By Kenneth T. Hertz, CMPE
Principal, MGMA Health Care Consulting Group
Physician recruitment and retention are ongoing issues for medical practices, and it's no surprise. Practices face a dwindling supply of physicians, a swelling patient base of Baby Boomers, declining reimbursement, rising costs and stepped-up regulations. All conspire to dramatically affect a group's ability to recruit and retain physicians.
At MGMA's upcoming seminar, Physician Recruiting: Effective Strategies, Tactics and Tools, I'll present methods to help practices combat these challenges. This seminar is all about developing relationships and pulling your medical practice team together, a topic I enjoy speaking about. Plus, it's an interactive, engaging experience – the only way I know how to present.
3 successful scenarios
- Dr. Smith's oncology practice has a new physician starting in October, and two more scheduled to start a year from now.
- Dr. Jones' neurology practice has four fellows lined up for interviews over the next month.
- Dr. Primary Care has two physicians starting in September 2009, one for January 2010, and yet another doctor for September 2010.
How have these practices been able to attract new physicians given the headlines we read everyday regarding doctor shortages, and the difficulty we experience running a practices?
Their leaders understand what it takes to recruit physicians. They know where to look for candidates, how to initiate contact and identify interest, what to look for in an applicant and, after extending an offer, how to close the deal.
At the seminar, we'll cover each area in depth, but here's a preview of how you can edge ahead of your competitors:
Where should you look for candidates?
- Direct mail still works.
- Use social networking sites.
- Post your job vacancies on the Internet.
Identify interest in the candidates.
- Determine where home is for the candidate. "Homecomings" for a physician often create a great setting for successful recruiting because relocation isn't so scary.
- If a candidate says, "I'll move now, and my spouse will likely join me in a year," you can speak with the spouse to find out if children, a job or a house stand in the way.
- Develop an interview guide and train the team.
- Discuss how the interviews go with everyone involved, and strengthen the process for each subsequent interview.
How do you close the deal?
- Create a safe and positive environment for contractual discussions so the new physician and the practice trust each other from the start.
- Explain everything about the process and keep communication open.
Tips for retaining physicians
Once you've hired your doctor, you and your practice must ensure a positive, productive, long-term relationship. A strong and effective orientation program coupled with a structured physician retention program can, and will, improve your retention rate. Also, be sure to:
- Staff the new physician's practice with your most skilled and knowledgeable nurse.
- Select a physician mentor and a spouse mentor.
- Communicate. Ask questions and listen.
- Provide regular, constructive feedback.
- Honor promises and agreements without having to be questioned.
- Don't conceal information from the physician.
For more ideas about physician retention, I suggest reading MGMA's Information Exchange: Physician Orientation and Physician Retention books to learn what your peers are doing.
And if you're struggling with recruiting or retention efforts, there's still time to register for my Physician Recruiting: Effective Strategies, Tactics and Tools seminar on July 30-31 in Denver.