November 9, 2024

There is a lot of talk about a shortage of healthcare workers including physicians. I would like to clarify that much of the shortage is intentionally induced by the hospital systems.

Hospitals include a non-compete clause in their contracts. I am a physician who has practiced at Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, MO for 14 years and was the medical director of their 14 bed inpatient physical rehabilitation unit. My non-compete included standard language of not taking patients if I leave, but it goes further preventing me from practicing medicine in any capacity whatsoever in a 30-mile radius for 2 years.

When our hospital was taken over by the University of Missouri the non-compete was increased to 50-mile radius and was non-negotiable. I refused to sign and left. After almost a year the hospital has not even tried to fill the out-patient void left by my departure. I asked permission to practice in areas that the hospital does not serve such as skilled nursing facilities, and I was told no. The non-compete clause ties a physician’s hands to a hospital.

The hospital can make any changes they desire, and the physician has no recourse. If the physician refuses and leaves then they must uproot their entire family and move to a new location. This creates an access barrier to healthcare in rural America and an overwhelming emotional and financial burden to the physician and their family.

Thank you,
Dr. David Lancaster, DO