot of advice from an attorney about what my rights/

restrictions were. He said I could not use the list of my patients I

had gathered (based on advice from other physician friends), because

that was the hospital group's property. But if I did use it to let

patients know, and got sued, most judges would not get too upset

with me-- because ultimatly the patients have a right to decide

whether or not they want to follow their doctor.

Anyway I gave my notice to the new head guy of the network--one of

the more reasonble people, before I breathed a word to the others

below him---a group of extraordinarily vicious people. And this

person was smart enough to sort of strike a deal with me--saying

that this city was a small place--people would eventually find out

where I was, so as long as I continued to use their hospital for

admissions and tests, they would help me inform patients.

Well, they haven't actually helped me yet, but I advertised in all

the leading newspapers, and patients started calling. Meanwhile they

want me to continue to the end of my 3 month notice period--2 other

physicians also just left(!!!) So I have started telling all my

patients. BUT---mysteriously, my bookings on some days have

plummeted--only 5 patients on certain days when the nurse

practitioner has 20 on her schedule! We have a NEGATIVE incentive

program as well--and this year by the time I leave there is a very

good chance I will have to return 5% of my salary to the

organisation. I have decided to not fight it.

I love the idea of sending them cute little gifts from

Hawaii.......!

Meanwhile for the new practice I got 34 new patients in 2 weeks! I

have started evening and weekend hours until I am released from the

#%?!@*! place! Will keep you all posted:)

--Padma

[Guest guest]

Thanks-- Joanne, Matt and .

I am starting to document the changes in scheduling and will talk to

my lawyer and then take it up with the organization.

--Padma

> > Hi ,

> >

> > I just resigned--May 12th-- from a large Hospital owned

practice. I

> > got a lot of advice from an attorney about what my rights/

> > restrictions were. He said I could not use the list of my

patients I

> > had gathered (based on advice from other physician friends),

because

> > that was the hospital group's property. But if I did use it

to let

> > patients know, and got sued, most judges would not get too

upset

> > with me-- because ultimatly the patients have a right to

decide

> > whether or not they want to follow their doctor.

> >

> > Anyway I gave my notice to the new head guy of the network--

one of

> > the more reasonble people, before I breathed a word to the

others

> > below him---a group of extraordinarily vicious people. And

this

> > person was smart enough to sort of strike a deal with me--

saying

> > that this city was a small place--people would eventually

find out

> > where I was, so as long as I continued to use their hospital

for

> > admissions and tests, they would help me inform patients.

> >

> > Well, they haven't actually helped me yet, but I advertised

in all

> > the leading newspapers, and patients started calling.

Meanwhile they

> > want me to continue to the end of my 3 month notice period--

2 other

> > physicians also just left(!!!) So I have started telling all

my

> > patients. BUT---mysteriously, my bookings on some days have

> > plummeted--only 5 patients on certain days when the nurse

> > practitioner has 20 on her schedule! We have a NEGATIVE

incentive

> > program as well--and this year by the time I leave there is

a very

> > good chance I will have to return 5% of my salary to the

> > organisation. I have decided to not fight it.

> >

> > I love the idea of sending them cute little gifts from

> > Hawaii.......!

> >

> > Meanwhile for the new practice I got 34 new patients in 2

weeks! I

> > have started evening and weekend hours until I am released

from the

> > #%?!@*! place! Will keep you all posted:)

> >

> > --Padma

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > -----------------------------------------------------------------

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