Leadership

The number of employed physicians is skyrocketing, and many leaders are concerned about how this workforce evolution will affect care quality.

Around 77% of physicians have shifted away from independent practice and into employed models over the last decade, but some are unhappy with employment and are pivoting back to private practice. 

A California bill will go into effect Oct. 16 requiring healthcare facilities, including ASCs, to meet certain wage requirements, law firm Buchalter wrote in JDSupra. 

Physician practice ownership has been declining for decades. In 2022, just 44% of physicians owned their practices, compared with 76% in the early 1980s, according to a report from the American Medical Association.

Four physicians joined Becker's to discuss what's making them the most hopeful about the future of medicine.

From consolidation to increases in workloads, five physicians joined Becker's to discuss what's scaring them the most about the future of medicine. 

The growing influence of nonclinical actors in healthcare has sparked concerns among physicians, as many feel that their autonomy has been significantly eroded over the past few decades. 

Physicians are interested in leadership roles, but many do not have the business skills to support that ambition. 

The combined net worth of the five richest physician billionaires is $45.1 billion, according to Forbes' net worth tracker. 

Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare is one of the largest ASC operators in the country through HCA Surgery Ventures.