Serving the Under-served

Dr. A. had received a Doctorate of Dental Surgery in Damascus, Syria, and then again at the University of Southern California.  He enjoyed his work, but the long commute and time away from home had been wearing on him.  It was time to start looking for an opportunity located close to his home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

There are community health centers all over the country struggling to find and retain medical care providers for under-served populations. Such was the case with a small community health center in South Dakota that had been unsuccessfully searching for a dentist to add to their staff.  The clinic, an FQHC, also provides dental clinic services in three area schools to help serve a large rural population that can’t make it to the main location.  Because the FQHC was on an extremely tight budget and had already spent money the past two years trying to recruit a dentist, they were hesitant to contract with a search partner.

Eventually, the administrators at the clinic agreed to a call with Tara Osseck, Director of Recruiting for Jackson Physician Search.  During the call, Tara was able to share specific data, available resources, and highlight recent successes.  The clinic agreed to partner with JPS in late July, and Rebecca Larsen, a Jackson Physician Search Recruitment Consultant got started right away.

Rebecca traveled to the clinic to learn more about the community.  She found a growing community with many new developments, but also a large rural population in surrounding areas.  Armed with this information, she dove into the search to find the right candidate.  Dr. A. was practicing about three hours south of the FQHC that Rebecca was busy recruiting for and was completely unaware of the clinic’s need, despite their 2-year search to find someone.

Within two weeks of her visit, Rebecca and Dr. A connected, and both determined that the FQHC opportunity was a perfect fit for Dr. A. and the clinic. That fit was even more evident when Dr. A, learned that the clinic administrator shared his commitment to mission work. Dr. A. has a long history of spending time providing free dental services to military veterans and also impoverished communities. Now, he was beyond excited to have a new job close to his home that would also afford him time to continue his volunteer work.

In all, from starting the search to a signed contract with Dr. A, it took an amazing 39 days.  Obviously, in today’s competitive physician recruitment environment, not every search is completed within that short of a timeframe, but it does illustrate how a trusted, professional recruitment partner can bring together an opportunity and a physician to create a win-win scenario for both parties.

If you are looking for a partner that can help with your job search efforts, contact the professionals at Jackson Physician Search today.