Competition for the best physicians is fierce: hospitals and health systems want them, ambulatory surgery centers want them, physician groups want them. Gone are the days when hospitals could just assume they would be a natural fit for any physician coming into their area. Hospitals must now be proactive in recruiting physicians, and these efforts should involve the C-suite or the hospital risks losing providers to other settings.
Why is physician recruitment a C-suite matter? Just one physician can increase a hospital's revenues $1 million or more. That's a result of the increase in ancillary activity for diagnostic imaging, emergency room visits, surgical cases and market share. With tightening reimbursement and increased competition for services, hospitals cannot afford to miss opportunities to add physicians and their associated revenue. Involvement of the C-suite in physician recruitment helps set an organization apart from other hospitals still recruiting by using a physician recruiter who rules physicians in or out. Today's environment is too competitive to rely on delegating this very important function.
Hospitals should look at the recruitment process from the candidate's perspective. Candidates now have many choices, and the physician is taking the biggest risk when choosing a hospital, especially a new doctor who needs to be successful in that first job. Physicians are not only considering hospitals from a professional standpoint and where the best fit is for their clinical skills, they're also looking for a long-term fit. Where is a good area to build referrals? Where do they fit in well with other doctors? Where is a good fit for their family? This is a life-changing decision for the physician. The presence of the C-suite throughout the recruitment process shows an appreciation for the candidate and the magnitude of his or her decision.
The C-suite should be involved from the start. Once an administrative team has identified a prospective physician who meets the hospital's needs, it's imperative the team learn all it can about this physician, as this is information that should be shared with the C-suite. This information includes not only the doctor's degrees and types of patients he or she cares for, but also details about the physician's life outside of medicine. What are the doctor's hobbies and interests? What kind of home does he or she want? How much land? The C-suite should have a detailed profile of the physician before a site visit. These are all questions that will provide the C-suite with conversation points and help leadership form a relationship with this candidate.
During the visit, it is essential the CEO takes time to meet with the physician. In many cases, physicians complain they never saw or spent any time with a hospital CEO when they were practicing at other hospitals, so this greeting will make a positive impact on a veteran doctor. Physicians just finishing medical school will be impressed the CEO of a hospital took time to meet with them.
The physician's tour of the hospital should be led by someone on the executive team, such as the chief medical officer or the chief nursing officer. They should help preplan the tour to determine where this candidate is going and will want to make sure employees in those departments know there's a potential new physician coming for a tour. These employees should be encouraged by leadership to greet the physician and speak about the quality of their work and the institution. You want the physician to feel the kindness and passion of your workforce.
After the tour, the C-suite should take on the role of teacher for this candidate. For example, the chief financial officer or business development director can discuss financial opportunities such as how to set up a practice and how to build an ideal payer mix. Many physicians, especially those coming right out of school, do not necessarily know about billing and reimbursement. In addition to taking on a teaching role, the executive team may also serve as a coach for this candidate, discussing and helping formulate a short- and long-term plan.
By involving the C-suite throughout the recruitment process, candidates are more likely to feel valued, and will develop stronger connection to the institution because they have a relationship with the leaders that steer its direction. The C-suite executives not only help secure the physician's services, but they will come away with knowledge about a physician who may soon join their team while planting the seed for what both parties hope is a mutually beneficial and fruitful partnership. After all, since the C-suite is typically involved in other $1 million-plus opportunities, it should be an active participant in physician recruitment as well.