When it comes to recruiting physicians for new service lines, Director of Recruiting Olivia Georgia is a true expert. As Regional Vice President of Jackson Physician Search’s Western Division, I’ve had a front row seat to Olivia’s success with longtime client, Montrose Regional Health in Colorado. With more than 120 placements over five years, Olivia was the obvious choice to help the organization hire providers for a new gastroenterology program. She quickly identified two of the best gastroenterologists in the country, who happened to be an excellent fit for the opportunity with Montrose. As the physicians progressed through the interview process, Olivia also found two advanced practice providers with GI experience. Timing these hires was complicated, but Olivia worked closely with Montrose Regional Health CEO Jeff Mengenhausen to ensure the candidates had transparency into the process, building their trust from day one.
There is a lot to consider when an organization decides to launch a new service line. First, is there a significant need for that service in the area? If yes, can the organization hire enough staff to meet the need? Healthcare leaders understand the considerable challenges involved with hiring physicians, but when recruiting for a new program — especially if that program is in a rural or remote location — the challenges are even greater.
So, how does Olivia do it? Since identifying the four providers for Montrose Regional Health’s new GI program, she has also started recruiting physicians for its new neurology and endocrinology programs — and she’s already making progress. In a recent conversation, we discussed some of the things she thinks have been pivotal in her ongoing success. Keep reading for four secrets to recruiting physicians for new service lines.
1. Flexibility Is Mandatory When Recruiting Physicians to New Service Lines
Perhaps most importantly, Olivia says administrators must be flexible when hiring physicians for a new service line. This means keeping an open mind with respect to all aspects of the role.
Be flexible with the job description. When hiring physicians to start a new program, you need to get them excited about the challenge, and until you know what, specifically, will excite them, you need to be flexible about the job description and perhaps even the direction of the program. Be willing to adapt the program to their areas of interest and/or sub-specialties. For example, you may need to invest in a specific type of technology or allow the physician to focus on a particular disease. Physicians are more likely to get excited about the opportunity if they know their preferences will influence the direction of the program.
Be flexible with the schedule. Physicians increasingly expect schedule flexibility in any role, but if they are considering making a somewhat risky move to start a new service line, the ability to set their hours is a must. Seven-on/seven-off, three- or four-day work weeks, and/or remote days may be necessary to attract candidates. If the location is rural or remote, candidates may want to live in the nearest metro and commute. It may not be ideal, but administrators should keep an open mind to make the logistics work.
Be flexible with timing. Of course, the organization has a target date for launching the program, but without the right people, that date is nothing but a square on a calendar. Commit to finding the right people first and adapting launch dates to meet the needs of the physicians.
2. Be Able to Demonstrate the Need for the New Service Line
No physician is willing to consider leaving a stable job to start a new program without clear evidence of a need. Be prepared to share the data that led to the organization’s decision to start the service line, such as the number of practices offering the service in the region, the distance to the nearest ones, and the average number of patients referred out each month. Leaders should also have a documented plan for building the patient base and supporting providers until that base is stable.
3. Know the Profile of Potential Candidates
When recruiting physicians to start a new service line, Olivia says there is a specific type of physician she targets. Residents and early-career physicians are usually off the table, as starting a new program requires adequate experience and confidence. Physicians willing to consider this type of move are typically working for large organizations where they have built out high-volume practices but have very little autonomy. This format may have offered stability in their early years, but they are ready for a new challenge. Olivia acknowledges that this isn’t always the case, but she has this profile in mind, and when she speaks to a candidate who matches it, she knows she has a good chance of piquing their interests.
4. Be Proactive in Sourcing Physicians for New Service Lines
Olivia knows that 86% of physicians are not actively looking for a new job, so she doesn’t wait for physicians to apply to the posted jobs. Instead, she leverages Jackson Physician Search’s vast physician database, as well as Doximity and other online networks, to search for specialists in the region who fit the profile. She leverages email, text, DocMail, and, of course, phone calls to reach out to potential candidates and tell them about the job.
“This method takes a lot of time and persistence,” Olivia says, “And you have to be prepared to get a lot of nos, but eventually, the right physician will hear your pitch and say, ‘Tell me more…’”
A Lasting Partnership
Olivia’s years of recruiting for Montrose Regional Health have given her a deep understanding of the organization’s culture, and she serves as an excellent ambassador. She can quickly identify candidates who will thrive in a mission-driven, collegial environment such as theirs. With flexibility, clear evidence of need, an ideal candidate profile, and proactive sourcing, she successfully identified all four of the clinicians hired for the new GI program and is well on her way to staffing the neurology and endocrinology departments, too.
Above all else, Olivia attributes her success to the lasting partnership she has built with Jeff at Montrose Regional Health over the years. They trust each other, hold each other accountable, and never doubt the process they have built together that has proven to be so successful over the years.
Whether your organization is hiring physicians and advanced practice providers for a new service line or an existing department, the recruitment team at Jackson Physician Search is eager to build a partnership with you that will broaden your capacity and elevate your recruitment process. Contact us today to learn more.
Physician Recruitment Built on Trust — Powered by Strategic Partnership
Discover how Jackson Physician Search became more than a recruiter — we became a strategic partner. Montrose Regional Health CEO Jeff Mengenhausen shares the power of our collaboration and how it helped them to successfully launch a new service line, contributing to their goal of being the premier hospital on Colorado’s Western Slope.
About Helen Falkner
As the daughter of a physician and an Iowa native, Helen has witnessed firsthand the impact a great physician can have on a community. She joined Jackson Physician Search at the company’s headquarters in Alpharetta, GA, as an entry-level Research Consultant in 2012. Through her consistent success as an individual contributor and manager, Falkner progressed quickly to Partner in 2018 and assumed her role as Regional Vice President of Recruiting for Jackson Physician Search’s Western Division in October 2020. In January 2021, she relocated to the firm’s Denver office, leading a team of successful physician recruiters while actively continuing to recruit for her clients.
