Pros
excellent compensation and benefit package. Generally high level of competence and commitment in the physician group. No reward for doing procedures or surgeries, so very few unnecessary ones. Many excellent staff...but see below for issues. Electronic medical records fully in place. Nice but not lavish office and hospital furnishings. I don't like hospitals that look like 5 star hotels. I don't think it makes people less ill and it is wasteful.
Cons
Unionized employees. The poorly performing ones are protected by the Union and the excellent performers have to work harder to cover for them...a huge fairness issue. Many look at sick leave as a benefit to be taken like vacation because they have negotiated sick leave pay for the first day out, unlike other systems where sick leave doesn't engage until you have taken 1-2 days off without pay (or are paid out of your accumulated Vacation Leave) It is very difficult to fire an incompetent employee after a WAY too brief probation period. Admin management is very uninspiring. The jobs and advances are given seemingly as awards to those who toe the line and the system seems very inbred. Part of this is due to the dominance of the employee unions and the discomfort of health care administrators from other systems with this. Kaiser has the reverse situation of most competitor systems in San Diego. The physicians are for the most part compliant and under control while the staff can be surly, sulky and confrontational. It is common for patients to be treated indifferently by front desk staff. Most systems suffer from the opposite..doctors with big heads and egos that are a pain to manage and compliant staff that jump and smile when told to in order to insure that they keep their jobs.