A mission-driven hospital in central Illinois partnered with Jackson Physician Search to staff a new oncology and hematology center for an underserved region. By reworking the job pitch around what motivates subspecialized oncologists and tailoring every step of the process, Managing Director of Recruiting Allegra Lowell placed six oncologists, including a breast oncology specialist who signed within a week of his offer.
A mission-driven hospital in central Illinois had an ambitious vision: to bring a world-class oncology and hematology center to an underserved region. They understood that to build their dream program, they would need a dream team. So, they partnered with a consulting firm that designs advanced medical programs and with Jackson Physician Search to bring the specialized talent on board.
“The consulting group and the recruiting group brought their expertise together to build a structure from the beginning of how you build a program and do it well,” Allegra Lowell, Managing Director, Recruiting, remarked.
Starting With the Program, Not the Posting
Because the program was designed to treat all cancers, the hospital wanted to attract physicians across a wide range of subspecializations. And since the hospital was designing and building the program simultaneously, it needed to recruit leadership and clinicians in parallel. Our physician executive search team got to work to bring in management. Meanwhile, Allegra spent time up front consulting and collaborating with the program to truly understand its culture and the needs of the community it would serve. Those insights became the foundation for the advertising.
Going Beyond the Who to Get to the How and Why
Working alongside the hiring team and the consulting group, Allegra focused on understanding why the opportunity would appeal to the right kind of subspecialized oncologist, not just who that physician was.
“We realized we had to really think about motivators,” Allegra explained. “We had to be thoughtful about who we’re looking for and how they would be both a good clinical and cultural fit in the program, and reverse-engineer the job description to specifically appeal to them.”
They sought someone with an entrepreneurial spirit who was excited to build and develop a new program and passionate about all phases of clinical trials. The revised pitch promised more of what these clinicians would want: excellent resources, a private-academic model that guaranteed long-term funding, access to the best technology, and the ability to make an impact in their field — all with reasonable work schedules and volumes.
“As tenured recruiters, we understood physicians with that profile and knew how to pitch that in the marketplace,” Allegra observed. She adjusted the language in the ads she placed in medical journals and on the Jackson Physician Search job board. She also leveraged the vast Jackson Physician Search database of physicians to launch email campaigns that reflected the stronger positioning.
“Once I had the right language in the advertising, they came to me. Everyone was applying,” she laughed, adding that she was able to submit 20 candidates, nine of whom came in for interviews.
Perfected Pitch, Perfect Physician
At the top of the virtual pile of applications in Allegra’s inbox was one that came from an ad in the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. E was a breast oncology fellow at the NIH with an impressive resume. Allegra quickly called Dr. E to further discuss how the opportunity aligned with his goals. She discovered he was looking for a subspecialized, privately-funded academic practice — exactly the candidate she hoped would respond. Since the hiring team had established the compensation package in advance of recruiting, Allegra was able to confirm that the role checked all the boxes for Dr. E. She excitedly forwarded his information to the internal team, and from there they arranged an onsite visit.
The client was eager to meet, but the interview would have to wait, as Dr. E was engaged to be married the following month. Arrangements were made for an onsite after the nuptials. In the meantime, the recruitment team sent a wedding gift and got to work planning an onsite that would cater to both him and his wife, a prosecutor. They knew they would have to pull out all the stops to show the couple that there was a lot more to this midsized Midwestern city than cornfields and casseroles.
Giving the Doctor and His Wife a Warm Midwestern Welcome
“We learned a lot about the candidate and his wife to tailor an interview day that really centered around them,” Allegra explained about the onsite planning, stressing the importance of considering spouses in the process. “The organization did a great job of reaching out to its community contacts so both he and his wife could get connected from a professional and community aspect.”
Dr. E spent the day meeting the team, learning about the vision for the medical center, and hearing about opportunities to access clinical trials and mentorship in his subspecialty. Meanwhile, his wife met community leaders, including the city’s mayor and leadership from a local law school.
“Dr. E was very interested in a program where he could practice exclusively in breast oncology and had a lot of experience with all phases of clinical trials, which was exactly what the program needed,” Allegra shared. “He was surprised to find all the resources of an academic-style oncology program in central Illinois and appreciated the thoughtful ways the client designed the practice and patient experience.”
A Thoughtful Approach to Negotiation Nets Speedy Results
After the hospital delivered the offer, the team arranged a post-offer debrief call for the following Friday. The objective was to expedite the negotiation process by eliminating rounds of redlines and bespoke conversations. The call also gave Dr. E a forum to resolve any concerns. After considering the offer over the weekend, he sent the signed LOI on Monday, and both parties executed the contract within the week. Allegra would ultimately place five additional oncologists in the weeks that followed.
When asked what made this placement so successful, Allegra highlighted the power of partnership. “This was an extraordinary opportunity, and we were ultimately successful because we forged a remarkable partnership between the internal recruiting team, management, and the consulting group. We were always on the same page and in constant communication, which allowed us to quickly make smart decisions and adjust as needed.”
Would your organization benefit from a strong physician recruitment partner? Our business development team would be happy to discuss the benefits of a partnership with Jackson Physician Search. Contact us today to learn more.
