Three partners are departing from a medical practice this year, overlapping with the annual transition of senior residents graduating and new interns arriving. The incoming faculty members will not be on site for at least two months, creating a gap in medical supervision and leadership.

The practice typically uses placeholder templates, such as 'Green Pod 1B Intern,' to schedule patients with incoming interns before their official arrival. During the resident transition, a task force manages the logistics, which includes reassigning patient panels, clearing electronic medical record inboxes, and signing out complex patients to new providers.

The new faculty includes a graduating senior resident, a palliative care fellow, and a hospitalist and researcher. These individuals must complete tasks such as moving, studying for board examinations, and obtaining licenses before they can begin their roles. The onboarding process for new faculty extends over several months.

During the period of reduced staffing, fewer attendings are available to supervise residents, interns, medical students, and new staff. New faculty members are often recent graduates of residency or fellowship programs. Doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses, and staff in the practice frequently remain in their positions for their entire careers. The no-show rate for appointments increases during the summer, and the continuity index decreases.

New faculty are not fully enrolled with many insurance companies immediately upon their arrival at the practice. Prescriptions written by new faculty who are not fully enrolled with insurance providers must be co-signed by another provider.

Why It Matters

The simultaneous departure of three partners and the delayed arrival of incoming faculty members present a staffing challenge for the medical practice. This situation affects supervisory capacity during a period that typically involves the integration of new residents and interns, which requires existing oversight. The process of onboarding new faculty, including credentialing with insurance companies, extends for months, impacting patient care operations.