Disclosure, Apology, and Selling Your Medical Practice
You worked hard and built a successful practice. Congratulations! Local hospitals are clamoring to purchase your practice and you will become an employed physician. Now, hospitals are regulated in what they can pay for your practice…competing offers should be close in dollar figures. So, the differentiating factor is how you will be treated by your new employer. Remember, any good job interview is a two way street where you ask lots of questions, including:
“So, let me ask you this question….a year from now I am working for you and I am involved in an adverse medical event. My patient is seriously injured, possibly dead. The family is devastated, angry, and demanding answers. They might be threatening litigation. The event may have been caused by a medical error – my medical error. How will this situation be handled by this organization? What will do for my patient, his or her family, and me?”
You should hope to hear the following from the hospital:
· We will train you how to have these conversations.
· Our organization has a team of trained professionals to assist you with these conversations.
· We want you to be open, honest, and transparent with patients and families….we believe in the disclosure movement.
· If an adverse event was caused by a medical error, we will meet all needs of the patient and family including a sincere apology, explanation of what happened, and fair, upfront compensation.
· We will take care of you, the 2nd victim.
· We will learn from the event to prevent it from happening again
· Let us tell you about some cases here at our hospital where we have used the disclosure process…
Disclosure and apology can be a deciding factor in the sale of your practice.
Please share this information with colleagues and friends. To schedule a Sorry Works! presentation for your Grand Rounds seminar, call Sorry Works! at 618-559-8168 or e-mail doug@sorryworks.net.