Stephen, we deal with this all the time in our Physician Health Center. We see physicians from all over the country with a wide variety of practice-limiting conditions of the temporary, permanent, and progressive varieties. Many of them need restrictions and/or accommodations. Often we don’t get direct feedback from the institution, but we do frequently see the physician back or get communication from them.

Institutional response varies widely by practice and institution, due to the contextual nature of the “reasonable” in reasonable accommodations. Generally speaking, the larger the institution and the larger the call group, the more feasible it is to accommodate a restriction on taking call. The employer would have the right to adjust compensation accordingly, unless they are able to work out some alternative additional responsibility they see as a fair trade for the call. Again this varies widely based on institutional policy and benefits.

Happy to discuss by phone further if you’d like.

Melanie

Melanie Swift, MD, MPH
Medical Director, Mayo Clinic Physician Health Center

Senior Associate Consultant

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Division of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine

Phone 507.284.2560

_______________________________
Mayo Clinic
200 First Street SW
Rochester, MN 55905
www.mayoclinic.org

From: MCOH-EH [mailto:mcoh-eh-bounces+swift.melanie=mayo.edu@mylist.net] On Behalf Of Wintermeyer, Stephen F.
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2019 12:43 PM
To: MCOH/EH
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [MCOH-EH] Accommodations for Physicians under ADA

To all,

Does anyone have experience with Reasonable Accommodations for disabled physicians?  Specifically, has anyone dealt with a situation of a physician who cannot take weekend or night call due to a disability?

Did the hospital/physician group come up with a reasonable accommodation?

Did the reasonable accommodation include any of the following:

                Increased clinic time during the week

                Reduced salary (how was this determined)

                Assignment of additional, non-clinical duties that could be performed during the week

I appreciate your help.

Stephen Wintermeyer, MD, MPH
Director
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine

Campus Health
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Coleman Hall, Suite 100
1140 West Michigan Street
Indianapolis, IN  46202
317-274-8214