When a West Texas children’s clinic needed to hire a pediatrician to serve as Medical Director, the board turned to Jackson Physician Search for assistance. Senior Search Consultant Jeff Payne worked closely with the board to make the compensation competitive, then targeted a specific candidate pool until he found the ideal physician.
When a West Texas children’s clinic needed help finding a full-time pediatrician who would also serve as Medical Director, board member Dr. G knew precisely where to seek assistance. Several healthcare partners who found success with Jackson Physician Search had recommended the firm to her. She reached out through the Jackson Physician Search website, and Senior Vice President Dane Altman immediately contacted her. He shared the details of what a physician recruitment partnership would look like, and Dr. G was eager to get started.
First, Dr. G needed to make the case for a physician recruitment partnership with her fellow board members. After losing their previous Medical Director, nurse practitioners ran the entire pediatrics service line under Dr. G’s supervision. They had been searching for a pediatrician to join full-time for a year with no luck. They simply didn’t have the time or resources to find someone on their own. Dr. G pointed out that every day that passed with the vacancy meant longer wait times for patients, growing frustration for the staff, and lost income for the clinic. Once the rest of the board realized the actual cost of the physician vacancy, they determined investing in a partnership with Jackson Physician Search would be worthwhile.
Early Adjustments Lead to Quick Success
The return on investment would come quickly. Senior Search Consultant Jeff Payne wasted no time scheduling a site visit and diving into the details of the position. He promptly identified the compensation as a source of difficulty. The advertised compensation was not enough to attract candidates to the location. While the clinic isn’t in a remote area, there are more sought-after locations nearby. Jeff presented the board with compensation data for the region, and they agreed to an increase.
Jeff highlighted the new compensation package in the job ad and leveraged the vast Jackson Physician Search job board network to promote the position. At the same time, he proactively searched several physician databases for physicians already in West Texas and New Mexico. Jeff knew these would be the most likely to be interested in the location. The clinic needed someone with experience as they would be the only physician in the service line, which ruled residents out of the candidate pool.
The clinic was a well-established non-profit focused on serving the underserved in the community. With approximately 85% of the patient population on Medicaid, the clinic offers comprehensive care and even serves as a food pantry and diaper depot for its patients. The new hire undoubtedly needed to be mission-minded and capable of ensuring high-quality care for the complex patient base.
Targeted Outreach to Likely Candidates
Jeff contacted the candidates matching his search criteria in Doximity, Doc Cafe, and other databases. His DocMail reached Dr. F, a pediatrician in New Mexico, and she responded via email almost immediately. Dr. F had been in the job market for about a month and was searching for a new position that would allow her to serve a population in need. She also liked the idea of running the service line as Medical Director.
Jeff was thrilled to connect with Dr. F. After a long phone call, he felt she would be an excellent fit for the organization. As he saw it, the primary hurdle was her husband’s resistance to relocating. The site visit would be critical in winning him over.
Finding Success in the Details
Jeff presented Dr. F to the client and urged them to act quickly. They invited her and her husband to visit the facility, and they were able to come right away. Jeff shared everything he had learned about the couple with the client. He advised them of several of their hobbies so they could tailor the visit to their interests and really roll out the red carpet. The clinic introduced Dr. F’s husband to a men’s group with some of the other providers’ husbands, including a fellow member of his fraternity. Everyone involved went out of their way to make Dr. F and her husband feel welcome. Ultimately, they were both impressed and excited to move to the community.
The client presented Dr. F with an offer, which she was happy to accept. Just two months after opening the search, the client had a signed contract with a physician who was ready to start almost immediately. The board was thrilled.
Secrets of Physician Recruitment Success
Jeff’s early analysis of the compensation was critical to turning the search around. Once the board agreed to an increase, he went to market with a compelling offer. He quickly identified the most likely candidates and contacted them about the job. He recognized a strong candidate in Dr. F and honed in on the potential obstacle of relocating. Knowing of her husband’s resistance, Jeff specifically gathered information about him to help the client make a good impression. All of this worked together to ensure a successful, strong match for both the organization and Dr. F.
Dr. G was thrilled with the results and eager to provide a recommendation for Jackson Physician Search:
JPS was recommended to our clinic through previous healthcare partners who were extremely satisfied with their own recruiting experience. From the very start the recruiters were attentive and professional. The JPS team was able to provide us with a quality candidate in days, and their vetting process was thorough right from the start. The speed with which we were able to find a physician fitting our unique need exceeded our expectations substantially, demonstrating JPS’s ability to deliver on their pledge.”
