The compensation structure for this position reflects both the hospital's understanding of cardiology market rates and their genuine commitment to making this opportunity financially attractive. Your anticipated annual compensation of approximately $300,000 for working just three days per week (24 hours) represents a compelling value proposition when you consider what most cardiologists sacrifice for similar earnings: exhausting call schedules, weekend responsibilities, pressure to maintain interventional volumes, and the constant tension between clinical quality and productivity metrics.
This isn't a position where you'll need to scrutinize every RVU or justify your clinical decision-making based on billing optimization. The compensation model is a straightforward employment-based salary, allowing you to focus on providing excellent patient care rather than gaming productivity incentives. The $300,000 baseline is calculated from MGMA benchmarks for non-invasive cardiology (approximately $550,000 for full-time 40-hour weeks), proportionally adjusted for the 24-hour work week. If you choose to expand to four days per week or 32 hours to qualify for full benefits, the compensation scales accordingly—giving you control over the balance between income and time.
The hospital offers unusual flexibility in employment structure, recognizing that different physicians have different priorities and tax situations. You can choose traditional W-2 employment with full benefits if you work 32 or more hours per week, or opt for 1099 independent contractor status if you value maximum tax flexibility. This contractor option is particularly valuable if you're planning to commute from Athens (40 minutes), maintain a midweek residence in Elberton, or have other business expenses you'd like to write off. Many physicians in similar situations find the 1099 structure provides substantial tax advantages that effectively increase their net compensation by 15–20%.
The choice between employment models isn't a decision you need to make immediately—hospital leadership is open to discussing what works best for your personal financial situation. This flexibility alone distinguishes this opportunity from the rigid employment structures common in most hospital-employed positions.
Beyond base compensation, the hospital demonstrates their commitment to recruiting cardiology expertise through meaningful financial incentives. You'll receive a $25,000 sign-on bonus, which reflects the community's genuine need for your specialty and their understanding that you're taking on the professional challenge of building a program from the ground up. This isn't a token gesture—it's real money that acknowledges your contribution to addressing a critical service gap.
Relocation assistance up to $10,000 with receipts provides practical support for your move, whether you're relocating from across the country or simply establishing a professional presence in Elberton while maintaining a primary residence elsewhere. This assistance can cover moving expenses, temporary housing, or the countless costs associated with establishing yourself in a new community.
The hospital provides comprehensive malpractice insurance coverage, including tail coverage—a benefit that represents significant value and eliminates one of the major financial concerns physicians face when considering new positions. You won't be negotiating tail coverage provisions or facing six-figure tail insurance bills if you eventually transition to other opportunities. The hospital assumes this risk, which speaks to their confidence in creating a long-term sustainable cardiology program.
The benefits eligibility threshold appears to be 32 hours per week, which means the baseline 24-hour schedule wouldn't automatically qualify for PTO, retirement contributions, or health insurance through the hospital. However, this isn't necessarily a disadvantage—many experienced cardiologists in similar positions prefer the higher cash compensation and flexibility to manage their own benefits, particularly if they have coverage through a spouse's employment or prefer to structure their own retirement contributions for tax optimization.
If benefits are important to your situation, the hospital is open to discussing a four-day or 32-hour work week that would trigger benefits eligibility while still maintaining the no-call, no-weekend structure that makes this position attractive. The healthcare, dental, and vision insurance options (when eligible) are competitive, and the retirement plan structure should be confirmed with hospital HR to understand matching contributions and vesting schedules.
To truly appreciate this compensation package, consider what you're not sacrificing: there's no pressure to build and maintain an interventional practice, no call schedule destroying your sleep and family time, no weekend responsibilities, and no productivity pressures that force you to see more patients than you can care for properly. The $300,000 for 24 hours per week translates to effective hourly compensation that rivals or exceeds what many interventional cardiologists earn when you account for their 60–70 hour work weeks.
Moreover, practicing in Elberton means this $300,000 provides purchasing power equivalent to $400,000–450,000 in metropolitan markets like Atlanta. Your housing costs will be a fraction of urban areas, your commute measured in minutes rather than hours, and the overall cost of living substantially lower. The financial freedom this creates—the ability to live comfortably, save aggressively, or support your family's priorities without financial stress—represents the kind of lifestyle that drew many of us to medicine in the first place.
This compensation package isn't designed to make you wealthy in the first year; it's designed to provide excellent income while preserving the work-life balance that makes a long, satisfying career in medicine possible. It's the kind of financial structure that lets you practice cardiology because you love the clinical work and community connections, not because you're trapped on a hedonic treadmill trying to service debt and maintain a lifestyle that requires perpetual productivity increases.