For Healthcare Professionals Only
The fast pace of dermatology practice makes physician partnerships suffer nearly as much as physician-staff relationships. Many people work in practices where the discord and mistrust between physician partners reaches a crisis point. Some people work side by side, yet barely speak; they aren’t even angry at one another, just too busy to work as true partners.
Partnership dysfunction is a silent epidemic. Few physicians want to confess when things go wrong, but physician partnerships can easily turn sour. It’s not uncommon for relations to get so frayed that they threaten the continued viability of the business.
Dysfunction creeps into partnerships over financial issues, but the root of the problem is emotional, not financial. Physicians in dysfunctional partnerships often think they’re being treated unfairly. To an already exhausted dermatologist, the impression that her partner isn’t doing a fair share of the work could be the last straw.
First, choose new partners wisely. Have no-holds-barred conversation, confronting possible partners with a list of problems the practice actually has faced in the past few months. Ask the interviewee what they would do to handle a specific staff problem or a conflict between existing partners on where to send tissue samples.
Even the best interviewing process won’t avoid all potential conflicts. This is where written expectations can help. Instead of working according to assumptions, create a comprehensive physicians’ owner manual that covers everything from whether physicians will be paid for attending board meetings to where physicians are expected to park. Make policies brief and clear. When arguments arise, the disputing parties can refer to a written, approved policy.
Create policies using a peer review process, and include a policy for dealing with a physician who just ignores the policies — have that physician sit with an objective peer to work it out.
Our essay next month will be “Technology.”
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Disclaimer: The material above has been prepared by Physicians Practice. It has not been reviewed by the DermQuest Editorial Board for its accuracy or reliability. Reference to any products, service, or other information does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship, or recommendation by members of the Editorial Board.