Quick action, teamwork, and cultural fit combine to result in the successful recruitment of an Advanced Practice Provider to a Texas Critical Access Hospital.
As organizations begin to feel the impact of the physician shortage, many organizations look to Advanced Practice Providers to support physicians and ensure patients have access to care. In the recent Jackson Physician Search Physician Recruitment Trends report, we shared that our number of Nurse Practitioner job placements quadrupled from 2020 to 2022. Organizations are increasingly leveraging APPs to fill in the gaps, so it was no surprise when a critical access hospital in rural west Texas came to Recruiter Sonya Cathey with a need for a Nurse Practitioner to bolster patient care at the facility.
Understanding the Client’s Recruitment Needs
Based in Dallas, Sonya visited the client to meet with the CEO and familiarize herself with the organization and the town. Sonya was immediately impressed with the facility and got to tour the new, state-of-the-art building that would open in just a few months. Profiling the organization and the position is a critical step in the recruitment process; it allows the recruiter to develop a clear picture of the opportunity and better understand what kind of candidate will be a good fit.
Highlighting the Perks of the Nurse Practitioner Job
Sonya crafted the Nurse Practitioner job ad, highlighting the key attributes of the position. In addition to working in a soon-to-open, state-of-the-art facility, the job came with competitive compensation, schedule flexibility, and a family-friendly culture. Sonya leveraged the Jackson Physician Search network of Advanced Practice Provider job boards to get the job in front of a national audience. She also had the marketing team email the nurse practitioner job to relevant candidates in the vast Jackson Physician Search provider database.
A Teammate’s Referral
The job received some interest, but ultimately, a colleague’s referral stood out to Sonya as the best match. Director of Recruiting Tonya Hamlin had first connected with a Nurse Practitioner about another position in West Texas. He was currently working in Florida and had grown tired of the high cost of living in the state. His wife had family in West Texas, and they both liked the idea of relocating to Texas with their three young children.
Tonya’s client brought him and his wife on-site, and the couple was excited to move forward. However, the offer did not come. He was disappointed– but not for long.
Though it didn’t work out with her client, Tonya knew the demand was high for Nurse Practitioners in the region. She only had to reference the job board on the Jackson Physician Search website to find another opportunity for him. She saw Sonya’s Nurse Practitioner job posting and reached out to make the introduction.
An Even Better Nurse Practitioner Job
Sonya was thrilled to connect with the Nurse Practitioner and could immediately tell he would be a good fit for her client. Not only did he meet all of their requirements, but he also had ER experience, which would be a massive bonus in the hospital setting. Sonya told him about the new building and shared her experience in the town. He was eager to learn more. Sonya presented him to her client, who understood the need to act quickly. The CEO called him immediately, and after a successful phone interview, she invited him to come for an interview as soon as possible. He was on-site within a week.
The Nurse Practitioner was blown away by the hospitality he and his wife received upon arriving in town. Due to a flight delay, he and his family missed the welcome dinner. Knowing they would arrive at the hotel late, the client arranged to deliver food to the hotel for them. This was the first of many thoughtful ways the client made him and his family feel at home. They soon felt this opportunity could be even better than the one he had missed. In addition to the impressive new building, he strongly connected with the other providers. He and his wife also liked the town, and the fact that it was just an hour from his wife’s family made it all the better.
Nurse Practitioner Recruitment Success
The client was prepared to wait; however, thanks to the teamwork in Jackson Physician Search’s culture, they signed a contract with the Nurse Practitioner in fewer than 60 days. While teamwork certainly played a part, Sonya also attributes the success of the search to the client’s ability to act quickly and keep the momentum going once they were in contact with the Nurse Practitioner. In addition, they went above and beyond on the site visit, making sure he and his wife fell in love with the community.
In the end, the Nurse Practitioner was relieved the first opportunity did not work out because the job with Sonya’s client was a much better fit. Sonya’s client was thrilled to find an experienced Nurse Practitioner ready to build a life in the area.
If you are seeking Advanced Practice Providers or physicians to support patient care at your organization, reach out to the team at Jackson Physician Search today.
