Leave-of-absence physician policy

Developing a Consistent Leave of Absence Policy for Group Physicians

Dealing with a leave of absence for a group physician is difficult. But it makes sense to accommodate your most valuable resources as best you can. To make it less difficult, develop a uniform, gender-neutral policy beforehand.

As a practical matter, you probably have to grant leaves if you want new physicians to remain loyal, productive members for years to come. Don’t deal with leave requests on a case-by-case basis. Create a formal process to deal with any leave of absence.

Insert it into your new physician employment contract so new hires clearly see how you will handle any request. And add it to the co-owner contract so that it’s spelled out for associates who are about to become partners.

This nugget was adapted from Recruiting the Right Physician: A Practical Guide, from Advisory Publications, a division of HCPro, Inc. To order, click here or call our Customer Service Department at 800/650-6787 for more information.