Chase Howard, a healthcare attorney with Bochner PLLC, said the average physician employment contract spans more than 20 pages, according to a Nov. 6 Medscape Medical News article.

As consolidation continues to grow throughout healthcare and the future of independent practice becomes more uncertain, here are four physicians innovating the field with new business models and approaches to practice development:

Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health acquired a 200-physician group from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina.

A federal court in Indianapolis dismissed a lawsuit filed against Indianapolis-based Indiana University Health by a physician whose medical privileges were terminated at IU Health Bloomington Hospital, The Indiana Lawyer reported Nov. 4.

A Jacksonville, Fla., physician has been accused of stealing thousands of dollars' worth of donations intended for Hurricane Helene victims in Buncombe County, Fla., and selling some to a pawn shop, Queen City News reported Nov. 5. 

David Caldwell, MD, an oncologist and hematologist in Freeport, Maine, has died at 70, according to a Nov. 4 obituary published by the Danville Register & Bee. 

A Clinton Township, Mich., physician and pharmacist have agreed to pay a total of $700,948 to resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act.

Physicians are feeling increasingly burdened by prior authorization requirements, according to Medscape's 2024 "'They're Awful and Impede Patient Care': Medscape Physicians and Prior Authorizations Report 2024."

A Columbus physician and his medical clinic were found guilty of overbilling Medicaid by $1.5 million.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a second physician for allegedly violating state law by providing gender-affirming care to minors, The Texas Tribune reported Oct. 30.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House introduced a bill to reverse the proposed 2.8% Medicare Physician Fee Schedule cut, MedPage Today reported Oct. 29.

Peer reviews occur when a patient, fellow physician or staff member reports a physician for acting improperly or not meeting patient care standards.

Daniel Canchola, MD, a physician in Flower Mound, Texas, was sentenced to one month in prison and ordered to pay more than $34 million in restitution for his role in a Medicare fraud scheme.

Management of urgent care clinics previously run by Optum's MedExpress Urgent Care is being assumed by two major health systems. 

Independent physicians are increasingly opting to sell their practices to hospitals, health systems or other corporations.

A physician in Tipton, Iowa, was recently found liable in a patient's death after being sued by the patient's daughter. 

Patient advocates, physicians and medical groups have formed the Texas Coalition for Patients to advocate for policy reforms that protect patients from insurance practices that it claims delay or deny care.

The Massachusetts Court of Appeals has ruled that a radiology services provider could be held liable for not providing a patient access to an on-call interventional radiologist, leading to the patient's death.

A recent report from the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment identified the influence a physician's onboarding experience can have on their overall satisfaction.

A recent study found fewer female physicians are practicing in high-compensation specialties compared to their male counterparts.