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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 24, 1977)
Wednesday, august 24, 1977 page 34 daily nebraskan Regents discontinue current medical service plan By Anne Carothers NU Board of Regents seem to feel faculty physicians at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in Omaha have had their freedom long enough. The regents voted unanimously at their May meeting to end in May of 1978 the current medical service plan. The plan was adopted in 1971. The regents and the Clinicians Group, an organization of faculty physicians at UNMC, agreed that one year's notice would be given before the medical service plan would be terminated. Neal Vanselow, UNMC Chancellor said under the present plan faculty physicians are paid a standard salary for their teaching and research as well as receiving profes sional fees for treating patients. Although the fees are fairly standardized, the doctors are not required to dis close the fees they receive, he added. The doctors also are allowed to treat patients on or off the campus if they choose to do so, Vanselow said. Omaha Regent James Moylan said the action taken by the regents was provoked by the College of Medicine's 1976 accreditation which suggested that physicians who devoted most of their time to private practice may be ne glecting their teaching and research responsibilities. "I don't think we can remain accredited under the existing plan and be a good medical center," Moylan said. "If they (the physicians) are teaching at the university, they should be dedicating their time to teaching and re search. I think we need to revise the plan completely. We need a different system of dividing time," Moylan said. Vanselow said he has several principles, he thinks should be in the new medical service plan. He said he would like to see an annual audit of professional fees the physicians receive, a sharing of practice income between the doctor, his department, and the dean for faculty de velopment and enrichment of programs. He said he also supports a disclosure of income for people within the medical center and an incentive program so doctors "who are willing to work harder are rewarded." "Almost every medical center has their own profes sional fee plan," Vanselow said. The plans range between two extremes, he said. UNMC's plan is closest to a geo graphic full-time plan where physicians are paid a salary for their teaching and research; and beyond that can condcut any size practice they like. This plan provides maximum incentive but no control, Vanselow said. The other extreme, the string full-time plan pays physicians the same salary whether they treat one or ten patients. This plan provides "maximum control but no incentive, Vanselow said. . . . UNMC is looking for a plan that provides control as well as incentive for physicians, Vanselow said A committee of 17 faculty members is working on develop ine a new plan, acceptable to both the Regents and the Clinicians Group before the present plan expires, he 3(1 Moylan said the deadline for the new medical service plan is July 1, 1978 Rasmussen retires as legal attorney "Wanted: An attorney for group legal services program to advise and counsel college students," states an ASUN advertisement seeking a replacement for Student Legal Services Center attorney David Rasmussen. Rasmussen, who retires from his post Aug. 31, said he will stay in Linco'n and either open his own office or work with an established law firm. "My only dissatisfaction is with the budget," he said, describing it as "a Band-Aid approach to legal counseling." Rasmussen said this yer-'s $15,900 legal services center allocation is the same amount granted last year. However, he said the cost of employing work study students has increased. This year the Jegal services center staff will include two part-time work-study students and one full-time attorney. The office previously employed four work-study stu dents; two as law clerks and two as secretary-receptionists, Rasmussen said. Any law clerks this year will have to be unsalaried, volunteer law students, Rasmussen said. A$ the first full-time attorney employed by ASUN, Rasmussen took his post in August 1974. Noting that the attorney's $13,000 salary remains the same as last year, he added the attorney, who is hired by ASUN, does not receive the fringe benefits of NU employees. Nor, he added, is the attorney allowed to do any work other than for the legal services center. Last year Rasmussen counseled about 2,000 cases and he said he could not predict the future case load. He said his case load averaged eight consultations per day. "I've been able to handle what I've been doing," he said of the workload, but he added that the legal services center has been providing What he -called "minimal services. Rasmussen said he sometimes has to act as his own receptionist and secretary which he said has interrupted his counseling. Rasmussen said he never intended to make the legal services center seat a "permanent career. I don't regret the years I've spent here, and I've enjoyed working with students." An Omaha native, he received a B.S. in Business Ad ministration from UNL in 1970 and a Juris Doctorate from NU in 1972. He has also practiced law with a private firm. ASUN executives could not be reached for comment. 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