Category Archives: Hospital Employed Physicians

Workplace violence costs hospitals more than $18B: report

Posted on by • Posted in Federal Criminal Charges, Health System, Hospital, Hospital Employed Physicians, Hospital Industry, Hospital Outpatient Departments, Hostile, Legislative Agenda, Workplace Violence, Workplace Violence Prevention, Workplace Violence Prevention Plan • Leave a comment

https://www.axios.com/2025/06/05/hospital-assaults-workplace-violence-costs

Assaults against health care workers are costing hospitals upward of $18 billion a year in added security, training, workers compensation and other expenses, including treating victims, according to a new industry report.

Why it matters: 

Attacks by patients and visitors in hospitals and clinics already were a problem before the pandemic and got worse with backlash against public health measures.

  • The American Hospital Association says there’s a human toll beyond the financial burden, with burnout, staff turnover, legal concerns and negative public perceptions all plaguing health systems.

By the numbers: 

The University of Washington report for the trade group found prevention measures like active shooter training, hiring more security and reinforcing entry points and creating designated safe areas cost health systems $3.6 billion a year.

  • The cost of care for fatal and nonfatal injuries, lost productivity and replacing damaged equipment and infrastructure total about $14.6 billion a year. Health expenses for treating injuries alone account for more than $13 billion of that amount.

Between the lines: 

Violent incidents most often occur in psychiatric units, emergency departments, waiting rooms and geriatric units, with rural areas having higher prevalence than urban areas, the report found.

  • Registered nurses, nursing assistants and patient care assistants experience particularly high rates of workplace violence. A 2024 American Hospital Association poll found half of U.S. nurses reported being either verbally abused, physically assaulted or both by a patient or a patient’s family member within the previous two years.

What we’re watching: 

Congress is again considering legislation that would make assaulting hospital staff a federal crime, similar to protections for flight crews and airport workers.

Physician employment continues to gather pace

Posted on by • Posted in Health System, Hospital, Hospital Employed Physicians, Hospital Industry, Physician Employment, Physician Independence, Physician Practice Acquisition, Physician Practice Management, Physician Practice Valuation, Private Equity, Strategy • Leave a comment

https://mailchi.mp/b5daf4456328/the-weekly-gist-july-23-2021?e=d1e747d2d8

The number of independent physician practices continued to decline nationwide as health systems, payers, and investors accelerated their physician acquisition and employment strategies during the pandemic.

The graphic above highlights recent analysis from consulting firm Avalere Health and the nonprofit Physicians Advocacy Institute, finding that nearly half of physician practices are now owned by hospital or corporate entities, meaning insurers, disruptors, or other investor-owned companies.

This increase has been driven mainly by a surge in the number of corporate-owned practices, which has grown over 50 percent across the last two years. (Researchers said they were unable to accurately break down corporate employers more specifically, and that the study likely undercounts the number of practices owned by private equity firms, given the lack of transparency in that segment.) 

It’s no surprise that we’re seeing an uptick in physician employment, as about a quarter of physicians surveyed a year ago claimed COVID was making them more likely to sell or partner with other entities, and last year saw independent physicians’ average salary falling below that of hospital-employed physicians. 

We expect the move away from private practice will continue throughout this year and beyond, as physicians seek financial stability and access to capital for necessary investments to remain competitive.