Page 5 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_July-August-2020

President’s Letter

Should Doctors Unionize?

WBy John R. Allbert, MD be in Great Britain during the 19th-century industrial revolution. These
hen I was in college, many physicians I knew advised
me to NOT pursue a career in medicine. The amount comprised workers, professionals, students and apprentices. The trade
of paperwork they had was unbearable and the risk
unions originated from the guilds of medieval Europe, which were first

of being sued was too high (and was getting higher). established to regulate trade, ensure quality of the product produced,

Today, doctors complain the electronic medical record has made us data provide financing for training of apprentices and control competition —

entry clerks and insurance companies are more involved with medical not too dissimilar from our own medical societies.

decision-making. Some hospitals are trying to control physician behavior Trade unions were created for the purpose of securing improved pay,

with things that have little to do with patient care. When COVID-19 was benefits, working conditions, and social and political status. Physicians,

first being reported in the United States, the administration at a hospital through the AMA and specialty societies, always have advocated for

in the state of Washington was concerned about the message that would maximizing the quality of care for patients, as well as for physician

be sent to hospital patients and visitors if healthcare workers wore masks. compensation by fighting against unfair business practices of insurance

All employees and medical staff were ordered to not wear masks. An companies and promoting malpractice reform. More recently, medical

As hospital systems anesthesiologist was very organizations have used their strength in numbers to fight against the
and private equity groups
concerned about his own separation of immigrant children from their parents, the high cost of
personal risk and chose to
wear a surgical mask outside insulin and easy access to firearms.

employ more physicians, Our societies must promote the restoration of time doctors can spend
physicians find the
of the operating room. with patients. Economists have estimated that for each 60 seconds of
Thereafter, he was relieved
of his inpatient duties. keyboard work that could be avoided by doctors, 400,000 hours would

advantages of spending be freed up for patient interaction. When administrators are business
less time negotiating with
In the past few months, people and not medical professionals, they do not understand the time
the pandemic has brought
to light how difficult it is to it takes to listen, do a thorough I am so glad I chose
medicine as a career.
insurance companies and manage the narrow profit physical exam and establish trust
for an effective doctor-patient
dealing with personnel issues margins of a modern private relationship. When business Despite the challenges
practice. As hospital systems
at the expense of losing decisions are being made, we
some autonomy.
and private equity groups need to be at the table. we face, I always tell
employ more physicians, I am so glad I chose medicine
at first doctors find the as a career. Despite the challenges young people that if they

advantages of spending less we face, I always tell young people feel called to be a doctor,
that if they feel called to be a doctor,
time negotiating with insurance companies and dealing with personnel they may have the most rewarding they may have the most

issues. However, many soon realize that, with all the benefits, they miss

the autonomy they had when they were self-employed. Locally, we have life they can imagine. Across the rewarding life they
country, especially on the west
seen how physician job security is not what it once was, after physician coast, employed physicians have can imagine.

groups allowed their practices to be purchased by national healthcare started to join unions. As of now,

companies.

When my brother was in business school, he told me he was I do not see a strong rallying cry

surprised doctors were not unionized; we meet all the criteria of for local physicians to become involved with organized labor. However,

a skilled profession that would benefit from collective bargaining. over the next ten to twenty ears, this may change. To avoid this, private

Personally, I have never been a big fan of unions. I grew up in east practice must be a viable option and employed doctors must feel they are

Texas, where powerful unions seem to decrease the competitiveness of involved when decisions are being made concerning working conditions

local companies. and patient care.

Physicians are subject to antitrust regulations to the same extent as

other providers of goods and services. Until the past three decades, Respectfully yours,

doctors have, for the most part, been Independent business owners, and

therefore, could not unionize. However, employed doctors whose salaries

are reported on W-2 forms can join a union.

The right to unionize in the United States was established with the

Clayton Act of 1914, the Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 and the National

Labor Relation Act of 1935. The first labor unions, however, came to

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