Physician FAQs and Answers about EMP

These are just a few of the most common questions physicians ask us. Give us a call at 800-828-0898 or contact us if you have specific questions that aren’t covered below.

How is EMP different than other staffing/recruiting groups?

All the emergency medicine physicians become equal owners. After 1900 hours, approximately one year, physicians become eligible to receive bonuses at the hospitals where they work. Two years after financial partnership, physicians receive an equal equity share in the company.

Why does EMP concentrate only on emergency medicine?

The reason is focus. Today we operate in a far more competitive environment than even a few years ago and the best companies devote all their energy to what they do best. emergency medicine is what we do best.

Is profit sharing available?

Profit sharing bonuses are available to every emergency medicine physician after completing 1,900 clinical hours. Bonuses at each local facility are split between physicians based on the hours that each physician works.

Is there any reason a physician would not become eligible to share profits?

All physicians who are hired by EMP and are still employed with the company after completing 1,900 hours are eligible to receive profit sharing bonuses.

What makes up physician equity in the pratice?

Equity is made up of the value of the hospital contracts and their accounts receivable, ownership in the insurance company and the management company.

Who receives equity?

EMP offers physicians equity two years after profit-sharing eligibility. The physician then has an equal equity ownership with the physicians who started the company and all other EMP physicians that are eligible for profit sharing.

How are shifts distributed among emergency medicine physicians?

You make your own schedule your entire first year with EMP. After all, you’ve worked hard to get where you are and you deserve time to live life on your own schedule. After a year, individual scheduling requests are accommodated to the maximum extent possible with shifts evenly distributed among physicians. The Medical Director’s schedule is tailored to meet specific administrative responsibilities.

What type of benefits package do you offer?

Partnership after 1900 hours

Equal equity for full-time physicians starting after three years

$10,000 CME/business expense account

Physician friendly scheduling, including the option to make your own schedule your entire first year at EMP

Professional liability insurance

EMP owns its own malpractice insurance company, and as an equity owner, all physicians have a stake in that company, along with guaranteed insurance coverage (managed by emergency physicians) and tail coverage provided by EMP.

Starting compensation package in excess of $225,000, including:

• Fully-funded retirement plan (up to $32,500)
• Medical and dental benefit coverage (single, family or domestic partner)
• Term life insurance
• Long and short term disability
• Flexible spending accounts
• 401(k)
• Voluntary benefits, including:
  
  • Access to a 529 College Savings Plan (two plans are sponsored by EMP)
  • Access to supplemental long-term disability for residents outside of New York

With regard to the direction of EMP, how are the decisions made and who makes them?

The equity assets of EMP are held in an Equity Trust, managed by trustees who are advised by the EMP Trust Board elected by the physician equity members. All decisions regarding the direction of EMP are made by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors receives its direction from the equity trust and the medical directors at each facility. The medical directors receive direction from the physicians at their location. Through this process each physician at EMP contributes to the direction EMP takes.

How is joining with EMP different than being a hospital employee?

Joining EMP allows you to control your destiny. As EMP expands across the country, physicians will be able to move to different areas without losing seniority or progression toward profit-sharing or equity or starting at a new hospital as an employee. As a hospital employee, there is always the risk of changing direction, the hospital being sold, as well as direction in staffing of the emergency department being changed.

What staffing parameters are used?

All emergency departments are staffed between 2.2 and 2.5 patients per hour. Physician assistants and physician extenders may be used in order to increase the efficiency of the department.

What are the qualifications for an emergency department director and how are they chosen?

All emergency department directors for EMP have either previous directorship experience or they go through the Scholars Program, in which physicians are offered administrative experience and attend administrative courses to prepare themselves for directorship responsibilities. Following completion of the Directorship Track they enter into an assistant directorship position, followed by a directorship.

Is there opportunity for advancement within the EMP organization?

EMP is growing at such a rapid rate that there are plenty of opportunities for advancement. EMP focuses on hiring and advancing all emergency medicine physicians from within the organization into leadership rules, rather than hiring outside physicians into these roles.

Will EMP be sold? What is in the future?

EMP’s development plan is to continue to grow as long as we are able to deliver the highest quality of care. We are not in favor of medical companies becoming public companies and making profits for non-physician shareholders. Given EMP’s structure, a sell-off is highly unlikely. Unlike some groups that have sold in the past, there are not just a few individuals that would benefit from selling. In the unlikely event that we were to be sold, or merge with a private group, all emergency medicine physicians would share equity in the profit.