Our Practice
APMG has a strong sense of presence—of tailoring support and resources to the unique needs of each individual hospital. There are practice details that form the foundation for that commitment. At the heart of our practice is a firm belief in ethical treatment, personal responsibility, and community involvement.
Pathologists will be on site from 7:30 am to at least 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and will be available on call within 30 minutes at all other times. Our group has its own courier system with daily pick up and delivery. This enables us to have rapid consultation with other group members and maximizes our ability to utilize the Group’s expertise.
Structure
APMG is organized as a professional corporation. There are currently 18 shareholders. Our philosophy is to offer the opportunity to become a shareholder to nearly every physician who joins the Group, as they demonstrate their abilities and their commitment to the success of the Group and facilities where we are contracted.
A committee appointed by the Board of Directors reviews compensation for each physician. This committee evaluates each physician annually to determine final compensation based on factors such as productivity, hospital and patient satisfaction, management responsibilities, committee work, peer evaluations, pathology expertise and teamwork. These factors serve as incentives for improved performance and result in some differences in incomes, but the overall compensation among shareholders is relatively similar; we do not have wide income disparities that could jeopardize physician relations.
Time Allocation
Each hospital has a dedicated core group of pathologists responsible for the operation of the department. The medical director or his/her designee is always available by phone or beeper. In general, the medical director spends approximately 75% of his/her time on anatomic pathology issues and 25% on clinical laboratory and administrative duties.
Malpractice Insurance
All of the physicians employed by Affiliated Pathologists Medical Group, Inc. are insured by The Doctors Company for professional liability except for those in Arizona who are covered by MICA. The Doctors Company is currently rated by AM Best as A- (Excellent) Financial category X ($250 million to $500 million). The current limits are $1 million/3 Million on a claims made basis.
General Liability Insurance
The group also carries General Liability insurance. The current limits are $2 million/$4 million on an occurrence basis
Program Operations
Our pathologists are dedicated to providing 24/7 coverage for all hospital services requiring pathology support. A team of experienced pathologists will be included in the rotational call schedule for the hospital, ensuring complete support for all hospital services, living within 30 minutes of the hospital. All attending physicians will be immediately notified of any critical values including newly diagnosed malignancies or unexpected results. The clinical laboratory will also notify attending physicians of any panic values. This notification will occur by either direct personal contact or by a phone conversation. Any unresolved medical issues will be addressed by the medical director through direct involvement of affected parties. We take a proactive stance in resolving problems by participating in the hospital quality assurance and management committees including Medical Executive Committee, all Surgery, Medicine, and Medical Specialty committees, and cross-departmental committees such as Transfusion Medicine, Infection Control, and Critical Care. We will also participate on any committees the hospital administration deems appropriate for pathology input. We seek and encourage regular meetings between pathologists, laboratory supervisors, and hospital administration.
Values Integration
Several members of our group are recognized for their volunteer work with organizations that have developed a Pap screening for native Indian populations in Latin America, established pathology laboratories in third world countries, and participated in medical missionary work in Africa. Others donate their time by serving on committees and boards for the College of American Pathologists, American Pathology Foundation, California Society of Pathologists, Los Angeles Society of Pathologists, the Asian American Physicians Association, and the Vietnamese Community. We are also generous in our financial support for hospital foundations and charity events such as the Los Angeles Run for Women’s Health. These and other patient care-related topics detailed affirm our deep sense of community involvement.
Each hospital has a dedicated core group of pathologists responsible for the operation of the department. The medical director or his/her designee is always available by phone or beeper. In general, the medical director spends approximately 75% of his/her time on anatomic pathology issues and 25% on clinical laboratory and administrative duties.
Malpractice Insurance
All of the physicians employed by Affiliated Pathologists Medical Group, Inc. are insured by The Doctors Company for professional liability except for those in Arizona who are covered by MICA. The Doctors Company is currently rated by AM Best as A- (Excellent) Financial category X ($250 million to $500 million). The current limits are $1 million/3 Million on a claims made basis.
General Liability Insurance
The group also carries General Liability insurance. The current limits are $2 million/$4 million on an occurrence basis
Program Operations
Our pathologists are dedicated to providing 24/7 coverage for all hospital services requiring pathology support. A team of experienced pathologists will be included in the rotational call schedule for the hospital, ensuring complete support for all hospital services, living within 30 minutes of the hospital. All attending physicians will be immediately notified of any critical values including newly diagnosed malignancies or unexpected results. The clinical laboratory will also notify attending physicians of any panic values. This notification will occur by either direct personal contact or by a phone conversation. Any unresolved medical issues will be addressed by the medical director through direct involvement of affected parties. We take a proactive stance in resolving problems by participating in the hospital quality assurance and management committees including Medical Executive Committee, all Surgery, Medicine, and Medical Specialty committees, and cross-departmental committees such as Transfusion Medicine, Infection Control, and Critical Care. We will also participate on any committees the hospital administration deems appropriate for pathology input. We seek and encourage regular meetings between pathologists, laboratory supervisors, and hospital administration.
Values Integration
Several members of our group are recognized for their volunteer work with organizations that have developed a Pap screening for native Indian populations in Latin America, established pathology laboratories in third world countries, and participated in medical missionary work in Africa. Others donate their time by serving on committees and boards for the College of American Pathologists, American Pathology Foundation, California Society of Pathologists, Los Angeles Society of Pathologists, the Asian American Physicians Association, and the Vietnamese Community. We are also generous in our financial support for hospital foundations and charity events such as the Los Angeles Run for Women’s Health. These and other patient care-related topics detailed affirm our deep sense of community involvement.
Other details of our pathology practice can be found on these pages: