Physician Employment & Service Agreements
Physicians are increasingly entering into employment and other contractual relationships with hospitals, group practices, and other entities. The AMA offers a variety of resources to help meet the unique needs of this growing population of physicians:
- AMA Principles for Physician Employment
- Employment agreement resources
- Service agreement resources
- Physician compensation resources
- Search for physician employment opportunities
- Questions? Try the new AMA Physician Assistance Service.
AMA Principles for Physician Employment
Adopted at the 2012 Interim Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates, the AMA Principles for Physician Employment are intended to help physicians, those who employ physicians, and their respective advisors identify and address some of the unique challenges employment presents to professionalism and the practice of medicine.
- Now Available - AMA Principles for Physician Employment Webinar
This 90-minute webinar (1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™), jointly produced by the AMA and the American Bar Association, provides an overview of the Principles and their application to real-world situations in which the interests of the employer may differ from those of the physician and his or her patients.
Employment Agreements
Annotated Model Physician-Hospital Employment Agreement
Addresses the specific needs of physicians who are preparing to negotiate employment contracts with hospitals or related entities. Free online access for AMA members; non-members may purchase access for $149 through the AMA Bookstore.
Annotated Model Physician Employment Agreement
Addresses the specific needs of physicians who are preparing to negotiate employment contracts with small group practices, multispecialty group practices, or similar entities. Free online access for AMA members.
Employment contract webcasts
- Physician Employment Agreements
Organized Medical Staff Section webcast -- CME credit available - Employment Contracting: What to Ask For and How to Ask For It
Organized Medical Staff Section webcast -- CME credit available - Contracting 101: You Get What You Negotiate
Resident and Fellow Section webcast - Negotiate with Confidence: Know What's in Your Contract
Resident and Fellow Section webcast
Service Agreements
Service agreements may be an attractive alternative for physicians who wish to align their practices with hospitals or other entities but wish to avoid some of the potential practice constraints of a formal employment relationship.
Annotated Model Co-Management Service Line Agreement - New!
With service line agreements becoming both more popular and more complex, the AMA introduces a new resource to assist physicians and their legal counsel in navigating and negotiating these contracts. AMA members may view the interactive Co-Management Service Line Agreement online for free; coming soon, non-AMA members will be able to purchase access to this valuable resource through the AMA Bookstore.
Physician Compensation
The AMA has developed a number of resources to help physicians seeking employment better understand and prepare to negotiate their compensation options.
AMA Annotated Model Employment Agreements
Chapter 5 of each of the AMA Annotated Model Employment Agreements (hospital and group practice) addresses physician compensation.
Physician Compensation Strategies, Second Edition
Available for purchase from the AMA Store.
Evaluating and Negotiating Emerging Payment Options
AMA Practice Management Center resource and webcast
Physician compensation benchmarking data
A number of organizations compile data on physician compensation, which may be of great use to physicians negotiating employment contracts:
- Medical Group Management Association
- American Medical Group Association
- American College of Physician Executives
- Merritt Hawkins
- Medscape
Physician Employment Opportunities
Visit JAMA Career Center to search for physician employment opportunities.
JAMA Career Center presents physician career opportunities, news, and information relevant to the full spectrum of medical practice. Job postings are available from virtually every specialty, practice setting, and region in the United States. The site also presents selected international physician employment and physician volunteer opportunities, as well as essential reference matter for physicians mapping career strategy and navigating key transition points.
AMA Physician Assistance Service
As a benefit of membership, the AMA is pleased to provide assistance to individual physicians in matters pertaining to their relationships with hospitals, health systems, and other similar entities. While the AMA cannot provide legal opinions or representation, we are dedicated to answering physician questions and providing advice on physician-hospital issues such as employment and contracting, medical staff bylaws, credentialing, peer review, due process, medical staff self governance, and more.
AMA members may take advantage of this valuable resource in either of two ways:
- Complete a brief online form, and an AMA expert on physician-hospital/health system relations will contact you to discuss your questions or concerns.
- Contact AMA Member Relations at (800) 262-3211 or msc@ama-assn.org to arrange a time to discuss your questions or concerns with an AMA expert on physician-hospital/health system relations.
