Let me be direct and possibly blunt: The business world is rife with contempt, unpredictability, and unfairness. And so does the employing marketplace, especially when hearing or reading about uncertain revenue trends, increased regulatory burdens, and/or inconsistent or challenging reimbursement models seen across the Healthcare industry. Naturally many healthcare executive leaders or administrators are quick to point out & “vent about their financial organizational hardships” and how imperative is for every organizational employee to be fiscally responsible if they are to survive the current & continuous economic turmoil faced every day.
Unfortunately, given
these financial stressors & “reality” to most healthcare organizations,
frayed relationships are beginning to rise & impact PA’s relationships with
their CEOs & other deep-pocketed healthcare executives. Mostly due to
deceitful dishonest corporate mandates or strategies used to curtail, eliminate
or streamline salary-benefits packages of Advance Practice Providers ( APPs ).
These alleged “financial woes” as given & used on many CEO-employee forums ring
untrue and are very hard to stomach when there’s a deceitful agenda behind them;
particularly if the company is thriving otherwise
Many clinicians fear
and stand to reason this compensational “imbalance” has increased the divide
and added to the frustrating rage an element of distrust especially when these
executives make their obscene year-end “bonuses”. And since most APPs are not
union members or hired as sub-contractual if hires we tend to be the “sacrificial lambs first”; after all, & often times
we don’t have a voice nor representation as other company employees do.
However, we do
not need to see ourselves as the perennial sacrificial
lambs as they would like us to.
Our professional interdependence is not a parasitic one but rather a symbiotic
one, technically that’s what we need to remind ourselves. We must not succumb
to believing their “dualistic message” is the final word or amended dictated
reality.
We are in the driver’s seat sort
of speak; both directly and indirectly we can exert a profound influence on
“advertising” and let’s not forget “public relations”—vital core issues for any
business enterprise.
Yet, keeping in
mind that the business world is not regular, nor that industry forces are
predictable, it’s best if collectively we remain flexible and adaptive in our
transactional dealings with administrative executives.
We must realize
that we are worthy professionals. Also, we’re not doomed to be a
submissive, subservient class because of protectionist
views or activities exercised by other kindred groups in the industry. Our
social reality is one of evolutionary progress as seen through the last few
decades. Fallacious arguments and empty rhetoric must be scrutinized so we can
think more rationally & proactively while not being fooled by half-truths, and
misleading corporate metrics when sitting at the negotiating table with deceitful
greedy employers. This day and age calls for a new negotiating perspective for
all PAs. One of a “healthy mistrust of
authority”. One that emphasizes searching for unbiased facts, probabilities,
and objectivity to all stakeholders involved when seeking to find common
grounds & simplify these discussions. In addition, we must learn to live comfortably
with the uncertainties of the business world. The truth is there’s no single
guarantee of legitimacy or truth when it comes to the information age, only skewed
information lacking indicators of legitimacy. So try not to put all your eggs
in one basket when trying to make an informed wise decision, but at the same time
don’t victimize yourself by procrastinating due to paralysis analysis… especially when debunking some questionable corporate
fabrications.
Yet, time after
time, whether privately employed or hospital employed, many APPs have found
when they attempt to establish some form of dialogue to correct this disparity,
or at the very least level the playing field then it becomes rather obvious to them we are always to blame
even though we’re steadfast big revenue producers. How wrong is this? Don’t they
realize that truthfulness goes a long way rather than obfuscation? Quite
frankly, I would think this is not the role nor the message any transparent (ethical)
healthcare organizations or employers would like to send to their internal/external
constituents when portraying themselves as solid patient-centric community
partners.
Am I wrong? (think of Enron,& Wells Fargo corporate sins) –
not exactly the pristine corporate behavior per se that they would like us to believe…right?
You [we] have a
choice; our career transactions are not always fated. The days of skepticism,
pessimism, & illusionism are behind us. Moreover, we should be redefining
this reality with optimism and a deeply rooted sense of PA pride.
