Senior Director of Recruiting Sally Ann Patton’s long-standing relationship with one Maryland hospital epitomizes a successful physician recruitment partnership. Over the years she has worked closely with the internal team to establish a seamless physician recruitment process that has led to more than 35 placements.
The difficulty of recruiting physicians today means healthcare organizations all over the nation are seeking solutions to accelerate their efforts. Organizations are increasingly likely to partner with a physician recruitment firm, but how effectively that firm delivers will determine if the organization opts to continue the partnership. It’s telling, then, that 90% of Jackson Physician Search’s partners award us multiple searches. Longstanding recruitment partnerships are the core of our business and are the basis of our reputation for trust, transparency, and unparalleled service.
Senior Director of Recruiting Sally Ann Patton manages one such long-standing partnership in Maryland. The hospital, located about an hour from both D.C. and Baltimore, has relied on Jackson Physician Search for recruitment support for nearly a decade, with Sally Ann placing approximately 35 physicians with the client over the past seven years. Over the years, Sally Ann has worked closely with several internal recruitment directors, connecting with each one and developing a relationship based on mutual respect and an understanding that both of them are working towards the same goal.
“From the beginning, there was an understanding that I was there to advise and source candidates that are a good fit,” explains Sally Ann. “It was understood that success depended upon both parties being equally committed to the process. I am viewed as a member of their team.”
In the early years of the partnership, Sally Ann worked closely with the team to establish best practices for sourcing, screening, interviewing, negotiating, and finally, signing the contract. In focusing on each area, both Sally Ann and the internal team developed a unified vision of what an ideal recruitment process should look like.
“It really is a blueprint for effective physician recruitment,” says Sally Ann. “Every step is mapped out and executed in a timely way, with a near-perfect success rate.”
Another Perfect Fit
Sally Ann’s most recent placement with the client, an Internal Medicine resident, demonstrates the seamlessness of the process that they have established over the years. When the need arose, Sally Ann crafted a job posting highlighting the most attractive features of the opportunity. After publishing the ad on the extensive Jackson Physician Search job board network and distributing it in a targeted email campaign, Sally Ann began screening applicants.
Dr. L saw the job ad online and applied through the Jackson Physician Search website. His fiance was currently working in the same area, so the location was ideal for him. He also liked that he would be working as part of a group of hospital-employed physicians doing outpatient medicine. The compensation was fair, and he would have the potential to earn more depending on his preferred volume of patients. Work-life balance was important to him, and after talking to Sally Ann, Dr. L knew it would be possible with this opportunity.
Sally Ann quickly presented Dr. L, and the Director reached out to him immediately. Because he was doing his residency in D.C., Dr. L was able to come for an interview right away. He clicked with everyone he met, and it was instantly apparent that he was a great fit. The client extended an offer, and after Sally Ann helped him through his questions about the physician employment contract, Dr. L was ready to sign.
Secrets of a Successful Physician Recruitment Partnership
Even before speaking to Dr. L, the client was confident that he would be a good fit. This is because, over the years, Sally Ann has come to understand exactly what kind of candidate is likely to impress the client and fit the organization’s needs. The client trusts her judgment, so when she presents a candidate, the Executive Director is ready to act quickly. He understands the critical role he plays in keeping the process moving and carves out time in his schedule to focus on recruitment tasks that. Just as the client has full confidence in Sally Ann’s screening of candidates, she trusts the client to execute this process expertly.
Sally Ann credits the partnership’s success to the relationship of mutual trust and respect she has shared with her contacts there. Likewise, her primary contact, the Executive Director, has nothing but good things to say about her and their partnership:
Jackson Physician Search has been a strong partner for us. I really like that it’s a relationship with one person, and for us, that’s Sally Ann. We have a weekly call where we review all of our candidates that are in process, and we keep each other accountable for deliverables. She is always well prepared.
“Sally Ann has been much more successful than we were internally. The internal team gets distracted with other duties and pulled in multiple directions, but Sally Ann is a dedicated resource. My experience has been wonderful. I’ve been in a Iot of different locations and worked with a lot of people, but I don’t think I’ve had any better experience with a recruitment partner.”
A longstanding, effective physician recruitment partnership often starts with a single phone call. If your organization could benefit from a partnership like the one described here, reach out today.
