The UAPD Bargaining Team unanimously recommends ratification of this TA, which makes significant improvements to the current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Ballots have been mailed to the homes of UAPD members in BU 324.
The full text of the Tentative Agreement can be viewed at UAPD BU 324 TA (PDF)
Tentative Agreement Summary:
1. $1,500 EHR Incentive: BU 324 doctors will assign their federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) incentive payments to the County, unless they can demonstrate that they are using that incentive money in another setting. Physicians who are using their EHR incentive money outside of their County position will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Those who do assign their EHR incentive money to the County will be reimbursed up to $1,500 for the purchase of equipment, such as computers, software, or hardware, that could be utilized with the EHR system. This $1,500 will be paid on a one-time basis.
2. Continuing Medical Education (CME) Leave Improved: Under the new agreement, bargaining unit doctors can use all 10 days (80 hours) of their annual CME leave to do home study. Until now, only five days of the CME leave could be used for home study, and many doctors have been forfeiting unused CME leave at the end of each calendar year. By making 100% of the CME leave available for home study, this agreement will help more doctors take full advantage of this benefit.
3. In-House Physician Registry: This Agreement launches the In-House Physician Registry that UAPD has worked closely with the County to design. Full-time and part-time BU 324 doctors can choose to sign up for registry shifts in any of the participating departments. Registry work will be paid on an hourly basis at up to 135% of the doctor’s hourly base wage. In addition to creating an opportunity for bargaining unit doctors to earn more money, this program will decrease the County’s reliance on expensive outside contractors. The attached TA language provides more details about the In-House Physician Registry. UAPD will work closely with the County to enroll interested doctors in the program once the Agreement has been ratified.
4. Under the new Agreement, the MOU expires on September 30, 2013.
5. Other than the terms described above, the remainder of the MOU remains unchanged.