MGMA: Admin demands affect doc compensation models

In many healthcare organizations, physicians play an administrative role that is increasingly complex and changing in scope. As such, stipend amounts for nonclinical effort continue to evolve as a component of many physicians’ total compensation plans, according to a report released by Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).

The report, “Medical Directorship and On-Call Compensation Survey: 2012 Report Based on 2011 Data,” notes a directorship’s scope of responsibilities and duties impacts stipend amounts. “Primary care directorships responsible for community relations or strategic development reported a higher median annualized stipend ($25,000) than their peers who were responsible for other directorship duties,” the report found. “Surgical specialty directors responsible for documentation and care planning, monitoring quality and appropriateness of medical care, or physician relations and/or representation reported an annualized stipend of $36,000.”

Nonsurgical subspecialists with provider of last resort/call availability or regulation, licensure and credentialing responsibilities earned a higher median annualized stipend ($44,586) than their peers with other duties, the report added.

Time spent on directorship activities varies greatly, according to the Englewood, Colo.-based MGMA. The majority of respondents to this survey reported that their duties were only a component of total work time. “Almost 50 percent indicated they spent fewer than six hours per week on directorship activities. As such, benchmark data reflected stipend amounts for non-clinical effort.”

The report contains data on 1,399 medical directors in 266 medical organizations. Over time, MGMA stated it expects the growth of the survey to allow for the depiction of compensation benchmarks for medical directors working in a predominately nonclinical capacity.