RE: RE vacations

[Guest guest]

I just opened my new practice 6 weeks ago and have been having a hard time with this issue as well and glad it was brought up. Since I'm not busy at all right now, leaving the clinic for time off/vaca hasn't been a priority because being here for walk ins, etc has helped a bit. The hospital I'm on staff at employs 3 solo doctors, but they're all part of the hospital PHO and I guess I need to be on that PHO in order to share call with these doctors, but not keen on getting on that PHO. I'm making cold calls to local solos, but there are too many older established solo docs that already have call coverage. There are some older ones that are happy I'm solo so they can take more time off from their practices. I think it's jus something I have to figure out as time goes on. Is it legal for me to close the clinic, be available on cell phone if I'm within the country and refer patients to the ER/urgent care or other physician in the area? The only issue is

if they get admitted, I would STILL have to find somebody then (although my current patient panel is tiny, but you never know who can get admitted, and I know the on call doc for the ER will get stuck seeing my patient). Overall, a confusing issue for a new graduate like me. Naureen Mohamed wrote: I closed the office to routine appointments from dec 22 until jan 3. I changed the message telling pts if they have an urgent need or emergency to press 7(emergency line- rolls over to my cell) otherwise,

leave a message. I checked my messages once each business day in the morning. There were not many due to the holidays. I went in once for a febrile infant. And on xmas eve, I gave two college students their second dose of Gardasil, it was the only time they would be in town until summer. I took my kids with me and it was quick. At home, the kids and I had a great time and many days didn't even get dressed until the afternoon. Last year, I worked most of those days and felt ridiculous, I was paying $$$ for my kids daycare and hardly anyone came in for an appt. It wasn't cost effective. Last year, we went to florida for a week and I checked my routine messages and faxes each morning on my laptop through the hotel's wireless internet, but ext 7 rolled over to a covering doctor. (I programmed it through onebox to call their office in the day, then go to the cell phone at night.) -- Naureen Mohamed

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[Guest guest]

There are lots of ways IMPs handle vacations

I think the biggest part is that if we are willing to take " first call "

have our phones with us for emergencies / check in to the answering machine

twice a day etc then there is little left and colleagues may be willing to

help for that very littel

With that sort of approach patients still have excellent access i have found

messages repeately on my machine as i think we all have- when i am away,

saying " Doc it is about time you took time off have a good time call me

when you get back "

This comes about through the fact that INCREASED access to us on a

relaible basis DECREASES demand.

Arrangmetns can usually be made from another practice to see the occasional

patient if the IMP is doing all the rest

Setting up before you go all who needs refills for their monthly adderalls

etc is part of or job and the computer makes that easy.

Various iMPS have used satelitte phones also.

An admission indeed is a big deal.many of us are already using hospitlaists

so it is not an issue for those IMPS IF you a re doing hospital work then

arrangements should be made with another practice to whom you could return

the favor when they are in a tight spot without necessarily having to

engage in the problematic " coverage call pools "

I have only gone a way a week a t a time so far .i bring my lap top I can

make appointmetns .i can look up a med. i can call a pharcamy. and i spend

littel time on it and it does not bother me.

I have not yet left the country though.

I octobrer when i was in Chicago i had a kid who needed to be seen I called

a collaeague myslef I said you could you see a kid for me?

Sure. they said.

If you are new to an area that maybe hard but beginning to establish

relatinshiops before you really need them is useful .offer help to someone

else preemptively perhaps?

Re: RE vacations

I just opened my new practice 6 weeks ago and have been having a hard

time with this issue as well and glad it was brought up. Since I'm not

busy at all right now, leaving the clinic for time off/vaca hasn't been

a priority because being here for walk ins, etc has helped a bit. The

hospital I'm on staff at employs 3 solo doctors, but they're all part of

the hospital PHO and I guess I need to be on that PHO in order to share

call with these doctors, but not keen on getting on that PHO. I'm

making cold calls to local solos, but there are too many older

established solo docs that already have call coverage. There are some

older ones that are happy I'm solo so they can take more time off from

their practices. I think it's jus something I have to figure out as time

goes on. Is it legal for me to close the clinic, be available on cell

phone if I'm within the country and refer patients to the ER/urgent care

or other physician in the area? The o nly issue is if they get admitted,

I would STILL have to find somebody then (although my current patient

panel is tiny, but you never know who can get admitted, and I know the

on call doc for the ER will get stuck seeing my patient). Overall, a

confusing issue for a new graduate like me.

Naureen Mohamed wrote:

I closed the office to routine appointments from dec 22 until jan 3. I

changed the message telling pts if they have an urgent need or emergency

to press 7(emergency line- rolls over to my cell) otherwise, leave a

message. I checked my messages once each business day in the morning.

There were not many due to the holidays. I went in once for a febrile

infant. And on xmas eve, I gave two college students their second dose

of Gardasil, it was the only time they would be in town until summer. I

took my kids with me and it was quick. At home, the kids and I had a

great time and many days didn't even get dressed until the afternoon.

Last year, I worked most of those days and felt ridiculous, I was paying

$$$ for my kids daycare and hardly anyone came in for an appt. It

wasn't cost effective.

Last year, we went to florida for a week and I checked my routine

messages and faxes each morning on my laptop through the hotel's

wireless internet, but ext 7 rolled over to a covering doctor. (I

programmed it through onebox to call their office in the day, then go to

the cell phone at night.)

--

Naureen Mohamed

_____

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