Lincoln Doctors Get 10.6% Hike Over 3 Years

By HOWARD MEGDAL

Doctors at Lincoln Hospital in The Bronx have ratified a 10.6-percent, three-year contract, according to the Doctors Council.

DR. BARRY LIEBOWITZ: Deal helps recruiting.

Under the agreement with Downtown Bronx Medical Associates, which employs the hospital's 225 doctors under an affiliation agreement with the Health and Hospitals Corporation, Physicians will receive a retroactive 3-percent raise from July 1, 2006, along with hikes of 3 percent on July 1, 2007 and 4.25 percent on July 1, 2008.

'Made Vast Strides'

"Doctors Council has made vast strides in protecting patient care and improving the working conditions for our members at Lincoln Hospital and throughout the public health-care system," said union President Barry Liebowitz. "This new contract continues in that tradition, providing doctors with fair economic gains in base salary and in a number of other areas key to retaining and recruiting good doctors."

Other features of the deal include expansion of the $75 minimum overtime hourly rate to all employees, increased employer benefit contributions from $1,250 to $1,750 by the third year of the pact, and a new minimum reimbursement for continuing medical education of $1,500 (up from $1,250). The expanded definition for CME includes license registration, subscription to medical journals, prep time for board certification or recertification exams, and Internet-based medical education programs.