Health care update: hospital employment or private practice?

Abstract

The increased operating cost of running a practice, decreasing reimbursement, and general pessimism is leading to increasing number of physicians choosing employment by hospitals and large physician groups. Although over 50% of members of the Society for Vascular Surgery are currently in a practice of less than 3 surgeons and over half of all private practitioners are employed by physician groups, the landscape is shifting quickly. Younger physicians finishing training are increasingly opting for employment. Hospitals are also anxious to hire vascular surgeons to maintain or increase market share of chronic disease management and preempt hiring difficulties with future shortages of vascular surgeons. New vascular surgeons have to carefully weigh the pros and cons of employment before making a decision.

Keywords: employment; integration; private practice.