When deciding what to pay anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists, it is more important to assess what will keep anesthesiologists from leaving a group rather than relying solely on data, Rita Astani, president of anesthesia at RCM company Coronis Health, wrote in an April 24 blog post for Anesthesia Business Consultants.
It is becoming more difficult to retain providers, Ms. Astani wrote, and it is becoming easier for providers to jump from one practice to another. Survey data, which providers have used to gauge compensation in the past, represents limited sample sizes and might not provide insight into evolving market trends.
"The most appropriate compensation package is the one that allows the practice to recruit and retain a qualified team of providers," Ms. Astani wrote. Thus, the two most distinguishing contract factors are the amount of call and the acuity of care required.
Anesthesia providers at hospitals, for example, require more on-call responsibility than an ASC, where most procedures performed are outpatient.
Another factor to retain staff is benefits packages, the blog post said, as well as the way compensation is calculated and paid. Some anesthesia providers are paid through formula-based compensation plans while others are paid based on total number of shifts.
Click here to read Ms. Astani's full post on anesthesia compensation practices.