Search Consultant Dan Rixon delivers double rural recruitment success for a Texas hospital through transparency and leveraging Jackson Physician Search’s digital recruitment strategy.
It was 2019 when Jackson Physician Search first began working with an independent regional hospital in rural East Texas. Several years and multiple placements later, Senior Vice President Dane Altman introduced himself to the organization’s new CEO at a conference. It had been a little while since they had engaged Jackson Physician Search, so Dane took the opportunity to share the details of their past success as partners. The new CEO was eager to re-engage. He introduced Dane to the COO and the partnership was officially renewed, with Search Consultant Dan Rixon leading the physician recruitment efforts.
A Truly Unique Organization
After visiting the small town and familiarizing himself with the organization–one of the last independent regional medical centers in the state–Dan could effectively market the physician job openings to the right audience.
“The town is remote, but the organization is really special,” Dan says. “I focused on that in the job ad and never tried to disguise the fact that it’s a small, rural town. I think when you advertise honestly, you get the right applicants.”
Dan’s approach was clearly working. He soon placed two general surgeons and one pediatrician. He was working on finding a second pediatrician when he received another request to find an anesthesiologist. Dan crafted the physician job ad and distributed it via the Jackson Physician Search job board network. The JPS marketing team also emailed it to relevant physicians in the JPS database.
Two for One Physician Candidates
The ad attracted several applicants, but none felt just right until Dr. I responded to the ad. Dr. I was finishing up his fellowship in Chicago and hoping to find an anesthesiology job in Texas so that he could be near family. Dan had first connected with Dr. I regarding a different Texas opportunity, but when he expressed an interest in the East Texas job, Dan knew it was potentially a great match. Dan also knew that Dr. I had a fiance, Dr. A, who was finishing her residency in Indiana. After years of living apart, the couple was looking forward to living and working in the same location. She would be seeking a pediatrician job in the area, and luckily, Dan had just the opportunity.
Dr. I was a little concerned when he learned the size of the group. He worried with only three anesthesiologists, he would be on call all the time and work-life balance would be a problem.
“I just encouraged him to talk to the group,” says Dan. “I knew, based on my own interactions with the other physicians, that the atmosphere was supportive and low-stress. If he would give them a chance, I was certain it could be a great fit.”
Dan arranged for Dr. I to speak to the lead physician at the group, and just as Dan suspected, Dr. I’s fears were instantly put to rest. All parties were eager to set up on-site interviews, so the process moved quickly from there. The couple flew to Texas to meet with their respective groups. They stayed at a lake house belonging to one of the lead physicians and had lively dinners with several physicians at the organization. They fell in love with both the town and the organization. The feelings were mutual. Contracts were signed just a few weeks later.
Keys to Successful Physician Recruitment
Rural physician recruitment certainly has its challenges, but this client has found extraordinary success with Jackson Physician Search. In fact, Dan is currently working on several more searches for the organization. Dan attributes the ongoing success of the physician recruitment partnership, at least in part, to his honest approach with the physician job ads and the extended reach the ads achieve through the JPS physician job board network and opt-in physician database.
Dan also credits the organization for its commitment to doing what it takes to make the job attractive. When Dan pointed to research showing other physician jobs came with more PTO, the organization was quick to increase their offering from six weeks to eight weeks. Additionally, when Dr. A required specific terms to ensure her employment adhered to the terms of her student loan forgiveness, they worked with her to find a solution.
“The organization is so easy to work with,” says Dan. “And that comes through to the physicians too. Once they visit the site and get to know the people, it’s almost certain they will want to move forward.”
If your organization needs a partner to help you with any part of the physician recruitment process, the Jackson Physician Search team has the knowledge and experience to help. Contact us today.
