Family Physicians Encouraged by Noncompete Ban
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Contact:
Julie Hirschhorn
AAFP Public Relations
jhirschhorn@aafp.org
Statement attributable to:
Steven P. Furr, MD, FAAFP
President
American Academy of Family Physicians
"The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) is pleased to see the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) take concrete action to ban noncompete clauses in employee contracts. This decision puts patients first and ensures family physicians can pursue opportunities that value their expertise and continue to provide high-quality care that their communities need.
"We are also encouraged to see that the FTC intends for this ban to extend to many nonprofit entities. Nonprofit health systems often have significant financial assets and employ a large portion of physicians and clinicians. They should not be permitted to continue to restrict patient access and physician choice in employment.
"The AAFP remains committed to creating a level playing field for family physicians who work in all practice settings, including small and independent practices, who may not have the resources to recruit and retain new physicians.
"We are hopeful that the elimination of noncompete clauses will encourage employers to pursue more collaborative ways to retain physicians and become employers of choice, while preserving long-term, meaningful patient-physician relationships."
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About the American Academy of Family Physicians
The AAFP is the largest national association of family physicians, representing 128,300 physicians and medical students. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on impactful care for people of all ages, races and genders across all medical conditions. The AAFP supports every stage of a family physician's career and provides evidence-based resources, advocacy and community to empower family medicine. To learn more, visit aafp.org. For information about health care, medical conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP’s patient education website, familydoctor.org.