Physician Workforce

Here are three updates on physician unions since Aug. 1, as reported by Becker's:

For many physicians, weighing the scales of independence and employment comes down to leverage.

Johns Hopkins will begin waiving tuition for all students from families earning less than $300,000 a year after it received a $1 billion gift from former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Union officials for a Massachusetts healthcare workers union vented their frustrations over delays in Steward Health Care's bankruptcy proceedings. 

The physician burnout rate dropped below 50% for the first time in four years, according to a survey by the American Medical Association. 

Between increased workloads due to staffing shortages, insufficient pay and a growing lack of autonomy in employed settings,  unionization has breached a number of health systems and physician communities. 

After months of negotiations, physicians and fellows at Bakersfield, Calif.-based Kern Medical Center reached an agreement with hospital management, according to an Aug. 7 news release shared with Becker's.  

The last 10 years have seen a notable drop in the share of physicians who are independently employed. 

Norfolk, Va.,-based Sentara Health plans to roughly double the amount of residency and fellowship positions offered through the system, according to an Aug. 5 Williamsburg Yorktown Daily report. 

Amid labor shortages, consolidation and increased demand for healthcare services, physician employment is a complex environment.