After more than 25 successful searches in five years, this western Colorado community hospital knew Director of Recruiting Olivia Georgia was equipped to help launch its new gastroenterology program. Olivia exceeded expectations, securing four providers to set the department up for success.
Large and small urban and rural hospitals across the U.S. face ongoing challenges surrounding physician recruitment due to the fact that the demand for physicians outweighs the supply. As a trusted national physician recruitment firm, Jackson Physician Search partners with hospitals and healthcare organizations to ease this burden, leveraging industry expertise, vast networks, and targeted digital strategies to bring hiring organizations and physician candidates together. An organization may bring on Jackson Physician Search to assist with one difficult search, but once the organization experiences the benefits of an effective physician recruitment partnership, that relationship often becomes ongoing.
Such is the case at a rural, 75-bed community hospital in western Colorado. Over the past five years, the hospital has worked closely with Jackson Physician Search Director of Recruiting Olivia Georgia to hire more than 25 clinicians, with a specific focus on expanding multiple service lines. Leadership has been consistently impressed by Olivia’s ability to identify candidates who fit, succeed, and stay with the hospital. When they began discussions about starting a gastroenterology program, they were confident Olivia would deliver physicians and nurse practitioners to lead and staff the department.
Leadership for a New Gastroenterology Program
Starting a new program is a monumental task. Olivia knew finding the right GI physician leaders would be critical to the department’s success. She also knew it wouldn’t be easy. With demand for colonoscopies and other cancer screenings on the rise and fewer than 700 GI fellows completing training annually, gastroenterologists are in high demand and especially difficult to recruit.
Olivia worked with the client to ensure the GI job was appealing, with a competitive salary range and a two-week-on / two-week-off schedule if desired. The job posting was all set to capture the attention of active GI job seekers. However, she knew that this group was extremely limited. Olivia decided to reach out to every qualified GI physician in the region and tell them about the opportunity. To build the candidate pool, Olivia contacted her vast professional network and searched the many physician databases available to her through Jackson Physician Search.
An Ideal Pair of Candidates
Soon, a colleague referred her to Dr. P, a nationally ranked gastroenterologist at a private practice in Colorado Springs. Olivia called to tell him about the opportunity. While he wasn’t actively looking for a new job, Dr. P listened to what Olivia had to say and admitted he was intrigued. After several conversations, he mentioned to her that Dr. H, his partner at the practice, might be interested in starting the new program as well. After all, they had worked as a team for many years, and both felt ready for a new challenge.
The pair was intrigued. However, it took some convincing to seriously consider relocating their families to western Colorado. Olivia’s knowledge of the community and her passionate description of the hospital’s mission persuaded Dr. P and Dr. H to talk to the client. After some productive conversations, they visited the community and interviewed with leadership at the facility.
Both Dr. P and Dr. H were impressed by what they found. The small town’s lifestyle appealed to their families, and the hospital’s culture of service appealed to them. They recognized the potential to make a true impact on the region, which had no other gastroenterology options available. This spoke to their sense of purpose.
A Second Ideal Pairing
Meanwhile, Olivia had connected with two GI nurse practitioners who were also interested in being a part of the new program. The client met with each one but wanted to wait until they were certain Dr. P and Dr. H were on board before offering the NPs positions. This took some juggling on Olivia’s part as she worked to keep both NPs excited about the opportunities while they waited for things to progress with the two physicians. Eventually, Dr. P and Dr. H signed on, and the client extended offers to the NPs as well.
Secrets to Physician Recruitment Success
Olivia’s established partnership with the client provided an excellent foundation for this new endeavor. She knew exactly what kind of candidates the hospital preferred to hire. She could speak knowledgeably and passionately to candidates about the organization’s mission and culture. The client’s trust in Olivia shone through in their willingness to follow her guidance in terms of compensation and scheduling options for the new roles.
Over the years, Olivia has worked with the client to streamline the recruitment process. Once she identified Dr. H and Dr. P as qualified candidates, everything moved smoothly from there. The new GI program has been well received by the community, and patients come from all over to receive care. Patients can rest easy knowing they now have access to two of the top GI doctors in Colorado.
Are you seeking a trusted physician recruitment partner to provide transparency and creative solutions? Our team of recruitment experts would love to learn more about your needs. Contact us today.
