10 reasons to work in a corporate practice

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This content has been produced by ADG in association with Healius.

 

Love them or loathe them, the introduction of supersized GP corporate practices in the ‘90s arguably changed the face of primary health care forever.

While patients embraced bulk-billing one-stop-shop convenience, GPs had to quickly adapt to a major shift in workplace dynamics.

For some, the corporatisation of general practice was liberating, bringing efficiencies of scale and relief from administrative burden, but for others, the added level of bureaucracy was frustratingly restrictive.

Key findings from a report by the University of Melbourne which analysed key trends in the sector in recent years show changes in the structure and organisation of general practice have coincided with a drop in job satisfaction among GPs.

However, Dr Tim Haggett who heads up the medical centres arm at Healius, says laying the blame for any growing discontent solely at the corporate sector is short-sighted.

“All GPs are under increased pressure these days due to the demands of an ageing population, growing red tape and the revenue pain wrought by the Medicare freeze, along with an increasingly litigious environment,” he says.

“These problems are not unique to corporates and, in fact, the red tape problem is alleviated in companies such as ours.”

While Dr Haggett concedes his own company had “made mistakes in the past” with onerous job contracts and an unsupportive workplace culture, he maintains Healius “is a much better product now than we had before”.

“We’re competitive in the marketplace in what we offer in commercial terms, we have a great working environment and we have well-supported centres with the best of technology.”

But he says the most notable change for Healius is a concerted focus on ensuring continuity of care.

“We didn’t used to encourage continuity of care but now we have appointments built into our business model which ensures a better experience for both doctor and patient.”

Dr Haggett, himself a former GP, says working in a large medical centre today is a totally different proposition to the GP corporate model of old.

 

He lists 10 good reasons to work in a corporate practice.

  1. Lifestyle benefits and flexibility
  2. Relief from administrative burden
  3. Efficiencies of scale
  4. Tried and true systems and processes
  5. No cashflow problems – getting paid on time
  6. Diversity of patients
  7. Onsite medical services – convenience of a one-stop-shop
  8. Inhouse training and education
  9. More scope to specialise on area of interest
  10. After-hours cover

Healius is now hiring. To see available roles, click here.

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