Astro Bug

DALLAS - AstroBug -- Physician non-compete clauses are facing growing scrutiny as health-care access declines nationwide. In Virginia, these restrictions are enforceable only when "narrowly tailored" and aligned with public policy, yet many contracts still bar doctors from serving their own communities.

Dr. Sharisse Stephenson, a board-certified neurologist and founder of Phoenix Advocacy Network, experienced how extreme language can limit ability to practice. I had a non-compete clause which prohibited me from practicing within an entire region of a state. For physicians who want to keep serving patients, that isn't a contract term; it's extinction," she said.

Virginia law already restricts non-competes for low-wage workers (Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8), and as of July 1 2025, the ban will expand to non-exempt employees. The Federal Trade Commission has likewise proposed a nationwide rule eliminating most non-competes, citing their harm to wages and public access to care.

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"Patients suffer when experienced physicians are locked out of their own communities," said Stephenson. "These clauses were meant to protect business goodwill, not to keep doctors from practicing medicine. It's time for policymakers to finish what the FTC started."

Dr. Stephenson is personally aware of several physicians who have been forced to relocate for the full duration of similar non-compete clauses, spending up to two years away from their homes, families, and established patient bases before they could return to practice. These restrictions not only disrupt the lives of physicians but also reduce access to care in the very communities that already face provider shortages.

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About Phoenix Advocacy Network

Phoenix Advocacy Network (PAN) is an independent news and advocacy initiative amplifying stories of healthcare accountability, disability rights, and workplace justice. Learn more at https://www.phoenixadvocacynetwork.com.