Employment and Independent Contractor Agreement Negotiations: What an Interventional Radiologist Should Know

Monday, March 31, 2025

5:20 PM – 5:25 PM CT

Location: Music City Center, 205 A

Abstract Presenter(s)

John Schanz, MD

Resident Physician
Johns Hopkins Hospital, United States

Author/Co-author(s)

KR

Kent Reichel, MD

Integrated IR/DR Resident
Johns Hopkins Hosptial, United States
BH

Brian Holly, MD

Program Director
Johns Hopkins Hospital, United States
AK

Arlene Kline, JD

Partner
Akerman, United States
Mark L. Lessne, MD, FSIR

Vascular and Interventional Radiologist
Charlotte Radiology, United States

Learning Objectives: Introduce various contractual elements and topics pertinent to an early career IR that are useful throughout the career cycle to facilitate understanding and to serve as a foundation in appraising and negotiating key elements of their employment contracts.

Background: Given the minimal employment contract exposure encountered during residency and the rapidly evolving healthcare financial landscape, it is both germane to, and incumbent on, the IR physician to possess a basic understanding of employment and/or independent contractor agreements. Leveraging this fundamental knowledge will allow IRs to advocate for themselves better, to appreciate nuances in contract terms, to assess optimal job opportunities and risks, and to utilize this knowledge to foster strong professional relationships with their employer.

Clinical Findings/Procedure Details: This presentation will review fundamental contractual elements, including:

Agreement type – individual employment agreement, partnership agreement, or professional service agreement (PSA)/independent contractor

Compensation / benefits – salary (W-2, K-1, 1099 etc.), bonus, relocation allowance, “on-call” time pay, ancillary revenue income (imaging/operating centers), licensing/credentialing, continuing education, paid time off, insurance (including tail insurance), car/cell allowance

Termination provisions - severance, termination for cause and without cause, termination upon disability, insurance coverage upon termination

Additional provisions – restrictive covenants (non-compete/non-solicit), change of control clause, ownership interests, partnership track, internal/external moonlighting, other forms of non-clinical income (expert witness etc.), support staffing (billing/coding, nursing, clinic administration), clinical rounding time, office locations, hospital coverage

Conclusion and/or Teaching Points: Employment and independent contractor agreement preparation and exposure during medical training is often limited, but crucial for allowing young IRs to place themselves into favorable job markets. Taking personal inventory on financial, professional, and lifestyle-related goals remains paramount {1}. IRs should possess a basic fund of knowledge regarding employment and independent contractor agreements and be willing to negotiate various elements and provisions, often with the help of legal counsel familiar with nuances of healthcare contracts.