Jennifer Cohen, MD- Physician Advisor

Dr. Jennifer Cohen was born and raised in New York and did her undergraduate studies at Cornell University and then went on to medical school at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She and her Emergency Medicine Physician Husband made the big decision to move to Los Angeles 19 years ago, where she did her residency in pediatrics at the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. She then joined a private practice in the Los Angeles area and has practiced general pediatrics for the last 15 years. She recently transitioned to a new career as a Physician Advisor.

On Jennifer’s decision to leave clinical medicine:

“For several years, I have been thinking about transitioning out of clinical medicine and into a non-clinical position due to a multitude of factors including wanting more time with my family and due to my perception of the direction medicine is going in with more paperwork, more bureaucracy, and less actual time for patient care. These, coupled with the stress and fatigue I was feeling, led me to actively searching for a non-clinical position where I could still use my training, but have more time for my family, myself, and for doing things I enjoy. In that regard, I recently accepted a position as a physician advisor working remotely from home and plan to leave clinical medicine during the summer and concentrate on my family and my new career.”

What Does a Physician Advisor Do?

“Physician advisors are involved in many areas, including patient quality and safety, billing status determinations, clinical documentation, patient length of stay, utilization management, and appeals. A physician advisor’s typical day may consist of doing rounds with doctors in the morning, then meeting with case management teams for multidisciplinary rounds, all the while ensuring compliance and seeing that quality care is being provided and staff is communicating effectively. Physician advisors use their clinical skills daily, but they are not directly responsible for patient care.

Essentially, a physician advisor’s role in the current healthcare climate is to serve as a consultant who aids medical practitioners in determining the best way to comply with health regulations and policies to improve hospital operations while also providing enhanced patient care. The physician advisor is not only a help to physicians, but also nurses, case managers, and other medical personnel, serving as the intermediary between hospital clinical staff members and hospital administrators.”
—The Value of a Physician Advisor

What you will learn: