AAEM Engages in Contract Matters Affecting Members
CAL/AAEM News Service
calaaem_news at yahoo.com
Sun Jun 26 22:45:23 PDT 2005
AAEM Engages in Contract Matters Affecting Members
Source: AAEM (http://www.aaem.org)
Date: June 8, 2005
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE CONTINUES TO ENGAGE IN CONTRACT MATTERS AFFECTING
MEMBERS
Milwaukee, WI - In the wake of our success in Minnesota, the number of contacts from
emergency physicians for contract related issues has risen dramatically. It seems that
more of us believe what AAEM has been saying and that is "something can be done!" Over
the past two months, AAEM was engaged in a matter seriously affecting a number of
practicing emergency physicians at Landmark Medical Center in Rhode Island. We were
contacted by a group of physicians who were being barred from signing on with a new,
equitable group practice arrangement through the Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians
because of a restrictive covenant imposed by the single contract holder who lost the
contract. These physicians merely wanted to stay and work at this ED and continue their
professional lives uninterrupted and transition into a better future. AAEM was contacted
to see what assistance we could offer.
The response from AAEM was swift and sure. We reviewed with the physicians that the
absence of restrictive covenants was a part of our Mission Statement, and that we had
recently set up the AAEM Foundation to fund efforts to help our members engaged in
matters affecting their ability to practice. AAEM offered to enter a suit filed against
the contract holder (an anesthesiologist by the way) as a co-plaintiff, much like in the
MN case. AAEM Past President, Robert McNamara, served as a lead person for AAEM in this
matter and prepared the attached affidavit for submission to the judge at a hearing for
summary judgment. This document reiterates AAEM's beliefs regarding the need to keep
restrictive covenants out of our specialty. Fortunately, as the deadline for the
transition of the contract was fast approaching (July 1), the parties were able to reach
a settlement that allowed these physicians to remain at this site and join the new
practice. The assistant director of the ED, Dr. Daren Girard, sent this message to AAEM:
"Thanks again for your support....your organization's interest in our situation turned
out to be a catalyst. After you pledged to help us, our group instantly rallied behind
the cause. Thanks a lot."
AAEM was proud to be able to offer assistance in this matter and pleased to see that the
involved physicians did not accept the premise that "nothing could be done." We are
extremely encouraged by the increasing numbers of us who are seeking control of their
professional lives. While we realize we will not be able to help everyone in every
situation we do pledge to examine the matter on our member's behalf. The support of our
membership of the AAEM Foundation is critical to our ability to take such action. Please
consider contributing if you have not already done so. Additionally, let your colleagues
know we could use their support as members to strengthen our hand when we seek to assist
the working physicians.
For more information, please review the Affidavit of Robert McNamara, MD FAAEM, which can
be found at http://www.aaem.org/contractissues/
Cyrus Shahpar & Brian Potts
Managing Editors, CAL/AAEM News Service
University of California, Irvine
The CAL/AAEM Archives are available at: http://maillists.uci.edu/mailman/public/calaaem/
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