Physicians: Why Join CEP America?

• CEP America is a physician-owned, democratic partnership

  Each physician is a Partner from the day he or she works the first clinical shift at a CEP America site. All Partners collectively own their contracts in CEP America, and every Partner has an opportunity to gain equal ownership with other long-term Partners. Most of our physicians are "Partners for life" and work with CEP America for their entire professional careers. That’s not surprising, when you consider that CEP America provides stimulating work environments, desirable locations, superior practice support, and contract stability.

• CEP America promotes local group independence within a larger group

  Each site enjoys significant autonomy regarding local practice decisions—allocation of administrative stipends, work schedules, and selection of physician staff, for example—while also providing easy access to a comprehensive management infrastructure, a significant knowledge base of programs, and proven administrative and operational solutions. CEP America has developed many innovative products and services that can be customized to address the unique practice management needs of each emergency department.

• CEP America offers many advantages over a single-site group

  CEP America physicians are owners of their contracts with opportunities for clinical work at other contracts, career advancement in various administrative roles, and participation in governance of the Partnership. The ability to pool Partner resources has enabled the Partnership to invest in the development of programs and products that would be cost prohibitive to a single-site group. The password-protected Partner section of the CEP America website places a wealth of information and resources at your fingertips, including access to the Partnership manuals, newsletters, and online compliance education.

• CEP America offers many advantages over other large groups

  Unlike other large groups, CEP America is structured so that physicians are Partners and owners rather than employees. Ours is a truly democratic Partnership, where no physician can own a controlling interest. All administrative Partners are appointed or elected to their positions. There are no outside owners, investors, or any non-physicians who receive income or profits of any kind from the CEP America Partnership.

• CEP America offers comprehensive practice support

  In 1975, CEP America created MedAmerica, a practice management support company, to provide comprehensive services and support at its practice locations, including billing support, information technology, marketing expertise, clinical support systems, recruiting, credentialing, compliance programs, best practice protocols/guidelines, and financial services. MedAmerica is not a traditional practice management company, as it does not control governance, political structure, or internal finances of its client, CEP America. On the contrary, MedAmerica is owned by the CEP America Partnership, and has no outside owners or investors.

• CEP America provides an outstanding income

  CEP America’s goal is to return the highest percentage of income generated from each emergency department contract to the local physicians. As a Partner-Owner, you are entitled to view the financial records of the Partnership at any time. The size of the group contributes to a lower overhead cost and practice efficiencies, which, in turn, leads to a very competitive income—consistently higher, in fact, than averages quoted from recently published surveys.

Source: Modern Healthcare, Annual Physician Compensation Survey, July 16, 2007

The fact that CEP America owns its own billing company, MedAmerica Billing Services, Inc., further contributes to this superior compensation level. Teams at the billing company are dedicated to each site and work with the local medical director and physicians to provide proper coding, documentation, and compliance to maximize collections for services.

• CEP America offers many opportunities for advancement

  CEP America offers opportunities for Partners to participate in leadership on the Board level, through committees, and on a regional or local level. Additionally, we have developed a Leadership Academy to help prepare physician Partners for more prominent roles in CEP America, such as Regional or Medical Directors. The Academy offers a comprehensive leadership program focusing on best practices for interacting with fellow physician Partners and hospital administration.

• CEP America helps its sites deal with regulatory and contractual issues

  With more than 30 years of regulatory and contractual expertise, CEP America has a vast knowledge base of reimbursement scenarios in different states. CEP America and MedAmerica's team of management experts has been successful in negotiating better managed-care contracts—a major benefit of being affiliated with a large partnership with expertise in market rates and contract terms. CEP America can assist Partners and clients in preparing for a Joint Commission inspection, including a review of department preparedness, summary of findings, and consultation with department management to assist in correcting deficiencies noted. CEP America also has a Compliance Program for physician Partners, who receive annual training on the latest regulations regarding EMTALA and HIPAA. In addition to multiple opportunities for education offered by CEP America, a proprietary CD-ROM provides Partners with all required training materials.

• CEP America offers an excellent malpractice insurance program

  CEP America 's successful solution to increasing malpractice issues is another example of "the power of partnership." In 1992, CEP formed a professional liability insurance company that is owned by its physician policyholders (not the CEP Partnership). MedAmerica Mutual Risk Retention Group, Inc., a Best's rated A- (Excellent) liability insurer, has grown dramatically since its creation, and currently covers more than 50 CEP sites. Competitive rates, reflecting MedAmerica Mutual’s excellent medical malpractice experience, are augmented by comprehensive loss control and risk management services. The staff at MedAmerica Mutual provides individual support for each CEP America physician. The group can also offer guidance on how to minimize the impact of patient complaints and how to deal with negative outcomes.

• CEP America’s governance and operations are clear and transparent

  The Partners elect the Board; and the Board appoints the Chairman and the President. Three Board positions stand for election each year. Various committee members are appointed by the Chairman of the Board.

Also, a number of management positions in CEP America provide the day-to-day operational oversight of the Partnership and its many ED and Ambulatory Care contracts. All of CEP America's management team is comprised of physicians who are appointed to their positions, continue to work clinical shifts, and are subject to annual evaluation.

• CEP America makes it easy to get more information about
  joining our group

  Physicians interested in career opportunities with CEP America, please click on Clinical Opportunities, or contact John Gravette, Recruiting Director, at 800.842.2619 or gravettej@medamerica.com

If you are a member of a physician group and would like to schedule a meeting to explore merging your emergency department with CEP America, contact CEP America at 800.476.1504 or info@cep.com. All conversations are confidential. CEP America's President and Chief Business Officer can answer your questions and provide in-depth analysis and information on how CEP America can further enhance your emergency department practice.