Medical Briefs

More Physicians Opt for Hospital Employment

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of established recruited physicians were placed in hospital-owned practices in 2009, according to the Medical Group Management Association’s Physician Placement Starting Salary Survey: 2010 Report Based on 2009 Data. The survey also found that 49% of physicians were placed within hospital-owned practices after completing their residencies or fellowships. Median first-year guaranteed compensation was $160,000 for primary care physicians and $230,000 for specialists.

Recession Hurting Hospitals

The nation’s hospitals have been feeling the effects of the weak economy, according to an American Hospital Association study. The report, based on data from 572 non-federal, short-term, acute-care hospitals, notes that nearly three quarters of hospitals reported reduced operating margins, 70% reported fewer patient visits and elective procedures, 44% reported reduced access to capital and 67% did not start or continue capital projects that were put on hold because of the recession.