After years of a successful physician recruitment partnership, an Illinois health system partnered with Jackson Physician Search to find innovative physician leaders to spearhead its brand-new cancer institute.
A prominent nonprofit health system in Illinois recognized a significant opportunity and an ambitious challenge in constructing an entirely new cancer institute from the ground up. With a robust network of sixteen hospitals, the organization aimed to become a regional leader in oncology care, positioning itself at the forefront of patient-centered cancer research and clinical trials. To recruit the team needed to bring its vision to life, the health system turned to its trusted partner, Jackson Physician Search. After several years of partnership and nine successful placements, its Executive Recruiter knew this was the right place to start.
The Obvious Partner for Executive Search
The Executive Recruiter began discussing its recruitment needs with Tara Osseck, the Regional Vice President of Recruiting at Jackson Physician Search, and Senior Search Consultant Allegra Lowell. Allegra dove into several clinical oncology searches for the group. As she gained a deeper understanding of its long-term growth strategy and built a strong relationship with the oncology leadership team, it became clear that their needs extended beyond clinical staffing. Pioneering such an extensive undertaking also required visionary leadership — specifically, a Vice President of Oncology Research.
The organization was attempting to recruit this leader on its own, but the results were lacking. After learning the scope and impact of the role, Allegra and Tara were confident that the Jackson Physician Search Executive Search team could turn things around. Based on our track record of clinical search success, the Executive Recruiter felt this was the obvious choice for the executive search as well. Tara introduced her to Brent Barnacle, Vice President of Physician and Executive Business Development, as well as Vice President of Executive Search Tom Rossi, and they were off to the races.
Initial Recruitment Obstacles
Brent and Tom soon learned that this was no ordinary leadership position. Traditionally, the doctors who are Vice Presidents of Oncology Research have PhDs, not MDs, and don’t provide patient care. However, the health system wanted a physician leader with clinical experience who could maintain patient care responsibilities while simultaneously spearheading cutting-edge clinical trials. Luckily, they knew Director of Physician Executive Search Dirk Jansson was not one to shy away from a challenge.
Starting the Journey Toward the Right Leader
Dirk understood that the qualified physician executives he needed to attract wouldn’t typically associate themselves with a Vice President of Oncology Research role. Recognizing the difficulty early on, he knew he had to be strategic about who he reached out to and how he positioned the role.
Dirk and his team began sorting through the numerous physician databases to which they have access and made several spreadsheets of physician leaders nationwide whose titles they believed would be transferable to the VP role. This was the starting point for his personal outreach. They also leveraged a combination of specialized oncology job boards and over 10 national job boards to maximize exposure.
Dirk’s Strategic Pivot
After trial and error, refining his carefully curated candidate pools, and honing in on the level and title of his ideal candidate, Dirk decided to try something totally different in his initial outreach. As previously mentioned, he knew that many physician leaders would likely assume they were not qualified for the specific title “Vice President of Oncology Research.” Thinking outside of the box, he decided to test labeling the job as a Chief of Clinical Oncology Research role.
Dirk knew that in this unique case, the traditional responsibilities associated with the Chief title were very similar to those of the VP role. He hoped this title reframe would help get his foot in the door with qualified candidates and reveal those genuinely interested in the position details. As soon as a candidate was engaged, he would clarify the official title.
Dirk’s unconventional strategy proved to be successful. The position received much more attention from interested physician leaders. Shortly after, within this pool of candidates, Dr. Z emerged.
Dr. Z was a passive candidate with the leadership, research, and academic background that Dirk knew would be beneficial for the academically affiliated health system. Dirk reached out to Dr. Z on several networks, but it was a Doximity message that garnered a response. Doximity is the largest community of healthcare professionals in the country, with over 80% of U.S. doctors having claimed their profiles. As the only firm to provide every recruiter with a license to the platform, this connection is one of many examples that reiterate why Jackson Physician Search invests in the tools and resources that we do. The result is unbeatable candidate acquisition that transforms both clinical and executive searches.
Introducing the Ideal Leader
Dr. Z was serving as a respected research leader at a prominent Midwest university. Yet he was feeling increasingly constrained by traditional academic structures. Despite his success and recognition, Dr. Z sought greater autonomy and a broader platform to execute his innovative research ideas more efficiently. When he agreed to chat with Dirk about the opportunity, he became immediately intrigued.
The Illinois health system’s opportunity uniquely bridged Dr. Z’s clinical passion with his deep research expertise, offering significant professional growth from his previous leadership role to a top-tier position. This opportunity presented his ideal balance: academic affiliation paired with the resources, speed, and autonomy he was missing. Dirk introduced Dr. Z to the organization, and they hit it off immediately. After the initial phone call, Dr. Z was on-site just a few weeks later.
Engaging and Securing the Candidate
Although both parties expressed strong interest, logistical challenges emerged. The role was entirely new, and some details were still evolving that needed to be solidified before Dr. Z officially accepted the position. Dirk facilitated consistent, transparent communication between Dr. Z and high-level organizational leaders, enabling Dr. Z to actively contribute strategic insights during this time. Over the next three months, Dr. Z consulted closely with organizational stakeholders, providing invaluable input and shaping the department’s evolving strategy.
Dr. Z’s extensive academic and clinical background significantly benefited the organization, reassuring both parties of their commitment and capability to execute his vision long-term. This ongoing collaboration solidified everyone’s trust and confidence in the match until the official offer was finalized.
Successful Outcomes and Lasting Impact
Ultimately, Dirk’s adaptive strategy, proactive communication, and thoughtful candidate engagement, paired with Jackson Physician Search’s unparalleled access to candidates, successfully secured Dr. Z for the unique leadership role. Dirk delivered outstanding results that aligned precisely with client objectives, and Dr. Z will be seamlessly stepping into a position explicitly tailored to his strengths and aspirations.
Moreover, this successful placement catalyzed further recruitment success. Understanding the client’s broader leadership needs, Dirk proactively identified and recommended additional candidates aligned with the organization’s mission. This thoughtful approach resulted in the placement of an additional nationally recognized Oncology physician leader for the organization, reinforcing Jackson Physician Search’s reputation for comprehensive, strategic partnerships and innovative recruitment solutions.
Because the success of the oncology program relied heavily on establishing strong leadership to attract top-tier clinicians — and top-tier physicians to attract strong leadership — the collaborative approach, involving Dirk, Tom, Allegra, and Tara, created a highly strategic and effective partnership with the organization, that is ongoing today.
If your organization is facing a difficult physician executive search, the team at Jackson Physician Search has the expertise, access, and tools to assist effectively. Reach out today to learn more.
