This is a fantastic article by Dr. Edwin Leap. He is an ER doc who has been writing for decades about the problems in healthcare. We have never met but we appreciate each other’s work. His new article is called Admin: ‘EPs are Replaceable Widgets’ and I hope you read it if you are thinking about starting a Direct Primary Care practice. Here are some highlights:
- These are shocking statistics that predict hard times ahead. Worse, physicians seem to be seen consistently as things that cost corporations and administrators far more than they think they should have to pay them.
- Our ridiculous need for healthy, safe working environments and pesky desire to think and act independently make us problems to be solved. We are seen as widgets, easily replaced by another piece of the same general shape and hopefully a bit cheaper so that the enormous medical machine can hum along happily.
- We’ll hire new ones. Because that’s all you have to do. You go out and cast your eye about and find someone fully qualified and just twiddling his thumbs waiting for the opportunity. And they will be just like the hundreds and thousands of qualified and dedicated physicians and others who regularly dread coming to work but do it anyway.
- We have so many struggles to face and problems to solve. What a pity that one of the most terrible is that those in charge of decisions, policies, and facilities have no idea of the value of the people who do the work.
To be fair, Dr. Leap is talking about his experience in the ER but I know the same thing is going on in Primary Care.
Are you a widget?
Are you feeling devalued by your administrator?
Does your administrator threaten to replace you?
It’s time you learn about Direct Primary Care and be done with them.