Working in a healthcare cooperative: greater independence and work stability

Working in a healthcare cooperative is a very attractive option for healthcare professionals, particularly doctors. Unlike traditional business structures, where the decisions are usually centralised and hierarchical, cooperatives offer jobs with greater independence and work stability.

Cooperatives are centred around people and their workers are the ones who decide and coordinate the direction taken, a way of working that perfectly complements the practising of medicine and care.

In a cooperative company, the workers have advantages such as greater control over the company’s direction, but also over their own jobs. 

Doctors in a healthcare cooperative

In a healthcare cooperative, the doctors usually have greater independence when practising their profession, as they can manage their activity without the restrictions imposed by other companies due to financial reasons, along with those regarding the reduction of costs.

In cooperatives, the doctors are the only ones who make decisions about any healthcare question that affects their patients. In this way, they can devote more time to looking after their patients, giving priority to the care quality and well-being over the maximisation of economic gains.

Management and governance

The doctors take part in the decision-making process for the company management through democratic and participative governance, which is common to cooperative companies. This guarantees the fact that the business strategy is exclusively aimed at their needs and those of their patients, without any third parties or middlemen being involved.

By being members of a cooperative, the professionals also have the security and recognition of working in a company managed with transparency, solvency and professionalism. As a cooperative entity, the co-ownership and equality of the members is added to the active right of participation in the assemblies and access to the board.

Doctors’ working conditions in cooperatives

Another advantage is the working and financial stability, as the cooperative model has a vision that is long-term and deep-rooted in the region, re-investing any surpluses and strengthening its sustainability. This is translated into better working conditions, fair income and access to advanced technological resources.

Cooperatives usually invest in the continuous training and professional development of its members. This condition allows them to rely on the latest medical advances and up-dated techniques.

In addition to this, the inter-cooperation with other healthcare cooperatives, a key facet of cooperative companies, aids the access to networks of professionals, continuous training and the exchange of experiences, and therefore enriching the professional careers of the doctors.

Along with a greater control over the treatment, the cooperatives usually offer greater flexibility in working hours and conditions, making it easier to reach a conciliation between the members’ working and personal lives.

In short, working in a healthcare cooperative offers doctors a working environment where independence, care quality, stability and professional development are combined to create a satisfactory and enriching working experience.