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Medical staffs can help aging physicians ease into their golden years: Maintain collegiality and ensure patient safety

Medical Staff Briefing, April 1, 2010

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When you combine the heart-wrenching possibility of taking away a colleague's livelihood with the threat of getting involved in a discrimination lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities or Age Discrimination in Employment Acts, it's no wonder that many medical staffs find it difficult to confront aging physicians about their ability to practice medicine. But as the current wave of baby boomers reaches its peak, it's clear that the problem isn't going to wash away.

Most physicians realize when it is time to hang up the stethoscope and start planning their retirement bash, but some physicians are determined to hang on to their privileges, says Debra Williams, MD, emergency center medical director at Gulf Emergency Specialists, which services Gulf Coast Medical Center in Panama City, FL. "Many physicians are not financially able to stop practicing. As physicians, we train and practice for so long that we don't have time to develop other skills that would allow us to have another type of income. It's a tough transition," she says.
It's even tougher for those who are forced to stop practicing medicine suddenly due to a physical or mental illness because they may not realize their skills have deteriorated.

This is an excerpt from a member only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe to Medical Staff Briefing.

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