Surgeons considering relocation to a new practice may have various reasons for doing so. NexGen’s model of surgical practice offers benefits for physicians looking to relocate to another practice location without relocating their life. Before committing to a transfer, they should also learn the answers to a standard set of questions about any new practice.
The NexGen Model for Physicians
The NexGen model is designed for experienced surgeons who have a willingness to practice in rural settings and improve their work/life balance. We build each opportunity around each physician’s unique desires and requirements, especially their lifestyle goals. For example, surgeons in urban hospitals typically work long hours, leaving little time for their personal lives.
Extend Your Career
With NexGen, physicians can extend their careers and income without working the standard long hours most surgeons experience. Our surgeons only work two weeks out of each month and have no call during their time off, leaving much more time to spend outside the practice. This flexibility means that living in the practice area isn’t necessary, eliminating the need to uproot your family. The compensation is typically better than what surgeons earn in their current practice. In addition, surgeons spend more time caring for patients rather than performing administrative duties like billing, enrollment, negotiations, payroll and staffing.
NexGen also provides surgeons with the satisfaction of providing patients in rural areas with a lifeline. The ability to fill a void in an underserved community is often the deciding factor in making this transition. At the same time, surgeons have more opportunities to manage regional initiatives and learn new skills.
Considerations for Relocating
Physicians must ask certain questions about the hospital, community and position to determine if a new practice location is right for them. The answers help ensure that the change aligns with the surgeon’s lifestyle goals.
The Hospital Atmosphere
Talking with hospital leadership and fellow surgeons can provide valuable insight as to what it is like to practice in that facility. Also, asking hospital staff key questions can be very effective in understanding the culture throughout the hospital.
Malpractice Requirements
The types of malpractice coverage and reporting endorsement (tail) coverage is also a common consideration for surgeons. Historically, surgeons have had to extend their current coverage with their current carrier at whatever premium they charge. However, carriers are starting to offer stand-alone tail policies that compete with these add-on policies.
Practice Flexibility
The means of arranging a call schedule and its flexibility can be a significant factor in transferring to a new practice. An alert going off in the middle of the night or a family dinner can interfere with a surgeon’s work/life balance and cause tension with administrative staff. Schedules also need the flexibility to handle personal emergencies that require a physician to pass their position in the rotation to a backup.
Community Culture
Physicians looking for a change in location should also do as much research as needed to learn about the new community. That community’s perception of its hospital is vital to assessing its suitability as a practice location. This factor is critical in a rural area where everyone knows each other and can make a difference in keeping the hospital afloat. While issues like poor cash flow and slow reimbursements are generally beyond the hospital’s control, focusing on patient care is something they can do to improve community perception.
How NexGen Can Help
Surgeons who work with NexGen increase their work/life balance by working two weeks out of the month and have no call during their time off. We remove the burden of administrative duties allowing our surgeons to completely unplug during their time away from practice. NexGen is looking for experienced surgeons ready to step away from busy practices and provide care in rural settings that value their expertise. Contact us online or call 844-592-0802 to learn more about how we can help relocate your practice.
