EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN TERMINATIONS - DOING IT RIGHT

Emergency physicians (EPs), like other specialists in medicine, can be terminated from their positions, Little has been written about the pr ocess of physician termination, It is important that this process be w ell thought-out and performed in a professional manner to ensure that there is no undue damage to the physician or to the institution. The i nstitution must be aware of the effects of terminations on its ability to recruit and retain EPs, To properly terminate a physician employee , the physician manager must use the appropriate termination rationale , ensure appropriate performance evaluations, provide for remediation, understand the psychology of termination, and address the alternative s to termination prior to the termination. Indeed, the hiring process itself must address the grounds on which termination may occur. Succes sful terminations are performed by planning the process, reviewing the file and the contract, arranging the meeting, examining the terminati on process, and considering the legal implications and due process iss ues.