A tenacious physician recruiter leverages every resource available to quickly fill two nephrology jobs in Arizona, ultimately leading to a national contract.
The physician shortage will eventually impact almost every specialty, but nephrology is already taking a hit. The number of medical students applying to nephrology residencies is not keeping up with the number of nephrologists retiring, and of course, the need for kidney care is only increasing. With all this in mind, the President of a group of kidney care clinics in Arizona knew he had a challenging task ahead in recruiting nephrologists for the Phoenix and Tucson locations.
Dr. M, the President of the clinics and also the lead physician, met with several physician recruitment firms last fall to gain a better understanding of the recruitment assistance available to him. As Senior Vice President at Jackson Physician Search, Dane Altman was happy to explain our services and highlight our differentiators — the fact that we recruit in all 50 states, have recruiters living and working in every region, our full utilization of Doximity, the leading online network for physicians, and of course, Jackson Physician Search’s reputation for transparency. Dr. M was impressed, however, it would still be a few months before he brought us on as a partner.
In April, Dane flew to Phoenix to go over the details of a partnership. Dr. M liked what he heard and shared that his group of clinics was part of a bigger corporation that may need recruitment assistance in other states. They discussed the potential of a national contract, and he was eager for us to get started on his two immediate nephrology needs.
Starting the Partnership Off Right
Search Consultant Torrie Brodish was excited to open the search in Arizona. She grew up visiting Phoenix and was familiar with Tucson as well. She enjoyed touring the clinics and meeting with Dr. M., whom she found extremely personable and knew candidates would, too. The two of them discussed the details of what he was looking for and what he was willing to offer in terms of compensation, partnership, and flexibility.
“I immediately knew we would work well together,” says Torrie. “He was clear about what he wanted but also very open to my feedback regarding the recruitment process and what was most likely to attract candidates. Any suggestion I made, he was amenable to it.”
Leveraging a Broad Network of Physicians
Even with all the jobs had going for them — partnership track, flexibility, solid compensation — Torrie knew nephrologists could be challenging to hire. However, she was ready to leverage every resource available to her. While the marketing team worked its magic, distributing the nephrology job ad via email and an extensive job board network, Torrie began calling relevant physicians in the Jackson Physician Search database. She eventually connected with a nephrologist finishing his training in St. Louis. He was interested in learning more about the job and thought several of his peers would be, too. One of those peers was Dr. V. She reached out to Torrie after learning about the position from her colleague. Dr. V was enthusiastic about the position from the start, and after speaking with Dr. M by phone, Dr. V felt confident this was the job for her.
Dr. V cleared her schedule to visit Phoenix and meet with Dr. M as soon as possible. Dr. M’s assistant arranged every detail of her visit, ensuring Dr. V was taken care of every step of the way. Everything about the interview confirmed what Dr. M already suspected–this was where she belonged. Dr. M presented the offer at dinner on her final evening in Phoenix. It took a few weeks for her attorney to review the contract, but fewer than four months after the start of the search, Dr V officially accepted her new position.
The Importance of a Visa Sponsorship
From the beginning, Torrie had advised Dr. M on the importance of offering a visa sponsorship and highlighting this fact in the nephrology job ad. As he did with most things, Dr. M took her advice, and it served as a major factor in filling the Tucson job.
Dr. Q saw the Tucson Nephrology job ad online and reached out to Torrie via email. He had friends in the area, and the smaller city appealed to him as an excellent place to raise his young family. The availability of a visa sponsorship was also important to him. After speaking with Dr Q on the phone, Torrie felt he would be a good fit. Though he had trained outside the country, he was in the process of completing a residency here. It wasn’t the traditional path, but as with most things, Dr. M was open and flexible if it meant finding the right candidate.
Dr. Q was interviewing with several employers, but when all was said and done, he felt the opportunity in Tucson was the best fit. He, too, was under contract fewer than 120 days after Torrie opened the search.
Secrets of Nephrology Recruitment Success
Torrie’s access to the Jackson Physician Search database and the marketing outreach certainly contributed to her success, but the placements would not have happened without her tenacity and focus. She helped Dr. M create an attractive nephrology job description and then proactively reached out to every relevant physician in the database while simultaneously screening all applicants.
Of course, Torrie also credits Dr. M for his excellence as a partner. He was readily accessible to discuss potential candidates and quickly reached out to anyone Torrie presented.
“He was a model client,” Torrie says. “Not only was he easy to work with, but he was great with candidates, too. He knew how to sell the opportunity. Every candidate who spoke to him came away from the conversation hoping for an invitation to interview.”
The combination of Jackson Physician Search resources, Torrie’s persistence, and Dr. M’s flexibility and responsiveness made for an ideal nephrology recruitment process.
More Success to Come
Torrie’s quick success is a huge testament to the effectiveness of a partnership with Jackson Physician Search. Dr. M was happy to recommend us to his peers for a national contract, which will have the Jackson Physician Search team leading multiple searches across the country. Certainly, great things are still to come from this model partnership.
If your organization needs a committed partner with national reach and regional expertise, the team at Jackson Physician Search is ready to answer your call. Reach out today to learn how our 100% digital physician recruitment process, led by experienced recruiters, will help you find physicians who fit, succeed, and stay.
