The "First Through the Door" program is designed to both remunerate for the demands associated with keeping the service afloat and attract new physicians to the area. The program will be available to general internal medicine, general surgery, anesthesia, and others with agreement of all parties. The program is designed to remunerate physicians appropriately for the demands associated with keeping a service afloat when vacancies are high.
Program eligibility
- Deliverables wil be defined by NSH and the physician and will include inpatient coverage, call coverage, volume of services, and other services required
- NSH and the physician must be actively recruiting and/or supporting recruitment efforts;
- Program payments are additional to any recruitment incentives for which the physician(s) may be eligible
Remuneration
- When the service is completely vacant a 20% increase to base pay for a new recruit will be offered to a new recruit.
- If a service is between 99%-80% vacant a 10% increase to base pay will be offered to an existing core specialty physician and a new recruit.
- If a service is between 79% and 60% vacant a 5% increase to base pay will be offered to an existing core specialty physician and a new recruit.
Term
The First through the Door incentive will remain in place as follows:
- For a new recruit the incentive will be paid for three years after the Physician’s start date regardless of vacancy status. If at the end of the initial three-year period, vacancies still exist then the Physician’s incentive payment will be determined with reference to the payment available to an existing core specialty physician.
- For an existing core specialty physician, the incentive will be paid as long as the vacancies remain at a level and amount set out in the contract, and for three months after a vacancy has been alleviated to a lower vacancy level.
- If the vacancy worsens while a new recruit or existing core specialty physician is being paid the incentive, the physician may be paid the highest bonus available