Question

United Hospital Center

Stroudwater Principal Mike Fleischman has worked with United Hospital Center in Bridgeport, WV, for the last 15 years. Understanding the regulatory environment related to medical practices an area of focus drawing scrutiny from the federal government has been a focus of Mike’s long career, and has enabled him to assist UHC in staying up-to-date on relevant regulations and industry trends related to hospital/physician relationships including employment and personal service agreements.

In order to support UHC’s ongoing compliance efforts, Mike and his Stroudwater team have developed a full understanding of the client’s medical staff needs, with a heavy focus on the community need benefits that can be derived through employment or personal services agreements with physicians. Mike also conducts community research on disease entities relevant to the specialty being recruited, and researches market compensation data to determine if physician compensation arrangements are reasonable and at fair market value.

Questions:

1. According to research you conduct, describe regulations and industry trends related to hospital physician relationships with a focus on employment and personal service agreements.

Answer 1

Professionals are committed to clinical standards and set education for their competence by ethical and trustworthy that benefit others and patients. the ethical concern with the protection of self-interest differentiates the true profession from the other one. Professionalism gets conflicts sometimes with self-interest in certain situation especially when physicians are paid for their services. concern about physicians' self-referral federal legislation passed regulations. federal law prohibited physicians referring Medicaid and medicare beneficiaries to other services it includes immediate family members, investment interest in the entities, compensation arrangement with entities. The recommendations for professionals by adopting industry trends and regulations consistent with high standards of professionalism. It should include no accepting any materials from any companies except if the transaction by payment market values for their service, not make educational acknowledgment that is not controlled by industry, not making private consulting agreement unless otherwise, it is under fair market values, not meeting any representatives with physician invitation. this recommendation should be for other employees and medical staff.