When I needed to separate from my employer, I was forced to relocate due to a non compete agreement, rendering many patients without primary care, as my position was left unfilled. Healthcare organizations nearby were unable to interview me for openings. Rural Virginians lose reliable care because of non compete. As private equity, political interference in the stability of healthcare organizations, and other factors outside of physician control impact our jobs, we should be given the freedom to stay in our homes and provide care to our communities. Non competes exacerbate rural healthcare shortages. Any entity with more than 25 employees should be ignored in the decisions around non competes; their interests are absolutely not the same as your constituents/our patients.

My name is Robert Bernstein, and I am a practicing cardiologist at Sentara Hospitals in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk. I also serve as the Advocacy Chair for the Virginia Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, an organization that represents over 1,500 cardiovascular professionals in our state. Today, I am testifying in strong support of House Bill 627, sponsored by Delegate Herring, which will ban non-competes for all healthcare professionals. In a time when our state is suffering from a workforce shortage spanning all members of the healthcare team, it is time to protect our healthcare providers’ autonomy. Giving patients the freedom to choose the healthcare providers that best suit their needs, without the threat of non-competes, is crucial to ensure that they can pursue the care that is right for them.