Changing the way an industry does business is never easy. However, at Altus Emergency Centers, we have never accepted the response of “this is how everybody does it.”
To reach our decision of directly controlling physician billing we took many aspects of the situation into consideration:
1. Patient Safety: Saving lives has always been our principal mission. Therefore, any situation that could potentially endanger the wellbeing of our patients was entirely unacceptable for us.
2. Physician Wellbeing: The job of an emergency room physician is exceptionally demanding. So, their ability to find a balance between family and work has always been a concern for us, as we are a family-oriented organization. By offering physicians a chance to be full-time employees of our company, we believe we can guarantee proper rest and a well-balanced life where physicians will be happier and therefore provide a better quality of care to our patients.
3. Patient Feedback: You spoke up, and we listened. Not only did we hear you, but we also agreed with you. Surprise medical bills are unfair and should never happen. We firmly believe patients and their families have a right to know beforehand the real cost of their emergency treatment.