AAEM-PG helps local, independent, democratic groups reach their full potential, which results in major advantages over the employed physician model and the contract management group/physician staffing company model. AAEM-PG helps our member groups augment their local capabilities through access to dozens of national experts on all facets of emergency department management. AAEM-PG also works closely with practice management and RCM companies that provide comprehensive solutions. We also help our member groups have a greater presence and achieve economies of scale when negotiating with insurance companies and other vendors so they can maximize their success. Essentially, we allow local, independent, democratic groups to achieve the same advantages as the large contract management groups, while avoiding the many downsides of that model.
Local, independent, democratic groups are comprised of physician-owners that are fully committed to improving your hospital and community. Since the group’s leadership actually works in your emergency department and lives in your community, they recognize the need for strong, positive, longstanding relationships with hospital leadership and your medical staff. Since each of the physicians fully benefits in the group’s success, they are highly focused on optimizing emergency department operations, patient flow, and patient satisfaction. The physician-owners fully participate in committees, community service, and other projects. Physician-owner democratic groups have minimal turnover and rarely utilize locums, allowing for building strong relationships with your nursing and medical staff, as well as your patients.
National contract management groups typically siphon off 20-40%+ of physician professional fees and send it out of state for corporate profit, debt expense, and considerable administrative salaries. This often results in physician understaffing, heavy reliance of the use of non-physician providers, and a recruitment focus on the least expensive providers rather than the best. Emergency physicians overwhelmingly prefer to be physician-owners within an independent, democratic group rather than employees or independent contractors. As a result, AAEM-PG member groups are able to recruit the very best board-certified emergency physicians, and physician turnover is minimal. Profits stay in the community and are reinvested within the local group, allowing optimal staffing with the highest quality physicians.