When a Minnesota critical access hospital needed to hire a Family Medicine physician, they turned to Jackson Physician Search for rural physician recruitment assistance. Search Consultant Brooke Hogan delighted the client by helping them secure not one but two stellar hires.
As the physician shortage worsens nationwide and demand for primary care physicians in rural America intensifies, rural healthcare organizations find hiring physicians increasingly difficult. So, when a critical access hospital in rural Minnesota experienced the sudden loss of its longtime family medicine physician, its leadership knew it would need an experienced physician recruiter to manage the search. Endorsed by the Minnesota Hospital Association, Jackson Physician Search had successfully assisted the hospital in the past and thus was the obvious choice to help them once more.
A Determined Physician Recruiter
Search Consultant Brooke Hogan was eager to take on the challenge, but she was transparent with the client about the significant obstacles they were facing. The small town location with extreme weather didn’t have broad appeal, and the position itself was relatively demanding. The job description entailed outpatient and inpatient care, and the new hire regularly needed to be on call for the ER. Brooke knew from experience that most family medicine physicians coming out of training preferred outpatient care only and wanted to live in suburban areas, so she anticipated that this opportunity could be a tough “sell.”
Brooke was not discouraged, however. The likely candidate pool was small, but the right physician was out there. She suspected that the right candidate would be someone already living in the region or who had lived there at some point. In addition to distributing the physician job ad on a network of physician job boards, Brooke leveraged several databases to identify and contact primary care physicians with “Minnesota” listed as a geographical preference. She narrowed the search by isolating those who needed J-1 visa waivers, something her client was willing to offer.
Targeting the Right Candidates
Brooke was persistent in her outreach, leaving potential candidates multiple voicemails, text messages, and emails. Her best lead, however, came to her by way of a job application for a different job located in Texas. Dr. T was a resident finishing her training in Minnesota. She had seen the Texas job on the Jackson Physician Search website and submitted her CV.
When the Texas job didn’t meet Dr. T’s needs as she had hoped, Brooke wondered if she might consider a job closer to home. Brooke called Dr. T to learn more about the specifics of what she was looking for in a first physician job. After a lengthy conversation, Brooke felt certain her Minnesota client would be a good match for Dr. T’s preferences, which included both inpatient and outpatient work and a broad scope of practice. She also needed an employer to sponsor her J-1 visa waiver. Dr. T wasn’t sure if she was interested — after all, she was looking for jobs in Texas, not Minnesota. However, Brooke was persistent, checking in every few weeks to see how her search was going. Eventually, Dr. T was ready to learn more.
Keeping an Open Mind
The only problem was that Brooke’s client wanted someone who could start immediately. For this reason, they had initially said they did not want to consider residents. Brooke understood the urgency but didn’t want them to miss out on a potentially great fit, so she had pushed back, asking if she found a candidate who truly stood out, would they be willing to consider? They had agreed, so as soon as Dr. T was ready, Brooke presented her to the client, reminding them that she would only bring them a resident she believed would be an excellent fit. The client heard what Brooke had to say, and after reviewing Dr. T’s CV, they asked Brooke to set up a phone call. As expected, Brooke made a great impression over the phone, and soon they were scheduling her site visit.
The on-site interview went predictably well. Dr. T impressed everyone she met, and she felt like she found where she was meant to be. However, by this time, she had several offers with higher compensation. Brooke went to the client on Dr. T’s behalf and shared some specifics about the other offers with them. She also presented MGMA data for family medicine physicians in the region. The data was persuasive, and they were willing to increase their initial offer and add RVU-based incentives. They also added a generous signing bonus. Dr. T was pleased with the changes and was soon signing the contract.
Physician Recruitment Success Times Two
Meanwhile, Brooke had received an application from another resident, Dr. B, who was from the area and interested in the broad scope of practice he knew a rural setting would provide. When Brooke spoke to Dr. B on the phone, he immediately reminded her of her contact at the hospital. Brooke knew they had to meet. She mentioned Dr. B to the client and asked if they might need to hire a second family medicine physician. As it turned out, two primary care physicians on staff were approaching retirement, and there needed to be a succession plan for them in place. Brooke formally presented Dr. B, and he moved through the recruitment process swiftly, signing a contract shortly after Dr. T.
Physician Recruiter Secrets of Success
Brooke understood the specific challenges they were facing with this search. Still, she trusted the 100% digital recruitment strategy that Jackson Physician Search is known for and committed to working the process relentlessly. She leveraged the vast physician job board network, utilized every physician database, and was both strategic and persistent in her outreach.
Also critical to the success of the search was the client’s ability to keep an open mind. Although they preferred a candidate who could start quickly, they were willing to consider Dr. T when Brooke presented her. They also remained flexible about physician compensation. When Brooke demonstrated the opportunity to strengthen their offer, they quickly made significant adjustments to make it competitive.
Ultimately, Brooke’s efforts resulted in not only one family medicine physician but two who are eager to start their lives in rural Minnesota and make a lasting impact in the community.
If your organization is facing a tough physician search, the team at Jackson Physician Search has both the tools and expertise to identify the best candidates for your position. Reach out today to learn more.
