Jackson Physician Search fulfills a unique and challenging physician executive search for a healthcare technology company by recruiting an effective leader who matched the company’s mission in less than 3 months.
When a California-based healthcare technology company needed to hire a Vice President of Life Sciences, they were hoping to find an experienced physician executive to run the division. The company’s CEO knew Jackson Physician Search had strong access to physician executives and were experts in physician executive recruitment, so he brought the need directly to JPS President Tony Stadjuhar, whom he knew personally. Tony was intrigued by the company’s mission–to improve quality and lower costs by using technology to measure clinical practice–and he was confident his physician executive recruitment team could help them hire the leader they needed.
A Unique Physician Executive Search
Because the position was with an industry business rather than a healthcare delivery organization, the assignment was unique for Jackson Physician Search. However, Regional VP of Recruiting Helen Falkner eagerly took on the challenge. She enjoyed getting to know the company’s leadership and digging into the corporate mission so she could fully understand the need. The new hire would be focused on scaling the business, so the ideal candidate would have not only clinical research experience but also a keen interest in business development and growth. Helen knew this combination of traits and experience was rare among physician executives, but she was confident that she could find the right person for the job.
Helen crafted the job ad to include the required skills and experience and also highlight the most appealing aspects of the opportunity. Though she had some concerns about the compensation, she hoped the unique and exciting nature of the role would draw the attention of the right candidates. She began her search by leveraging the JPS network of physician job boards to distribute the ad and posted it to broader healthcare industry job boards as well.
Beyond Physician Executives
While the client originally sought a physician with a background in clinical research, Helen knew the top priority for the new hire would be growing the business. The client was also open to hiring a non-physician candidate, a Ph.D. with medical research experience. With the depth of resources at JPS, Helen would be able to connect with both types of candidates. The client requested Helen bring them candidates as she screened them, rather than wait for a slate of four or five. This way, they could provide ongoing feedback to help her discern what they liked and disliked as well as accelerate the search.
Helen found several candidates whom she presented to the client. She connected with one physician candidate after seeing his profile on Doximity, the largest online networking site for physicians. She reached out to another whom she had discovered in the JPS physician database. Her most promising candidate, however, was a Ph.D. who had seen the ad on one of the industry job boards. He had a background in medical research and extensive experience working with government health services both at home and abroad.
“Dr. D had spent years working to improve healthcare in Africa,” Helen explains. “The COVID pandemic made him realize how much work there was to be done right in the US, so he moved back to the States where he was working as Chief of Epidemiology for a major metro. He helped the city manage the COVID crisis but was ready for a new challenge.”
After talking at length with Dr. D, Helen was convinced his experience was exactly right for the position. She presented him to the client, and they called him the next day.
The Right Leader, the Right Opportunity
The candidate impressed everyone he spoke to over the phone. The client’s leaders agreed that he would be an excellent fit for the role and moved quickly to secure him for the role. For Dr. D, the growth-oriented role with an innovative company was exactly what he had been looking for. Even his compensation expectations were in line with what the client was offering.
“Once they began talking to Dr. D, the process moved quickly,” Helen says. “They extended an offer and Dr. D accepted. The entire search took less than three months!”
Helen credits the client’s responsiveness and open communication with the quick success. The leaders’ accessibility and transparency allowed her to hone in on what was most important in the role. Once she brought them the right candidate, their ability to act quickly–scheduling interviews and extending the offer–helped to reduce the overall time-to-fill.
“Both the CEO and the founder were very hands-on,” she explains. “We spoke every other week and they provided specific feedback on what they liked or did not like about a candidate. This allowed me to better understand what they wanted, so when I spoke to Dr. D, I knew he was the one.”
Helen enjoyed the unique nature of this healthcare executive search, and in the end, she found immense satisfaction in placing an effective leader with an innovative company making a positive impact on healthcare.
If your organization is seeking a strong healthcare leader, the physician executive recruitment team at Jackson Physician Search has both expertise and unparalleled access to physician executives to identify the right candidates for the role. Contact us today to learn more about physician executive recruitment.
