The growing demand for affordable primary care, especially among underserved patient populations, has fueled the need for innovative solutions to the most pressing health care issues. National Health Centers Week raises awareness about the mission and accomplishments of America’s health centers to reach beyond the walls of conventional medicine and provide quality health care in the context of the individual, family, and community.
But, the shortage of physicians and advanced practice providers is especially acute for community health centers. Practice leaders are looking for a special breed of clinician who are:
- Great listeners, innovative thinkers, and team players.
- Enthusiastic about caring for patients whose social, educational, family and community environment may adversely affect their health and well-being.
Get ready to recruit into this challenging setting by adopting a 30-point checklist which will strengthen your recruitment and retention efforts. It will enhance your chances of hiring and keeping providers who are a great fit and will embrace your practice opportunities in rural or urban communities.
These four sections highlight how to be a “recruitment ready” FQHC and are covered in more detail on the full checklist:
Lay a Strong Pre-Search Foundation
Clearly define and establish the groundwork for the position and be ready to make a strong offer to the ideal candidate. The Pre-search Checklist covers key aspects of planning that create an efficient and successful recruiting process. It covers the essentials such as where they will practice, consensus on what qualities and skills you require, how they will be paid, and how much is available for incentives and loan repayment assistance.
Prepare the Interview Team
The best game plan fails if even one team member fumbles in their interview team responsibilities. That’s why almost every point on the Interview Checklist starts with “who.” From identifying who will develop the itinerary to who will share the organization’s vision, you must customize each interview to reflect the needs and motivations of the candidate, while putting your best foot forward. Leave no aspect of the site visits to chance – because you only get one – to make a lasting impression on your candidate.
Plan for Post-interview Follow-up
Best practices dictate that you commit to a firm and timely schedule for delivering a verbal offer, followed by the contract. The parameters and process for making the hiring decision and extending the offer should be planned well in advance. Following the Post-interview Checklist will help you plan for and deliver a rapid response. The additional benefit? Demonstrating to the candidate that your organization is serious about hiring them.
Deliver on Promises During New Provider Launch
It’s proven that long-term retention starts during recruitment and extends through onboarding and beyond. Yet, the baton is frequently dropped between the recruitment and post-hire operational teams, leaving a newly recruited provider wondering if they made the right decision. With many candidates accepting the positions more than a year before they finish training, it’s critical to establish a roadmap for keeping the provider engaged from acceptance through onboarding. The New Provider Launch Checklist outlines key requirements for successfully ramping your physicians and advanced practitioners into practice and ensuring their families are welcomed in the community from day one.
Download the full 30-point “Ready to Recruit Checklist” for community health centers, and contact us for more help in making your community health center’s recruitment efforts successful.
