5 Improvements Your Hospital Can Make to Attract the Best Physicians
Health care organizations around the country report difficulties in attracting and retaining quality physicians, and the situation isn’t expected to improve in the near future. A significant portion of currently practicing providers are approaching retirement, and prominent organizations such as the Association of American Medical Colleges continue to project critical shortages in the supply of health care providers in the coming years. In light of these conditions, hospitals need to strategize improvements that can attract the best physicians.
1. Value Work/Life Balance of Staff
Providing a better work/life balance is increasingly important, as 92 percent of younger physicians report achieving such balance as a priority. Burnout and dissatisfaction drive doctors away; those who stay are less likely to provide quality patient care. Where possible, allow for flexibility with schedules, which is one of the top priorities among younger physicians; perhaps, permit providers to work part-time or under job-sharing arrangements. Consider rotating on-call duties to allow physicians more time to enjoy their nonwork time without the worry of interruptions.
2. Enhance Compensation Packages and Benefits Offerings
Primary care physicians’ top priority is fair compensation according to many surveys. Distinguish your hospital from other employers by enhancing compensation and benefits packages. Key benefits include typical employee offerings such as increased life insurance, additional paid time off or sabbaticals, and better funding of retirement plans, as well as physician-specific benefits, such as continuing medical education expenses, license fee reimbursement, provision of medical malpractice insurance, repayment of student loans and relocation assistance.
3. Invest in Technology
Most millennial doctors claim to prefer electronic medical records for charting and documentation. Integrating technology also lets physicians do work away from the office, thus allowing some flexibility in schedules and improving work/life balance. Practices that leverage technology to improve efficiency or implement cutting-edge tools to enhance the quality of care and enable patient-centered care are more likely to appeal to younger physicians who want to work with practices that fully embrace technology.
4. Develop a Workforce Recruiting and Retention Strategy
Your hospital should take the time to develop a recruitment strategy that clearly identifies staffing needs and highlights strengths that might appeal to physicians. Approach recruiting like a marketer might: Clarify your hospital’s staffing needs, identify and emphasize unique selling points, and craft messages that will connect with your target audience. Recruitment efforts should involve high-level administrators and other physicians and should position the hospital’s strengths and communicate its business model, care initiatives and values.
5. Adequately Staff Support Positions
Younger doctors want to feel supported, with infrastructure already in place. They also want lighter patient loads to have the opportunity to enjoy time off and to enjoy less stress while on duty. Consider adding more midlevel practitioners such as nurse practitioners and physician assistants to help.
Implementing these improvements increases your hospital’s chances of appealing to physicians and helps your workplace stand out from the abundance of available employment options. Would you like to discuss these strategies or additional ways to help your hospital not only attract physicians but attract those who would be a good fit? Contact Adaptive Medical Partners to start a conversation or to explore your options when it comes to recruiting top-notch health care staff.
