Beth Israel Physicians See Compensation Cuts As Harvard-Affiliated Hospitals Face Financial Woes

Harvard Medical School-affiliated physicians working at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center saw their bonuses and employer contributions for retirement plans reduced or eliminated as of the end of March, according to the Boston Globe.

All physicians at Beth Israel, a Harvard-affiliated teaching hospital in Boston, are part of the Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians group practice. HMFP and an affiliated group — the Associated Physicians of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians at BIDMC, who work in other hospitals around Massachusetts — together employ more than 1,600 providers.

The two practices suspended employer contributions to retirement plans effective April 1, which affected the majority of the 1,600 physicians, the Globe reported.

They also withheld bonuses for the first quarter, which ended March 30, except for emergency room physicians, who received half of their accrued bonuses. Those bonuses amounted to tens of thousands of dollars for some physicians.

The groups’ President and CEO, Alexandra B. “Alexa” Kimball, wrote in an emailed statement to The Crimson that the compensation changes come as the field grapples with uncertainty amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“Like hospitals, physician groups are battling on two fronts: facing severe financial issues and a public health crisis on the front lines,” Kimball, who is also a professor of dermatology at the Medical School, wrote. “Federal and state relief supporting our doctors and health care workers who are selflessly caring for patients is essential to our success in battling this pandemic.”

As the United States comes to terms with stay-at-home orders and a shortage of personal protective equipment, medical workers also have also dealt with longer hours and more demanding working conditions.

At the same time, hospitals and health care providers are facing financial difficulties from the deferral of nonessential medical care. In March, Massachusetts ordered hospitals to halt “nonessential” medical procedures — a major source of hospital revenue — until the public health crisis improves.

Most research labs at the Medical School, Harvard’s School of Dental Medicine, Harvard’s School of Public Health, and Boston Children’s Hospital closed last month due to the pandemic.

In response to the need for medical workers to treat coronavirus patients, the Medical School began to explore the option of allowing fourth-year students to graduate early. The Medical School has also asked students to volunteer at the Boston Hope medical center, but drew criticism for not offering to compensate student volunteers.

As part of the $2 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress in late March, $100 billion was allocated to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will distribute the money to hospitals and other health care providers facing severe financial losses as a result of the pandemic.

—Staff writer Davit Antonyan can be reached at davit.antonyan@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer James S. Bikales can be reached at james.bikales@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @jamepdx.