DALLAS, June 9, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting salaries
for both primary care and specialist physicians spiked in the last
12 months, according to a new report, reflecting a rising demand
for physicians and a growing physician shortage.
Prepared by Merritt Hawkins, the
nation's leading physician search firm and a company of AMN
Healthcare (NYSE: AHS), the 2016 Review of Physician and
Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives tracks the 3,342
physician and advanced practitioner recruiting assignments the firm
conducted from April 1, 2015 to
March 31, 2016. Now in its 23rd
year, the report indicates that starting salaries increased
year-over-year in 19 of the 20 medical specialties for which the
report provides data.
Annual starting salaries and year-over-year increases for select
specialties include: family medicine, $225,000, up 13% year-over year; psychiatry,
$250,000, up 11%;
obstetrics-gynecology, $321,000, up
16%; dermatology, $444,000, up 13%;
urology, $471,000, up 14%;
otolaryngology, $380,000, up 15%;
non-invasive cardiology, $403,000, up
21%; and general surgery, $378,000 up
12%.
"Demand for physicians is as intense as we have seen it in our
29-year history," said Travis
Singleton, senior vice president of Merritt Hawkins. "The expansion of health
insurance coverage, population growth, population aging, expanded
care sites such as urgent care centers and other factors are
driving demand for doctors through the roof, and salaries are
spiking as a consequence."
A Crisis in Mental Health
The five types of medical specialties in most demand, according
to the report, are family medicine, psychiatry, internal medicine,
hospitalist, and obstetrics-gynecology. The 2016 report marks
the first time psychiatry has ranked as high as second on
Merritt Hawkins' list of most
in-demand physicians, underscoring an emerging crisis in mental
health.
The federal government has designated 3,968 whole or partial
counties as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) for mental
health, and close to half the counties in the U.S. have no mental
health provider. In Texas, 185 of 254 counties (73%)
have no general psychiatrist, according to Merritt Hawkins data.
Physician Employment and Value-Based Pay
Employment remains the dominant physician practice model.
Approximately 90% of Merritt
Hawkins' search assignments in the last year featured
employment of the physician by a hospital, medical group, urgent
care center, Federally Quality Health Center (FQHC) or other
employer. Five percent of Merritt
Hawkins' search assignments in the previous year featured an
independent, solo practice setting, up from less than one percent
two years ago. Many of these solo settings feature the
"concierge" or "direct pay" practice model.
In addition, the new report suggests that the use of value-based
physician incentives is gaining momentum. Of those
Merritt Hawkins clients offering
physicians a production bonus last year, 32% based the bonus in
whole or in part on value-based metrics such as patient
satisfaction, compared to 23% the previous year. However, the
report indicates that only 6% of total physician compensation is
tied to quality or value-based metrics.
A slide show including results of Merritt Hawkins' 2016 Review of Physician and
Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives can be accessed
http://bit.ly/2016MHreviewshare and a complete report can obtained
by calling Merritt Hawkins at
800-876-0500 or visiting www.merritthawkins.com.
About Merritt Hawkins
Merritt Hawkins is the largest
physician search and consulting firm in the United States and is a company of AMN
Healthcare (NYSE: AHS). More information about Merritt Hawkins and AMN Healthcare can be
accessed at www.merritthawkins.com.
About AMN Healthcare
AMN Healthcare is the leader and
innovator in healthcare workforce solutions and staffing services
to healthcare facilities across the nation. The Company provides
unparalleled access to the most comprehensive network of quality
healthcare professionals through its innovative recruitment
strategies and breadth of career opportunities. With insights and
expertise, AMN Healthcare helps providers optimize their workforce
to successfully reduce complexity, increase efficiency, and improve
patient outcomes. AMN delivers managed services programs,
healthcare executive search solutions, vendor management systems,
recruitment process outsourcing, predictive modeling, medical
coding and consulting, and other services. Clients include
acute-care hospitals, community health centers and clinics,
physician practice groups, retail and urgent care centers, home
health facilities, and many other healthcare settings. For more
information about AMN Healthcare, visit www.amnhealthcare.com.
Contact:
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Phillip
Miller
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469-524-1420
|
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phil.miller@amnhealthcare.com
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SOURCE Merritt Hawkins