Journal of ASPR - Summer 2013

In This Issue:

ASPR Annual Conference

Physician recruitment in a post-reform era

Getting “lean” with your organization

What to do with benchmarking data

JASPRJournal of the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters

The Only International Organization Exclusively for In-House Physician Recruitment Professionals

Summer 2013

Volume 20, Issue 3

2 Journal of the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters

“But it’s a dry heat.” That’s the unofficial state motto for Arizona! But what does that really mean? As ASPR members from all over the country get ready to converge on Tucson for the

ASPR conference in August, some who haven’t been here before are probably wondering what a summer in the sunny southwest is like. The saying isn’t just something we made up to justify living in the desert. It really is a drier heat, scientifically speaking. As an official Arizona native, I’ll try to do my part to prepare those of you who are more accustomed to something we don’t experience very much of here: humidity.

According to the justroughinit.com blog, the context in which the statement “but it’s a dry heat” usually implies that dry heat is better than humid heat. In other words, it’s better to have to go through an Arizona dry heat wave of 112 degrees with 20% humidity, than perspire through a 95 degree east coast heat wave with 75% humidity. It’s known as the “Heat Index”, and there’s solid data associated with the claim that it’s physiologically more comfortable for the human body to deal with lower humidity heat rather than higher.

Another common tip for surviving and thriving in the desert, besides drinking lots of water, is to plan your outdoor activities for early mornings and evenings. This plan will work out perfectly in Tucson, because we will be attending fabulous educational sessions at the conference in a climate-controlled resort hotel throughout the day! When evening does roll around, prepare yourselves for a treat. Arizona sunsets are the most awesome sunsets ever! That’s a biased opinion, but shared by many natives and visitors alike. During or after sunset, you’ll be able to enjoy the great amenities of the hotel, including incredible pools to take a dip in and cool off, even if only your toes! If you haven’t registered yet, there is still time. Go to www.aspr.org for more information.

By Lori Jackson Norris, FASPR, senior physician recruiter, Dignity Health, AZ, [email protected]

Permission must be obtained before reprinting any article appearing in the Journal of the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters (JASPR). To obtain this permission, please contact Laurie Pumper in the ASPR office directly at 800-830-2777.

The Journal of the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters (JASPR) is published quarterly for members of ASPR by the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters and Ewald Consulting, 1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 252, St. Paul, MN 55114.

Phone: 800-830-2777 Fax: 651-290-2266Email: [email protected]

Unless stated, comments in this publication do not necessarily reflect the endorsement or opinion of ASPR or Ewald Consulting. The publisher is not responsible for statements made by the authors, contributors, or advertisers. The publisher reserves the right to final approval of editorial and advertising copy in this publication.

Reprint Policy From the Editor

I’m looking forward to welcoming you to my beautiful home state of Arizona! The members of the ASPR Education Committee have worked hard this year to provide the latest in educational components and top-notch keynot presentations, as well as terrific entertainment planned for Tuesday night at the world renowned Old Tucson Studio. Several Arizona ASPR members plan to attend the conference this year to lend a warm welcome. Read more about some of them and the advice they have for you on page 5.

This summer issue of JASPR is a special one for me. It is my last as editor in chief and co-chair of the JASPR committee, as my two-year term ends in August. It’s been a tremendous learning experience, although it was a tougher job than I realized when I agreed to take it on. I have even greater respect for the former editors, Laura Screeney and Judy Brown, who co-chaired this committee for many, many years. We owe a debt of gratitude to them both. Through my involvement with JASPR and the ASPR leadership team, I have met some fantastic new people, including members, vendors and other experts in the field, while strengthening other long-time relationships. This was a big reason why I wanted to get involved, and I am grateful for this opportunity. I most especially appreciate my year-long association and friendship with my co-chair, Miranda Grace. She is a kind, generous, and bright individual. As Miranda assumes the role of editor in chief she will welcome a new associate editor/co-chair on board to work with her, Colleen Munkel, DASPR, Hattiesburg Clinic, MS. Many of you already know her through the articles she has authored for JASPR over the last two years. Miranda and Colleen will bring a refreshing and spirited energy to JASPR and to the ASPR leadership team. I plan to continue to support both of them as they take JASPR to new heights in this age of social media, e-content and ever-changing electronic media devices! I encourage any of you with experience or an interest in journalism to join us on this new adventure!

July 24 LEAN Recruiting: Successful Physician

Search, for Less Live online webinar | View more info

August 10-14 ASPR Annual Conference Tucson, AZ

Please visit aspr.org for more info.

August 28 Setting up Successful Physician

Employment Models Live online webinar | View more info

September 25 Move Over GenX Physicians, Make Room

for GenY! Live online webinar | View more info

Calendar

Summer 2013 3

Articles Page

Physician recruitment in a post-reform era ....... 6

Getting “lean” with your organization ................ 9

Stay aware of online rating sites ..........................10

How to use benchmarking data ............................ 11

Quality measures emerging as comp

component .................................................................. 12

Regulated work hours, something physicians

lack ................................................................................... 13

Keys to the Conrad 30 program ........................... 15

Healthcare organization pays $25 million to

settle Stark case .........................................................16

Learn how to become a better leader ...............23

Enjoy Tucson: Things to see and do ...................24

Conference keynote speakers ..............................25

Growing shortages fuel demand for temps ....26

Health reform faces tension with integrated

health systems ............................................................31

ASPR Updates/Features/OtherCalendar .............................................................................2

Letter from the Editor ................................................2

President’s Corner .........................................................3

ASPR Fellows, Diplomates, & Associates ...........4

Letter from the Executive Director .......................4

Meet your Arizona ASPR Colleagues ...................5

Corporate Contributor listing .................................5

ASPR webinars available on-demand ................ 18

Member profile: Tracie Klander, FASPR ..........20

ASPR leadership profile: Kate Rader, co-chair,

Regional Chapter Relations .................................21

ASPR Employment Hotline ....................................27

MRRN annual conference .........................................27

ASPR Chapter Updates:

Academic In-House Recruiters (AIR) ........... 28

Onboarding and Retention (OAR) ................. 28

Corporate Contributor features ........................... 32

Board of Directors & Committee Chairs .......... 39

Editor: Lori Jackson Norris, FASPR

Associate Editor: Miranda Grace, DASPR

Publisher: Laurie Pumper

Inside This IssueBy Scott Manning, FASPR, ASPR President, [email protected]

President’s Corner

As I write my last President’s Corner, summer is kicking into full gear. In the world of ASPR, it is our busiest time as preparation for the annual confer-ence is entering the

“home stretch.” The amount of time and energy required to plan, schedule, coordinate and implement all the moving parts that ultimately result in ASPR’s Annual Conference is stagger-ing. It requires the time, dedication and focus of a small village of both volunteers and staff. I have had the good fortune during my tenure as president to “host” the two largest conferences in ASPR history. More important, the qualities of the conferences are exceptional. I am looking forward to the best one yet this August in Tuc-son, AZ. They say the third time is a charm!

For the ASPR Leadership Team, the impending conference also signals a time to get our “ducks in a row.” This is a time to celebrate success, plan for the future, embrace change and com-municate with membership. It is also a time of transition — both beginnings and endings. The annual business meeting is where the “changing of the guard” occurs. ASPR recognizes leaders who have served the organization and whose terms are ending. We also welcome “new blood” to assume these roles going forward.

During my seven years on the board, the last three as your president, I have had the plea-sure of working with an unbelievable group of volunteer leaders who have taken ASPR to new heights. A special thanks goes out to ASPR Executive Director Jennifer Metivier, as she drives the bus; without her, we would be rudderless. Initially I intended to list each individual here — but inevitably I would leave someone out unintentionally and that would be unacceptable.

I will summarize my thoughts regarding the Leadership Team by saying I could not have had a better group of people to work with over the last seven years. This group of outstand-ing volunteer leaders have thrown me on their backs and carried me and I thank you all! Without your hard work and dedication the ASPR bus would have crashed.

I will close by saying that when I first assumed this role, an individual asked me what my goals were for ASPR during my upcoming term as president. What plans did I have? My answer was very simple as I replied, “I hope to leave ASPR in a better place when my term is done.” Ultimately it is for you, the membership, to determine whether that is the case.

Thank you for allowing me the privilege of serving as ASPR’s president. It is a highlight of my professional career. I hope to see you all in Tucson!!


By Jennifer Metivier, MS, FASPR, ASPR Executive Director, [email protected]

Each quarter I have contemplated what to write in the “Letter from the Executive Director” and recently I realized that it really isn’t as much of a let-ter as it is an update. In a letter, I might share more personal

information or my opinions on an industry related topic. I might share that I just completed my sixth marathon or commiserate with my fellow working parents about taxiing their kids around to soccer games, track meets, concerts, etc. But I always end up simply providing updates on some of the most important happenings at ASPR. They may not be colorful, but hopefully they help you keep abreast of what’s going on if you are unable to read the ASPR Weekly’s on a regular basis. So we begin…

Board of directors electionsThe ASPR Board of Directors elections took place in June. It was the first election held under the new governance structure with more competency-based approach to filling each board position. The election results were recently announced via ASPR Weekly and are recapped here. Congratulations to Laura Screeney, FASPR, North Shore-LIJ Health System, Manhasset, NY upon her election to the position of president-elect! She will hold this position for two years beginning in August then assume the role of president. We would also like to congratulate Michelle Seifert, AASPR, Cleveland Clinic Health System, Cleveland, OH upon her election as treasurer and Maddie Wagner, FASPR, Reading Health System, Reading, PA upon her election as vice president of engagement!

Congratulations are also in order to Allen Kram, FASPR, HealthQuest, LaGrangeville, NY who was re-elected as vice president of education and Shel-ley Tudor, FASPR, Humana, Indianapolis, IN who was re-elected as vice president of research.

Debbie Gleason, FASPR, The Nebraska Medi-cal Center, Omaha, NE will assume the role of president through May 2015. Donna Ecclestone, FASPR, Duke Medical Center, Durham, NC will continue as secretary and Frank Gallagher, FASPR,

Letter from the Executive Director

AtlantiCare, Atlantic City, NJ will continue as vice president of governance through August 2014.

On behalf of the ASPR membership, I would like to thank outgoing President Scott Manning, FASPR, District Medical Group, Phoenix, AZ and outgoing Treasurer Diane Collins, FASPR, HealthPartners Medical Group, Minneapolis, MN for their tremendous contributions made over the last several years. They have both served multiple terms on the board and will be missed!

New committee co-chairASPR welcomes Tim Dybevik, AASPR, to the Membership Committee Co-Chair position and to the ASPR Leadership Team! Tim is the senior medical staff services specialist at Dean Clinic in Madison, WI. He is taking over the co-chair position for Ivie Hall, DASPR, Northeast Georgia Health System, Inc., Gainesville, GA. Ivie has been a co-chair for the membership committee since January of 2012, and has recently had to step down due to work obligations. The board would like to thank Ivie for the time and dedication she has given to the committee and the organization as a whole.

Volunteer opportunities and developmentThe new ASPR Volunteer Development Portal was unveiled in April. The portal is designed to help match members to volunteer opportunities and provide professional development resources to members in order to prepare them for leadership roles within their organization, ASPR, and our industry. More details on the portal can be found later in this issue of JASPR.

Free education without travelWe hope that you’re able to attend the ASPR Annual Conference, but we realize that some organizations are unable to send their staff to conferences on a regular basis. To fulfill your continuing educational needs, ASPR offers free monthly webinars that you can attend live or watch on-demand. These webinars are a cost effective and time efficient way to obtain continuing education to help advance your career. There are currently 24 free webinars available for viewing in the ASPR Webinar Archive. You’ll receive continuing educa-

Congratulations to the following Fellows who have achieved certification and the Diplomates and Associates who have achieved designation since March 15, 2013.

Fellows (FASPR)Beth Brackenridge Amy Burns

Sarah Conroe Kim Gary

Beth Greer Vicky Hill

Frances Lannan Bonita Lancaster

Jill Little Shelley Nelson

Kathryn Norby Marshall Poole

Emily Stenson

Diplomates (DASPR)Kari Bowling Mary Jo Burkman

Pam Furbee Michelle Grady

Lori Hart Christi Miller

Hilary Phillips Christine Ricks

Gloria Robertson Jessica Robinson

Chris Seidel Sheri Shaw

Jessica Williams

Associates (AASPR)Joni Adamson Candace Ash

David Aragon Cassie Archer

JoAnn Barnhill Mark Barclay

Kathleen Barrack Daniel Bastle

Beth Campbell Linda Campbell

Jill Croteau Robin Davis

Aisha deBerry Lauren Forst

Heather Fowler Shar Grigsby

Kendra Hall Lori Halula

Heidi Henry Stephanie Hobson

Beth Kalinowski Jennifer Kambies

Laurel Kane Lindy Kirk

Timothy Kouble Jennifer LeBeau

Wendy McCormack Mariann Pang

Stacy Pedersen Carol Rash

Linda Remer Shawna Roach

Denise Romand Corey Roy

Paul Rubenstein Alison Salerno

Jennifer Savage Erick Sedwick

Glenda Sharp Donna Shelby

Eric Snipes Lissa Stafford

Angela Suarez Nancee Swartz

Adam Tabor Cyndi Tussing

Jennifer Vandament Joanne Wales

Jennifer Waters-Plemon Judith Wechter

Jeanine Wilder Marcia Young

ASPR Fellows, Diplomates and Associates

Executive Director continued on page 8

Summer 2013 5

ASPR recognizes and thanks our Corporate Contributors

For product and contact information on these

companies, go to the “Corporate Contributors”

page of the ASPR website (www.aspr.org).

Gold Contributorsab+cCejka SearchCompHealthDocCafe.comHEALTHeCAREERSJackson & CokerJAMA & Archives JournalsMerritt HawkinsNew England Journal of MedicinePracticeLinkPracticeMatchSt. John AssociatesVISTA Staffing SolutionsWeatherby Healthcare

Silver ContributorsAHACareerCenter.orgAHSAContact PhysiciansThe Delta CompaniesEnterprise Medical ServicesThe INLINE GroupLeapDoctor.comLocum Leaders MDLinx.comWolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams

& Wilkins

Bronze ContributorsAccuCheck InvestigationsAmerican Academy of Family PhysiciansAmerican Academy of NeurologyAmerican Academy of Orthopaedic

SurgeonsAmerican College of PhysiciansAmerican Medical AssociationAureus MedicalDoximityFidelis PartnersFrontline Medical CommunicationsLocumsMartLocumTenens.comMedical Doctor AssociatesMedical Marketing ServiceThe Medicus FirmOnyx M.D.PhysicianCareer.comPracticeAlertReality Check ScreeningRosmanSearch, Inc.Staff Care

In anticipation of the Arizona conference in August, here’s some background and a bit of advice offered from some of my other Arizona ASPR members who plan to attend.

Maggie Lewis, Flagstaff, AZ (North)Maggie Lewis is a physician recruiter/medical affairs manager for Flagstaff Medical Center. Flagstaff, where she has lived for just over seven years, is in the northern part of Arizona and surprisingly to most people, sits at about 7,000 feet in elevation. Lewis moved to Flagstaff from Pasadena, CA, where she lived for five years. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, she grew up in Virginia Beach, VA, before returning to Pittsburgh to attend college and graduate school. “The blue sky and mountains brought us to Flagstaff after coming to a wedding here,” she said.

Where is your favorite place to take visitors to AZ? “Sedona, AZ. If you haven’t seen it, it’s unlike anywhere else.”

How do you spark interest among recruits to come to AZ? “I tell them it’s often sunny here in Flagstaff, but we still get an average of 120 inches of snow per year!”

Katie Harris, DASPR, Phoenix, AZ (Central)Katie Harris is a physician recruiter/scientist recruiter for Mayo Clinic. Originally from Ohio, she moved to Arizona “for this great job” nine years ago. Her favorite part about living in Arizona is “the resort-like weather we experience for a large part of the year and the variety of activities from hiking in the wilderness to big-venue concerts in downtown Phoenix,” she said.

How do you spark interest among recruits to come to AZ? “I tell them there is something for everyone here. It’s family-friendly and diverse, with a great cost of living, offering a variety of activities.”

Jennifer McCalla, AASPR, Phoenix, AZ (Central)Jennifer McCalla, AASPR, is physician recruitment manager for Valley Baptist Medical

Center, an affiliate of Abrazo Health Care. McCalla, originally from Miami, FL, has lived in several states during her Air Force career. She has only lived in Arizona for about five months, but already knows where to take family and friends when they visit. “We can go skiing up north, and then hit the Grand Canyon,” she said.

What is your advice for ASPR members coming to the conference in Tucson in August? “Hydrate, moisturize and wear sunscreen!”

Kara Balliet, AASPR, Phoenix, AZ (Central)Kara Balliet is a senior physician recruiter for St. Joseph’s Medical Group. Originally from upstate New York, Balliet came to Tucson, AZ, about 13 years ago with a friend who was moving there. Her favorite part of living in Arizona is the “sunshine, the sky and the weather, minus the heat!” She shares this with potential recruits, and also tells them about Arizona’s “professional sports teams, and the quick flights to San Diego and its beaches!”

Where is your favorite place to take visitors to AZ? “In Tucson, my favorite place to bring friends is the Desert Museum - http://www.desertmuseum.org/.”

Paul Charkowski, FASPR, Tucson, AZ (South)Paul Charkowski is physician network manager for Tucson Medical Center. Originally from Michigan, he credits the climate for bringing him to Arizona, where he has lived for the past eight years. Charkowski is a member of the ASPR Education Committee and has been assisting the committee with local input for the annual conference.

Where is your favorite place to take visitors to AZ? “Mount Lemmon, Old Tucson Studios and Sabino Canyon.”

From north to south and in between!

Meet your Arizona ASPR colleagues By Lori Jackson Norris, FASPR, senior physician recruiter, Dignity Health/Arizona, [email protected]

Meet Arizona colleagues continued on page 31


Will the Affordable Care Act help with the shortage of physicians across the country?The looming shortage and mal-distribution

of physicians in the US is well documented. The overall projected shortage of physicians across the US is expected to be 91,500 physicians (45,400 in primary care and 46,100 subspecialists) by 2020, growing to 130,600 by 2025. In addition, the number of physicians per 100,000 of population varies greatly by market, and it remains difficult to attract physicians to rural and payer-challenged urban markets, exacerbating shortages in those areas.

As if the macro shortage of physicians is not daunting enough, attracting physicians that can thrive in the post-reform environment is criti-cal for hospitals and health systems. CMS (The Center for Medicare Services) has been clear on its three-part aim of “better care for individuals, better health for populations, and lower growth in expenditures.” In short, attracting the “right” physicians will become more difficult.

How does the Affordable Care Act impact the delivery of care?Virtually all of the business models being discussed assume a dramatic change in the way healthcare is delivered — increased quality through evidence-based medicine at a lower or slower-rising cost. Beyond an attempt to slow the medical inflation rate, why focus on changing the traditional healthcare delivery model? Because the majority of the opportunities lie in improving the overall effectiveness of the traditional delivery model:

• Prior to healthcare reform, there were 49.9 million uninsured Americans — 16.3% of the population.

• A 2009 Harvard study estimated that 44,800 excess deaths occur annually in the US due to lack of health insurance.

• We spend more per capita on healthcare than any other nation in the world.

• Yet, our life expectancy of 78.49 is 50th in the world, below most developed nations and some developing nations — Monaco is first at 89.68 years and Angola is last at 31.88 years.

• Our infant mortality rate is higher than most of the industrialized nations — 42nd overall.

• According to the World Health Organiza-tion, the US ranked 37th in overall perfor-mance and 72nd by overall level of health (out of 191 nations included).

What will be the primary mechanism for changing the delivery of care?Evidence-based medicine (EBM) or evidence-based practice (EBP) aims to apply the best avail-able evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of the evidence of risks and benefits of treatments (including lack of treatment) and diag-nostic tests. If evidence-based medicine is the key in the transformation of today’s delivery system, what percentage of your medical staff believes in EBM? Practice EBM? Are willing to practice EBM?

What are the shortcomings in today’s approach to physician recruitment?It is certainly understandable that the shortage of and difficulty in recruiting physicians influ-ences how hospitals and health systems think about attracting physicians. The historic physi-cian recruitment approach and criteria tend to be “soft” and geared toward the traditional model of care. Physicians are evaluated mostly on high-level background and overall fit:

• Why are you looking for a new practice opportunity?

• What is your training and background?• What is your current practice like?• What are you seeking in a new practice

opportunity?• How will this move affect your spouse and

family?

Interview with ASPR Annual Conference keynote presenter Shane Foreman

Physician recruitment in a post-reform era By Laurie Pumper, ASPR Communication Director, [email protected]

Post-reform, this is a very risky approach and strategy. Shared savings models do not work very well when there is no savings, and meeting the value-based purchasing and quality outcomes criteria will be next to impossible.

Does the definition of the perfect physician candidate change post-reform?The ideal physician candidate profile, post-health-care reform, is very different than in the past. Physicians will need to be asked more pointed questions about their clinical philosophy and acumen:

• Do you understand and believe in evidence-based medicine?

• What type of clinical outcomes do you expect of yourself ?

• What is your experience in managing patient populations?

• What size patient panel is most comfort-able for you?

• What are your top criteria in evaluating practice opportunities?

As a result, the potential pool of attractive physi-cian candidates is even smaller than projected.

So, how do you attract the right physicians?First, superior physicians are attracted to orga-nizations with a clear commitment to quality. Embrace evidence-based medicine, set outcome goals, pursue them, and do not compromise. A “warm body” will not help you meet your goals and a collection of warm bodies can set your organization back for a generation.

Second, be willing to invest. You might have to pay more for better performing physicians. Finally, differentiate around the patient experience. Create a positive, different, and memorable experience for patients and the best physicians will get excited about working with you.

Turn to page 25 for more Conference info!

The high quality physicians you are looking for are already looking at us. Tap into The JAMA Network through our print journals and our online portal, the JAMA Career Center, to reach the most qualified physician candidates. Stay in their sights while making the most of your budget each and every time.

Access the JAMA Career Center and The JAMA Network.

Email [email protected] or call 800.262.2260.

The JAMA Career Center

The candidates you want from the network you trust.

249,000+online users

150specialties and subspecialties

6,000+job postings 450,000+

physicianreach

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Executive Director cont’d from page 4

tion credits for the webinars that you watch either live or on-demand. Take advantage!

Fellowship certification updateThe newly updated fellowship certification exams are now available. If you’re planning to attend the fellowship certification program at the annual conference, you’ll be the first to receive the updated information, presentations, and materials that correspond with the new exams. The Physician Recruitment 101 and 201 modules will be offered later this fall as on-demand webinar series and the 301 module will be offered as soon as possible thereafter.

2013 benchmarking reportThe ASPR Benchmarking Committee has announced that the executive summary, full report, and data for the 2013 ASPR In-House Physician Recruitment Benchmarking Report are expected to be available in early August. Keep your eyes open for industry trends and highlights in the next issue!

Annual conferenceFinally, the 2013 ASPR Annual Conference is just around the corner. The conference will be held August 10-14 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass in Tucson, Arizona. You’ll find an abundance of information about the conference throughout this issue and on the website at www.aspr.org/confer-ence. We look forward to seeing you all in Tucson in just a few weeks!

As always, I look forward to hearing any thoughts, suggestions, ideas, or comments from you!

Summer 2013 9

Getting “lean” with your organization By Joan Menard, Director of Physician Relations, Harrington HealthCare System, Southbridge, MA, [email protected]

It is likely that you’ve heard about “lean” by now — it’s being touted as the premier strategy for responding to the North American healthcare crisis. It’s synonymous with continuous improvement. There are many glaringly obvious clinical applications — but what about our world of physician recruitment? We often talk about ways that we, as physician recruitment professionals, can add value, and be viewed as serious contributors to workplace success. Lean is all about value — so it’s a great fit!

The lean strategy originated in the automobile manufacturing industry, so it takes keen insight and intuition (of which we tend to have an abundance!) to make the leap to healthcare or any service industry. But really, who doesn’t want the highest quality at the lowest cost? We all want our recruiting and onboarding processes to be the best, while keeping both direct and indirect costs down. By applying lean principles and tools, not only can we accomplish these goals, but also we can demonstrate our lean knowledge and skills to those involved in our processes.

“Muda” equals wasteLean was developed at Toyota, hence Japanese is the language of lean. “Muda” is the Japanese term for waste. Traditionally, seven areas of waste are identified, but an eighth is commonly cited.

1. Transportation – How much of your recruiting or onboarding time is spent walking or driving?

2. Inventory – Do you have an abundance of materials on hand? How often do they become outdated?

3. Motion – Are all of your frequently used tools within easily accessible?

4. Waiting – How much time is spent waiting, i.e., for the next meeting, a response, an approval?

5. Over-processing – In the credentialing process, how many forms does a provider complete and how many copies go to how many people?

6. Overproduction – Do we do more than is really needed, just in case?

7. Defects – Eliminate mistakes; zero errors is the goal.

8. Skills – Are there staff with hidden skills? Do we underutilize our providers’ time?

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to identify the waste and then systematically and relentlessly eliminate it. Remember, zero errors is the goal — even when perfection seems out of reach, it is clearly the right direction to be heading in.

Working in conjunction with those who are touched by your processes, making small incremental improvements, and piloting new ideas will foster a collaborative approach, open communication lines, and ease acceptance of change. Armed with the lean philosophy and tools, any process, problem or waste can be turned into an opportunity to make work easier, results better, capacity greater, and costs lower.

Everybody, everydayMore than 25 years of lean implementations across multiple countries and industries has proven that the greatest success with lean occurs when all levels of the organization are involved. Hence the principle: Everybody, everyday. It’s an attitude of continuous improvement. When introduced carefully, it’s a rallying call. It’s unifying. It’s all about recognizing people as the most valuable resource. It clearly demonstrates respect for employees and results in engaged and loyal staff. If your organization is striving for a “lean culture,” then your lean efforts will be seen as supportive of an institutional goal. If your workplace isn’t there yet, you’ll be ahead of the curve.

Share with Your Residents and Fellows:Cover Letter & Curriculum Vitae Preparation;Preparing for the Interview; and the Employment Contract

By Kelly Ford, MBA, Director of Medical Staff Affairs, Hospital Sisters Health System, HSHS Medical Group

Reprinted by permission from the Winter 2009 Issue of the Journal of the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters

PreparationThe end of your residency/fellowship is rapidly approaching, and it’s time to find that perfect practice, the ideal partner(s), in the location of your dreams. The years of training have been grueling, but you feel competent and you’re ready to settle into a flourishing practice and get that first sweet taste of prosperity. You and your colleagues have started to receive a barrage of telephone calls from recruiters, stacks of job flyers and advertisements fill your mailbox, and your emails have increased threefold. And now, you’re faced with determining what opportunities are worth checking out. What important factors need to be considered? How will you ever make sense of that legalese you glanced at last year when your buddy was pondering his commitment? How do you tactfully discuss money with a potential employer, and how much should you expect to earn? Information is power – and the more you know, the better equipped you will be to make those serious career choices. But right now, you must be concerned with just getting some interviews set up.

Taking a sensible, methodical approach to the interviewing process will aid you in making a well-informed decision. There are a few basic, definable steps that each resident or fellow can follow when beginning the interview process. The three most essential factors to consider as you evaluate your choices are practice, location, and income. The priority you give to each of these factors may differ significantly

from your colleagues’ priorities, but it is important to know what is right for you. Keep in mind that the majority of residents and fellows change jobs within three to five years after completing their training. Therefore, the more sure you are of what will work for you, the lower the odds that you will be among the majority who have to go through the agony of a second set of interviews.

It’s April 2012, and you should be preparing a cover letter and curriculum vitae, since your training will be over in 2013. Not much can be done until you have completed this all-important task. Mediocrity has no place in the preparation of these documents. If their appearance is less than professional, if they contain sloppy margins and tabs, misspelled words, inconsistent format, undocumented periods of time, etc., the likelihood that you will be considered for a position with that choice practice lessens considerably. This information is your first introduction to a potential employer. It must be well organized and informative and it must present an image of someone who everyone wants to meet. The most successful approach is to be sure that yours stands out from the other dozen or so vitaes that are lying on the recruiter’s desk. Ideally, you should give yourself the option to dismiss an opportunity, rather than someone else eliminating you before you even meet him.

Preparing Your Cover Letter• Limityourcoverlettertoonepage,ortwo

at the most.• Usequalitywhiteoroff-whitepaper.• Usea12-pointfontthatiscleartoread,

something like Times New Roman or Garamond, and always use black ink.

• Openyourcorrespondencewithageneralstatement that expresses your interest in the position. Follow that with specific information that elaborates upon your training beyond that contained on your

Author’s Note

After years of counseling residents and fellows on how

best to approach the job search, I have learned a thing

or two. When the Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska & Kansas

(MINK) MidWestMD Physician Recruitment and Retention

Network decided to publish a quarterly newsletter directed to resident physicians completing

medical training, I thought this an opportune time to put

on paper what I had been preaching for years. The articles

were published as a three part series and sent to residents

located in the MidWestMD’s four state region. Although originally

intended as an educational tool for residents, the series

may serve a purpose for your organization to educate those

hiring, residents in training or assist physician recruiters

representing your organization.

Journal of the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters, Winter 20091

Interviewing 101: How to Get the Job You Really Want

You have identified several job opportunities. Now you’re ready to contact the prospective employers to learn more about their career offerings. The interview process begins with an initial phone call and may entail one or two site visits. Consider your initial phone call as the beginning of your interview process! Your first phone call will form an initial and lasting impression on the recruiter or key practice contact, so be prepared and be professional. Your first contact may determine if you are invited for a site interview. Pre-schedule the call at a time that is convenient for you. If possible, try to schedule the call at a time that you’ll have no distractions.

Preparing for the Phone Interview• Doyourhomework.Visitwebsitesofthe

hospital, practice, and community.• PrepareQuestions:Askforaprofileof

the providers in the group. What is the organizational structure? Partnership, benefits, call, etc.? Why are they recruiting (growth, retirement, replacement)? Whatisthecommunitylike?Arethereopportunities for your significant other?

• AnticipateQuestions:Whyareyoupursuing this opportunity? What is important to you both professionally and personally?Whatareyourtimelines?Doyou have any issues regarding malpractice history, license suspensions or restrictions, etc.? What are your compensation requirements?

The Phone Interview• Becourteous,polite,respectfuland

answer questions honestly!• Yourfirstquestionsshouldnotbeabout

salary and schedule.• Askforaninformationpacketonthe

organization and community.• Askwhatthenextstepis.Oftenyouwill

have additional phone contact prior to being invited to interview.

• Decideifthisisajobyouwouldacceptbefore taking the time to interview.

• Youhavelimitedtimetointerview,sousethat time wisely!

The Site Interview:• Tellyourrecruiterorcontactanyspecial

needsyouoryourfamilyhaveBEFOREthe interview.

• Bringyoursignificantotheronthefirstvisit. His or her opinion is key.

• Dressprofessionallyandbepunctual.TurnyourcellphoneOFFandputyourBlackberry/PDAaway.

• Alwaysremembertouseafirmhandshake(but not bone crushing). Maintain eye contact and smile!

• Beyourself.Employerswanttoknowifyour personality would be a good fit for the practice and community.

• AskQuestionsandTalk!Ifyoudon’t,youwill appear disinterested and present a flat affect.

• Tourthecommunityandneighborhoods.Get a feel for the housing market.

• Visitschools,placesofworship,andgrocery stores. See what life is like for local residents.

• Reservetimeforleisureandculturalactivitiesinthearea.Doesthecommunitymeet your lifestyle needs?

After Your Visit• Followuppromptly!• SendThankYouNotes!EmailisOK,

but a handwritten note makes a better impression.

• Ifyou’reinterestedintheopportunity,expresscontinuedinterest.Behonestifthe opportunity is not right for you at this time. It could be in the future!

• Followupwithanyadditionalquestions.• Submitreceiptsforreimbursementfor

reasonableinterviewexpenses.

TipConsider the interview as a

tool…it works well only when the operator prepares and

knows how to use it!

Interviewing 101: How to Get the Job You Really Want

You have identified several job opportunities. Now you’re ready to contact the prospective employers to learn more about their career offerings. The interview process begins with an initial phone call and may entail one or two site visits. Consider your initial phone call as the beginning of your interview process! Your first phone call will form an initial and lasting impression on the recruiter or key practice contact, so be prepared and be professional. Your first contact may determine if you are invited for a site interview. Pre-schedule the call at a time that is convenient for you. If possible, try to schedule the call at a time that you’ll have no distractions.

Preparing for the Phone Interview• Doyourhomework.Visitwebsitesofthe

hospital, practice, and community.• PrepareQuestions:Askforaprofileof

the providers in the group. What is the organizational structure? Partnership, benefits, call, etc.? Why are they recruiting (growth, retirement, replacement)? Whatisthecommunitylike?Arethereopportunities for your significant other?

• AnticipateQuestions:Whyareyoupursuing this opportunity? What is important to you both professionally and personally?Whatareyourtimelines?Doyou have any issues regarding malpractice history, license suspensions or restrictions, etc.? What are your compensation requirements?

The Phone Interview• Becourteous,polite,respectfuland

answer questions honestly!• Yourfirstquestionsshouldnotbeabout

salary and schedule.• Askforaninformationpacketonthe

organization and community.• Askwhatthenextstepis.Oftenyouwill

have additional phone contact prior to being invited to interview.

• Decideifthisisajobyouwouldacceptbefore taking the time to interview.

• Youhavelimitedtimetointerview,sousethat time wisely!

The Site Interview:• Tellyourrecruiterorcontactanyspecial

needsyouoryourfamilyhaveBEFOREthe interview.

• Bringyoursignificantotheronthefirstvisit. His or her opinion is key.

• Dressprofessionallyandbepunctual.TurnyourcellphoneOFFandputyourBlackberry/PDAaway.

• Alwaysremembertouseafirmhandshake(but not bone crushing). Maintain eye contact and smile!

• Beyourself.Employerswanttoknowifyour personality would be a good fit for the practice and community.

• AskQuestionsandTalk!Ifyoudon’t,youwill appear disinterested and present a flat affect.

• Tourthecommunityandneighborhoods.Get a feel for the housing market.

• Visitschools,placesofworship,andgrocery stores. See what life is like for local residents.

• Reservetimeforleisureandculturalactivitiesinthearea.Doesthecommunitymeet your lifestyle needs?

After Your Visit• Followuppromptly!• SendThankYouNotes!EmailisOK,

but a handwritten note makes a better impression.

• Ifyou’reinterestedintheopportunity,expresscontinuedinterest.Behonestifthe opportunity is not right for you at this time. It could be in the future!

• Followupwithanyadditionalquestions.• Submitreceiptsforreimbursementfor

reasonableinterviewexpenses.

TipConsider the interview as a

tool…it works well only when the operator prepares and

knows how to use it!

Call for White PapersAre you pursuing an advanced degree (MHA, MBA, MPH)? Are you looking for a resource to publish a brief of your thesis, paper, case study, or research? Or, has your organization recently done a white paper that would be of interest to your ASPR colleagues? We are seeking to continue to advance best practices in the field of in-house physician recruitment and are seeking white papers that provide insight, ideas and findings via case studies and research briefs. For further information, please contact the JASPR Editors at [email protected] or [email protected].


Stay aware of online rating sitesBy Miranda Grace, DASPR, Physician Recruiter, Lewistown Hospital, [email protected]

My first experience with an internet rating site was in college. Ratemyprofessor.com was widely used as the guide to scheduling classes with profes-sors who were equally helpful and, let’s face it,

painless. Today, many other rating sites are surfac-ing, including those that assess the qualifications of both training and practicing physicians in regard to credentials, friendliness, timeliness, staff, bedside manner, accurate diagnosis, etc. The potential exists for physician recruitment professionals to use this information during the screening process. However, for now, there are risks involved. Simi-larly, rating sites for hospitals and other healthcare organizations are emerging, hopefully giving con-sumers the opportunity to make “more informed” decisions about where to go for services. Even more important to our specific profession, physician can-didates are using these sites to make decisions about where to seek employment. Physician recruit-ment professionals, as well as other healthcare leaders, should be aware of this information and understand its potential impact on healthcare and recruitment, both now and in the future.

Types of sitesPhysician rating sites serve to both enlighten and empower consumers, often through cus-tomer feedback based on the treatment they or a loved one received. Collection of this informa-tion may take place via surveys, algorithms, or free text comments, and is primarily consumer driven. In contrast, hospital rating sites often use publicly published metrics, including those derived from entities like the Joint Commission or Department of Health, to rate facilities in such areas as patient safety, clinical quality, and patient satisfaction. Why is this important? Kay Hamilton, president and CEO of Lewistown Hospital explained, “I’ve interviewed physician candidates that have looked at our hospital’s rat-ings online before coming to visit us. They even came with questions about it,” she said. “You can’t blame them. They want to make sure that the organization is solvent, has a good clinical reputation, and reputable quality metrics. This shows good hospital-physician alignment.”

Potential ProblemsFor physician recruitment professionals, physi-cian rating sites have the potential to serve as a supplemental background checking source. However, Dr. Cathleen Veach advised against this use. Dr. Veach, a family physician and medical director of Family Health Associates in Lewistown, PA , cautioned that “[Rating sites] are still in their infancy. Since they’re not standardized, they’re not showing what might be important to know about a physician candidate...you may miss something.” She added, “Depending on how they develop and how they are monitored, rating sites might be a reliable source for recruiters in the future, but not now.”

Similar to the problems Dr. Veach expressed, there are several other risks involved in using rat-ing sites. For example, information is not always kept updated. Additionally, there are numer-ous providers with the same names that may be confused with each other. To negate these risks, verify that the information on the site is current with that on the physician’s CV, making sure that everything on the site lines up accordingly.

Another potential problem arises on sites with the option to leave open-ended comments, or rate a physician based on a list of criteria, because it’s difficult to say who is actually behind the results. If comments and ratings are exceed-ingly positive, it could be a sign of excellent clinical and interpersonal skills, or it could be someone manipulating the outcome.

“It’s important to keep in mind that physicians are not always able or certain how to respond to negative comments,” Dr. Veach said. “This is tough. The most loved physicians are always going to have patients that don’t like them and, unfortunately, those patients are typically the ones that speak out on sites like these. We must remember, that an accusation does not always mean a guilty verdict was ordered.”

How should physician recruitment profession-als handle all of this information? Lewistown Hospital CEO Hamilton, advised recruiters to use it with caution, “Find out if the site is posting reputable information. Using a physician leader in the organization to help decipher the

information might be a good way to determine its integrity.”

Consider the organization’s ratingsWhile we may be looking at a physician’s ratings online, physicians are looking at the organiza-tion’s ratings. Hamilton recommended that hospital leaders follow this three-step process to improve their online scores:

1. Raise awareness in the organization and educate others on the importance of the scores. Remind them that physicians are looking at these scores.

2. Follow the Cleveland Clinic’s example and take it to the grassroots level. It may be as simple as providing a warm blanket or a pillow.

3. Publicize the data internally. People respond to that.

“Ultimately it’s all about communication, pro-viding for comfort, and being nice,” Hamilton concluded.

Dr. Veach also recommended that physicians follow a three-step process to evaluate the nega-tive responses their clinics are receiving:

1. Ask the question: “Is this real, does this really reflect us?” Do some soul searching and use objectivity to come to your conclu-sion.

2. Evaluate the information internally with the office staff. See if it’s accurate and how you can fix the problem.

3. Remember: If it’s going to be out there, try and stay on top of it, and always strive for positive comments.

Whether you’re using an online rating site to evaluate a candidate’s potential, or promote your organization based on your excellent scores, you should always be aware of what’s out there. Understand that there are risks taken when using a physician rating site for background checks, so be sure to verify that the information is valid. Make a conscious effort to double, even triple check, all information found online and always, proceed with caution.

Summer 2013 11

The 2013 ASPR In-House Physician Recruit-ment Benchmarking Survey closed at the end of March. The 2012 Report and data are currently available and the 2013 Report and data will be available this coming August. Are you wonder-ing what people are doing with benchmark-ing data from the industry’s largest survey of in-house physician recruitment departments? Here (in the box below) are some examples of ways you can utilize benchmarking data to help evaluate your physician recruitment program.

How to use benchmarking dataBy Jennifer Metivier, MS, FASPR, ASPR Executive Director, [email protected]

StatisticAverage number of searches conducted per recruiter

Physician Recruiter Compensation

Average number of interviews, offers, and hires per search and percent of positions filled

Time to fill a search

Top specialty searches

Source of hires

How to Use ItJustification for hiring additional physician recruitment professionals. Knowing the median number of searches per recruiter is 15 and you are conducting 50 may provide justification for additional staffing.

Justification for compensation adjustments or hiring an additional recruiter.

Opportunity to identify and evaluate physician recruitment processes that may be refined in order to improve outcomes in these areas. Additional screening methods, better interview for-mats, more streamlined offer processes, improved compensation packages, etc., could all result in fewer interviews and offers required to fill the search and improve your chances of filling the search overall.

Opportunity to identify time delays in the recruitment process. Is the lead physician slow with contacting the physician or conducting reference checks? Is the offer going out too late? Are you recruiting for twice as many searches as the national norm? All of these can impact the time to complete a search.

Provides market demand data and evidence about which specialties are highly sought after. This information helps you and your administration understand that some specialty searches will be more difficult and take longer to recruit.

Assists in determining where to spend your budget. Internet job boards are the top sourcing methodology; organizational websites are among the top three — use this information to spend your marketing dollars appropriately.

Many in-house physician recruitment profession-als are concerned that if their data are not compa-rable to the national averages, they may look bad in the eyes of their administration.

The reality is that there are too many variables involved in the recruitment process to imagine any one person is responsible for success. Recruit-ment is very much a “team sport”. It is important to evaluate the innumerable factors that result in successful placement, many of which lie outside

the control of individual recruiters or the department. In most cases, efficiencies may be gained at any point in the recruitment process. It only requires a willingness to objectively assess the entire scope of recruitment — iden-tify obstacles, educate staff, and facilitate solu-tions — in order to be effective.

Learn more about the Survey

Purchase/Access the 2012 Final Report and Searchable Data


Quality measures appear to be a small yet emerging component of total compensation for physicians. According to the MGMA Physi-cian Compensation and Production Survey: 2013 Report Based on 2012 Data, primary care physicians reported that three percent of their total compensation was based upon measures of quality. Specialists reported that two percent of their total compensation was based upon quality metrics. For the first time in a national survey of this size, MGMA-ACMPE gathered and reported data within the Physician Com-pensation Report regarding quality and patient satisfaction metrics. Though these percentages are small, the association has identified this trend and expects that physician compensa-tion will increasingly be tied to these metrics as reimbursement aligns more closely with quality and cost measures. Physicians responding to the MGMA survey also reported that patient satisfaction played a small role in their com-pensation, likely a result of the industry’s shift toward patient-centered care. “Quality and pa-tient satisfaction metrics are not yet dominant components of physician compensation plans right now, however, as reimbursement models continue to shift, the small changes we’ve ob-served recently will gain momentum,” explained Susan L. Turney, MD, MS, FACMPE, FACP, MGMA-ACMPE president and CEO. “It’s encouraging to see physician practices invested in patient-centered care and continuing to seek ways to better incorporate quality and experi-ence into compensation methodologies.”

The report also indicated that median compen-sation for physicians fluctuated by specialty. Primary care physicians reported $216,462 in median compensation, and specialists reported $388,199 in median compensation (both fig-ures have been adjusted for inflation).

The MGMA Physician Compensation and Production Survey Report offers detailed information, rigorous in-house data validation and analysis. This year’s report provides data on more than 60,100 providers — the largest provider population of any physician compen-sation survey in the United States. The 2013 report includes data for physicians and non-physician providers in more than 170 special-ties, including demographic categories ranging from geographic region and practice setting (in small, medium, and large groups) to years in specialty and majority ownership.

The information is available on DataDive, an easy-to-use web-based format that allows users to access and drill down data for analysis as well as a printed report. An additional physi-cian compensation resource for physicians and medical practice professionals includes the MGMA 2013 Annual Conference, Oct 6-9, San Diego. The association also developed the Physician Compensation Decision Pathways Tool, which helps practices create physician compensation plans.

Note: MGMA-ACMPE surveys depend on voluntary participation and may not be represen-tative of the industry. Readers are urged to review the entire survey report when making conclusions regarding trends or other observations.

Contact Liz Boten, media relations representa-tive, at [email protected] to request data or information about the survey.

MGMA reports first-time connection between pay and patient satisfaction

Quality measures emerging as comp component By Liz Boten, Media Relations Representative, MGMA, [email protected]

Physician recruitment is a challenge. Let PracticeLink make it easier.

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Summer 2013 13

What do pilots, truck drivers, & maritime workers have in common?

Regulated work hours, something physicians lack… By Miranda Grace, DASPR, Physician Recruiter, Lewistown Hospital, Lewistown, PA, [email protected]

Four friends meet for dinner at a restaurant: A pilot, a truck driver, a maritime worker, and a physician. They talk about their day, enjoy a meal and then head to their homes to get their eight hours of sleep in before getting up for their 7 a.m. shifts…except for the physician. He sticks around for a few more hours to listen to the live music, even though he also has a 7 a.m. shift, and he’s been on call for the last 24 hours. Should we be worried about how much sleep he’s had?

Of course! Today, pilots, truck drivers, and maritime workers all have regulated work hours, something physicians seem to lack. Studies show that 24 hours of wakefulness produces impairment equivalent to a blood-alcohol level of 0.1%!1 Add the potential to this scenario that there was alcohol consumption during the evening, and the impairment from sleep deprivation is compounded. Sleep deprivation is a problem among residents, fellows, and practic-ing physicians. It can have negative effects on health and mood, and if not handled in a timely manner through shared call and/or shift work, sleep deprivation may also infringe on physi-cian retention. Dr. Jose Acosta, Sleep Medi-cine physician at Lewistown Hospital, urges a cultural change among physicians everywhere, “Sleep deprivation is a problem that needs to be addressed for both physicians in training and those already in practice. We must ensure that one day adequate sleep is as readily expected of physicians as hand washing.”

History of regulated work hours On the evening of March 4, 1984, Libby Zion, 18 (daughter of Sidney Zion, a former lawyer and New York Times journalist), was taken to New York Hospital with a fever and unexplained spasms. After being admitted for observation, several residents examined Libby in order to diagnose and treat her effectively. Although several attempts were made with a number of medications, Libby’s symptoms got progressively worse. The first year resident on Libby’s case was overwhelmed with her work-load and alone after the second-year resident

had left to catch some sleep. Distracted and unsure of what to do, she ordered restraints and a sedative. Later that same morning, Libby’s temperature spiked. She suffered a cardiac arrest and died.2

Devastated by his daughter’s sudden and mys-terious death, and determined to seek justice, Sidney Zion decided to use the circumstances surrounding the case to spur reform among physicians in training. Zion persuaded the Man-hattan district attorney to convene a grand jury to consider murder charges against the physi-cians involved. A malpractice case finally went to trial in 1994. In a New York Times article, A Life-Changing Case for Doctors in Training, Dr. Barron Lerner recalled the days following the trial, “This came as no surprise to us in the trenches. We knew what it was like to stay up for 36 hours straight, first as medical students and later as residents. It was in a word, insanity. Deprived of sleep, we roamed the wards, dream-ing of when we could finally leave, dozing off on rounds, screaming at patients and colleagues and praying we would not make any grievous mistakes…I felt sorry for the competent and well-meaning doctors he pilloried, but was thrilled that change was occurring.”3 Ultimately the physicians were not indicted; however, the case did spark an impassioned debate surround-ing work hours and other factors that lead to sleep deprivation among providers.

In 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACMGE) made mandatory that no physician in training work more than 80 hours per week or 24 hours in a row. Also, the frequency of call was limited to every third night with a rest period of 10 hours between calls.4 Unfortunately, this recommen-dation does not account for the many external factors that contribute to sleep deprivation among residents and fellows — including, but not limited to, moonlighting for supplemental income. And while attending and/or practicing physicians may have more clinical experience than those in training, their work hours are not regulated, nor are they exempt from the effects of sleep deprivation. Regulated hours continued on page 14

The human sleep requirementWe all need sleep. So much so, that without it we are at risk for many physical and mental impairments. Physical consequences for lack of sleep include increased blood pressure, CHF, stroke, obesity, and more. As recruitment and retention professionals, we need to be aware of the physical strain our physicians are under when suffering from sleep deprivation. In time, these issues could lead to a decline in produc-tivity, increased call offs, and potentially early retirement and/or medical leave.

A lack of sleep among physicians also decreases empathy for patients, interrupts cognitive and behavioral dexterity, and shows a marked decline in attention. In addition, sleep loss gives rise to anger, frustration, depression, and confusion, explaining the many poor relation-ships among physicians and staff, patients, even family. “These mental impairments caused by a lack of sleep can certainly affect a physician’s family and marriage,” said Dr. Acosta. “After working any number of hours at the hospital, a physician can go to their children’s recital, for example, and fall asleep — unintentionally caus-

Dr. Jose Acosta, MD, FCCP


Regulated hours cont’d from page 13

ASPR is always looking for articles

for the Journal of ASPR (JASPR). If

you would like to submit an article

for JASPR, or if you would like some

guidance on a possible article topic,

you may contact one of the editors at

[email protected].

ASPR on the lookout...for new articles!

ing a rift between themselves and their family. In addition, the more frequently physicians are on call, the more likely their spouses’ sleep patterns are disrupted which may cause them to sleep in separate rooms. Over time, this may not be good for the physician’s marriage.”

A cause for concern also occurs when those who are chronically sleep deprived underestimate their impediments. A 2009 article, Physicians and Sleep Deprivation, noted, “Although physicians may believe that they adjust to a restricted sleep schedule, the data indicate that this does not occur…In addition, sleep loss not only affects performance, it can contribute to false memories.”1 Dr. Acosta added, “We need to change the attitude about long hours of work [among physicians]. Instead of bragging about working 100 hours in a week’s time, we should chastise our colleagues as dangers to our patients and themselves.”

Recommendations Chronic sleep loss, a condition experienced by many physicians, occurs when obtaining two to three hours less sleep per night regularly than what’s ideal for that individual. There is no substitute for a lack of sleep, and sadly, caffeine and other energy supplements just don’t cut it. However, the recommendations that follow could help curb the limited hours of sleep physi-cians are getting in practice and/or manage the effects of sleep loss.

1. Recognize sleep deprivation as a serious problem.

2. Understand that a lack of sleep impinges on patient safety and physicians’ physical and mental health.

3. Spur a cultural change in your organization regarding long work hours among provid-ers.

4. Encourage shared call among a number of providers so that sleep is less fragmented.

5. When possible, allow for naps to help com-pensate for a loss of sleep. If napping before work, ask physicians to limit sleep time to 30 minutes to account for “sleep inertia”. 1

6. Understand that two nights of unrestricted sleep are imperative to reduce the likeli-hood of sleep debt and impaired perfor-mance. 1

7. Urge physicians to avoid beginning work in “sleep debt.” When this is not possible, exposing oneself to bright blue-spectrum light before work can help accelerate wakefulness. 1

8. If caffeine must be consumed, encour-age consumption 30 minutes before the expected decline in alertness, i.e. 3-5 am/pm. 1

9. Encourage social interaction among fellow physicians and staff. 1

10. Allow for snacking, exercising, and singing, when possible, as this can help sustain alertness. 1

11. Offer education for physicians on the importance of sleep and how to achieve restful sleep, even during the day*.• Limit activities in bed.• Exercise.• Do not stay in bed fully awake.• Do not watch the clock.• Do not use bed as a place to solve

problems.• Go to bed when tired.• Use earplugs.*• Darken the room to increase melato-

nin production.*• Use eye shades to block out light.*• Ensure that the environment is cool.*

12. Offer education for physicians’ family members about the importance of sleep and the disturbances that can occur at home (during the day) from phone calls, the television, the vacuum, and more.

13. Always be respectful of physicians’ sleep and ask others to do the same.

Among physicians, the desire to avoid call is cited as the most common reason for early retirement. If we take the necessary steps to curb sleep deprivation among our medical staff, we may be able to keep them significantly longer. Ultimately, we need to recognize sleep deprivation as a problem. With extended work hours and sleep fragmentation from call, stress, and/or primary sleep disorders from training, physicians may be putting themselves and our patients at risk. The ACGME’s recommenda-tion is just a start. A cultural change must occur, first in individual organizations then nationwide. Long hours are discouraged in and among pilots, truck drivers, and maritime work-ers, so why not physicians?

Sources:

1. Vorona, Robert Daniel, Ian Alps Chen, and J. Catesby Ware. “Physicians And Sleep Deprivation.” Sleep Medicine Clinics 4, no. 4 (2009): 527-540.

2. Lerner, Barron. “A Case That Shook Medicine; How One Man’s Rage Over His Daughter’s Death Sped Reform of Doctor Training.” The Washington Post, November 28, 2006. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112400985.html (accessed May 8, 2013).

3. Lerner, Barron. “A Life-Changing Case for Doctors in Training.” The New York Times, March 3, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/health/03zion.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 (accessed May 8, 2013).

4. Hawkins, Finn, Joseph Murphy, and Wil-liam Dunn. “Is My Doctor Impaired, or Just Sleep Deprived?” Chest Journal 135, no. 5 (2009): 1194-1197.

Summer 2013 15

Keys to the Conrad 30 ProgramBy Carl Shusterman, Law Offices of Carl Shusterman, [email protected]

demonstrate that the physician will serve patients who live in shortage areas.

3. The IMG must sign a contract with the health care facility to work at the approved practice site for a period of not less than three years.

4. The IMG must agree to begin employment at the approved practice site within 90 days of receipt of the wavier.

5. If necessary, the IMG must obtain a “No Objection” letter from his or her home country indicating that the home country will not block or dispute the physician’s efforts to obtain a J-1 waiver.

To apply for the J-1 waiver, the IMG must request sponsorship from the department of health in the state where he or she intends to practice medicine and complete the J-1 Visa Waiver Application. If the state agrees to spon-sor the physician for a J-1 waiver, it will forward the application to the US Department of State for a recommendation to the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS is the final authority and determines whether or not to grant the waiver.

Once a J-1 waiver is granted, the employer must submit an H-1B petition and request for a change of status from J-1 to H-1B to the USCIS. Physicians who receive waivers under the Conrad 30 program are exempt from the annual H-1B cap.

Some states attract more IMGs than oth-ers. It is very important that physicians and their employers exam-ine the state’s program

guidelines and ensure a complete and proper application is lodged in a timely manner, as most applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. A poorly prepared J-1 waiver request may result in the IMG physician miss-ing out on one of the 30 slots or one of the 10 Flex spots.

The Conrad 30 Program is the one avenue open to many IMGs hoping to practice medicine in the US. ASPR members and other physician recruitment professionals who are familiar with the program will have an inside track to secur-ing these key candidates.

Carl Shusterman served as a trial attorney with the US Immigration and Naturalization Service and is principal of The Law Offices of Carl Shus-terman.

As the physician shortage grows more severe, particularly in traditionally underserved rural and inner city areas, physician recruitment professionals will find it more challenging than ever to identify and secure the candidates their organizations need. Candidates of all types will be in demand. Some recruiters may be pursu-ing International Medical Graduates/IMGs for the first time or with very little experience in this area. It is important to have a clear under-standing of the immigration laws and programs governing the recruitment, employment and retention of these candidates.

Of particular importance is the Conrad State 30 Program. Named after the original sponsor, Sen-ator Kent Conrad (D-ND), the Conrad State 30 Program was initiated in 1994. It permits international medical graduates (IMGs) who have completed their graduate medical educa-tion in the US on J-1 visas to receive a waiver of the two-year home residency requirement if they practice in certain medically underserved areas. The two-year home residency require-ment obliges J-1 visa holders to return home for two years once their US training is completed before they can apply for a job in the US. Presi-dent Obama recently signed Senate Bill 3245, which extends the Conrad 30 Program for three more years.

Under this program, each US state can sponsor up to 30 primary care physicians and/or special-ists each fiscal year for J-1 waivers. Although each state has formulated its own policies and program guidelines, the basic requirements are:

1. The IMG must agree to work in a full-time capacity (40 hours a week) in H-1B status at a practice site located in a federally designated Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), a Medically Underserved Area (MUA) or a Medically Underserved Population (MUP).

2. Up to 10 of a state’s 30 annual waiver slots (the so-called “Flex 10”) may be used for practice locations outside of designated shortage areas where the employer can


Healthcare organization pays $25.5 million to settle Stark caseBy Joe Carlson, Modern Healthcare. Posted April 3, 2013. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.

The system characterized the violations as “technical in nature” and said they arose partly because of the 300 pages of federal regulations and commentary that govern financial relation-ships between hospitals and physicians.

“Intermountain should have monitored this situation more closely. We are embarrassed that these issues occurred and regret that our controls at the time were inadequate to properly monitor these matters,” Wallace said in the statement.

Roark said self-disclosed allegations like Inter-mountain’s and a similar $9.3 million settle-ment paid by Freeman Health System, Joplin, MO, in November 2012 show that complying with complex Stark regulations can indeed be difficult.

Intermountain Healthcare agreed to pay more than $25 million to resolve self-disclosed allegations that it paid more than 200 doctors illegally over the course of more than a decade.

Intermountain, the largest health system in Utah, told federal officials in 2009 that the system may have illegally paid bonuses to 37 doctors based on how much the system earned from their patient referrals—which would be a violation of the Stark law prohibition on pay-ing doctors in ways that would influence their referrals.

In addition, the Salt Lake City-based system disclosed that more than 170 doctors were compensated without written contracts in vari-ous ways, including the rental of office space in the Cassia Regional Medical Center, Burley, ID, and the Sevier Valley Medical Center in Rich-field, UT, without written valid leases between 2000 and 2009. “As hospitals are employing more and more physicians, this settlement draws focus to how hospitals are compensating their physicians,” said healthcare attorney Brian Roark of Bass Berry & Sims in Nashville.

All told, the alleged violations involved 209 physicians. System officials noted that the appearance of the physicians’ names in the settlement should not be taken to suggest they committed any wrongdoing.

The disclosures triggered potential False Claims Act liability leading to the $25.5 million settle-ment —one of the larger recent hospital settle-ments with the Justice Department.

Intermountain Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brent Wallace said in a statement that the system uncovered the issues through its “regular review process,” and that it reported them to the government in 2009. “Intermountain’s manage-ment recognized that potential penalties could be significant, but at no time was there ever any consideration given to not self-disclosing the issues,” Wallace said. Intermountain did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement agreement.

“Trying to make sure that you are complying with 300 pages of statutes and regulations can be a challenge,” Roark said.

Intermountain officials say they have a reputa-tion for the quality and efficiency of their care. In 1996 the system became the third healthcare provider ever to win the National Quality Healthcare Award from the National Quality Forum.


ASPR webinars available on-demand• Helping Physicians Become Great Leaders• Our Fragile, Fragmented Physician Work-

forces: Trends for 2013 and Beyond• Integrating Physician Recruitment and

Physician Relations • ACOs: Taking an Organizational

Approach that Makes Sense • Using Metrics to Improve the Physician

Recruitment Process • How Physicians Search for Jobs • Stand Out! Understanding What Physi-

cians Are Looking for and How to Reach Them

• Rural Recruitment and Retention — If it Were Easy, They Wouldn’t Need Us

• First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions: Is Your Onboarding Program Leaving the Impression You Desire?

• Invest in Your Future: Keep the Physicians You Recruit

• Developing a Successful Physician Mentor Program

• The Doc Whisperer: The Art and Science of Engaging Physicians

Did you miss that ASPR monthly webinar that you really wanted to see? Don’t worry! You can view it on demand any time. These free webinars are a cost-effective and time-efficient way to obtain continuing education credits to help you advance in your career. View them at work, at home, any time.

The value of these webinars matches that of our annual conference, and they are free! The ASPR webinars provide access to 24 different presen-tations, with a new webinar added just about every month. Take advantage today!

There are 24 webinars currently available in the ASPR Webinar Archive. Here are some of the titles:

• Hiring the Right Physician for Your Healthcare Organization

• Successful Email and Direct Marketing Methods

• Communication Magic: How to Erase Conflicts and Confrontations in Recruit-ment — and in Your Life!

• Looking at the Past to Predict the Future: Using Behavioral Interviewing to Find the Right Candidate Match

• Trends in Video Enabled Interviewing • How to Succeed at the Most Complex

Recruitments • Knock, Knock, Knockin’ on Residency

Program Doors • Primary Care Practice Acquisition and

Employment: Best Practices • Building Your Professional Equity: How to

Get Invited to the Executive Table • Antitrust 101 Upcoming webinar (catch live or on-demand):LEAN Recruiting: Successful Physician Search, for Less

July24,2013•1pmEDT/10amPDT

Presenter: Steve Marsh, Managing Partner, The Medicus Firm


ASPR member profile:

Tracie Klander, FASPR, Pasco, WABy Colleen M. Munkel, MA, DASPR, physician recruiter, Hattiesburg Clinic, Hattiesburg, MS, [email protected]

change by working in real estate. However, Klander missed the personal satisfaction she received from working in daycare and health-care, “and feeling like I made a difference in people’s lives,” she said. After working in a variety of roles at a local hospital, Klander was recruited to a multi-specialty group practice, eventually becoming the manager.

About eight years ago, Klander re-married, moved to Pasco in the Tri-Cities area of Wash-ington with her husband, and began working at Kadlec Health System in physician recruitment. She described this busy time in her life, “Talk about changes, what a year 2005-2006 was! I got married, moved to a new city, changed employers and occupations, and bought a house!”

Klander explained that Kadlec Health System is an integrated healthcare delivery organization comprised of Kadlec Regional Medical Center (which is a Planetree Hospital), Kadlec Clinic, and other healthcare entities. The clinic includes six primary care facilities, and more than 15 medical and surgical specialties. Dedicated intensive care and adult and pediatric hospi-talist programs are additional elements of the health system. A new, free standing emergency department is set to open this summer.

In addition to physician and advanced practice provider recruitment, Klander is a member of Kadlec Clinic’s executive team, handles recruit-ment marketing initiatives, and manages two staff members within her department. She said, “When I’m out and about in my community, I feel proud to tell people where I work. Everyone always seems to have a positive story to share about their experiences with Kadlec.”

Klander is also an active member of ASPR, having earned her Fellowship certification and serving as a committee volunteer. She is a mem-ber of OAR, the Onboarding and Retention

Tracie Klander’s success embodies the power of perseverance and embracing life’s journey. For example, she once spent four months in India living in an Ashram, or spiritual retreat.

Klander, manager of physician recruitment for Kadlec Health System, located in the Tri-Cities region of Washington, believes in the adage that sometimes the things we cannot change, change us the most. She likes to reference the well-known Winston Churchill quote, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” When you read more about Klander’s story you realize how aptly that philo-sophical motto applies to her life.

Klander grew up in Washington, mostly in the Seattle area, married for the first time at age 19, left community college, and began working in the billing and medical records department at Seattle’s Swedish Hospital. More than a year later, she gave birth to her first child, a little girl named Shanti, who was born with Down Syn-drome and a severe heart defect. Klander said, “I pulled myself up, forcing myself to keep putting one foot in front of the other.” After leaving the hospital to care for her family and manage an apartment building, Klander found a position at Virginia Mason Medical Center, also in the greater Seattle region, and soon worked her way up to the labor and delivery department.

Klander had two more children, and when her third baby was born, she opened a licensed home family daycare with a pre-school program. “I joke with people, telling them I am really 80 because of so many life experiences,” she said. When Klander’s youngest son entered kinder-garten, she decided to make another career

chapter, and she has served on ASPR’s Fellow-ship committee. “What I enjoy most about these memberships, is the networking and doing my part to improve the professionalism of our industry,” she said.

Another facet of Klander’s busy life is the pur-suit of her bachelor’s degree. In 2010, she earned her associate of arts degree, and is currently a student at Washington State University. Klander said, “I can only manage one class per semester while performing the duties of my position to the best of my ability, and it really bothers me to get any grade that is less than an A.”

She enjoys preparing holiday meals for her loved ones and sending them home with lots of leftovers. Enjoying Washington’s wine country and relaxing at her family’s vacation cabin near Mt. Rainier are other favorite pastimes. Klander and her husband Ken are the proud parents of five adult children between the two of them. The couple enjoys spending time with their large extended family, which includes grandchil-dren, nieces and nephews, siblings, and a former stepson.

Klander’s eldest daughter is now 31 years old. She said Shanti has touched so many lives in such a positive way. Learning to trust and not be afraid of the unknown are other life lessons Klander adopted. She said, “I was afraid to have more children after Shanti was born, but I am so thankful that I was blessed with two perfectly healthy sons. I thank God every day for every-one in my unconventionally wonderful family.”

Summer 2013 21

ASPR leadership profile:

Kate Rader, co-chair, ASPR Chapter and Regional Relations Committee

What brief advice would you give to a new physician recruiter? We’ve all been in your boat and most of us are still floating fine. Even though the waters may get rough, you’ve got a great network for assistance and support!

What was one of your proudest moments at work? Assisting in the recruitment of a GYN sub specialist (pediatric adolescent gynecolo-gist) of which there are only 12 graduating fellows in North American each year.

Can you share a funny work situation that you’ll never forget? When in Cleveland, I was working on a recruit for the basic science lab. There was bad weather that day and two of the faculty members were getting nervous about their flights home being canceled and wanted to go home early. I kept telling them that the flight would be okay and encouraged them to stay. Turns out, their flights were canceled! With the help of others in the department, I was able to reschedule their flights quickly without them even knowing. I just told them that there were some changes to their itineraries, but they would be getting home just fine!

If you could have lunch with anyone past or present, who would it be and why? I’d like to have lunch with Mother Teresa because she was able to accomplish so much in a very humble and gracious way.

Name one interesting thing many of your col-leagues may not know about you. I don’t like any spices that begin with the letter C…it just happened that way.

What did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to work in hotels; however, after work-ing in one, I realized that it was nothing like the show Hotel starring James Brolin and Connie Sellecca.

What song best describes your work ethic? The Rolling Stones, You Can’t Always Get What You Want

Your name: Kate Rader

When did your cur-rent leadership term begin? March 1, 2013

What is your current job title? Manager of

recruitment coordination services

What organization do you work for? Univer-sity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

What do your responsibilities include? I’m utilized at the discretion of the basic science and clinical science departments for recruitment. I’m also spearheading the onboarding efforts within the organization.

How long have you been recruiting physi-cians? About seven years now.

How long have you been an ASPR member? Almost five years.

What other ASPR committees do you par-ticipate in? I just recently accepted the co-chair position for the ASPR Chapter and Regional Relations Committee. I’m also active on the membership committee and am currently serv-ing as president of OAR.

What is the best part of being an ASPR mem-ber? The networking and invaluable education received as an ASPR member has helped me take steps forward within my own organization.

Why is it important to you to serve as an ASPR leader? I believe that it’s very important to give back to ASPR when I’ve been able to take and use so much valuable information from it.

What do you think are the one or two most important attributes of a successful physician recruitment professional? Be extremely flex-ible; things in healthcare are forever changing.

Dream job after retirement (if you have one)? I think I’d like to be a hotel concierge.

What do you believe is the greatest invention in your lifetime so far? Cell phones because they’ve morphed into so much more.

What was the last book you read or movie you saw? 42, it was fabulous!

Do you have a favorite quote or motto? Never say never.

Are you interested in becoming certified as a FASPR?

ASPR’s Fellowship Certification Program is the most comprehensive, authoritative resource for individuals seeking to develop and test their skills and knowledge within a broad spectrum of topics including physician/provider recruitment, onboarding and retention, human resources, and relevant legal issues.

Whether you are new to in-house physician recruitment or a seasoned veteran, there’s tremendous value in attaining Fellowship certification. We’ll provide an in-depth view of recruiting basics such as sourcing, screening, and interviewing, as well as delve deeply into more advanced topics such as interpreting benchmarking metrics and understanding/implementing medical staff development plans. This cost-effective and affordable program provides invaluable first-hand information taught by experienced experts and provides you with resources, best practices, and cutting edge training specific to in-house physician recruitment professionals. Learn more

You take your career seriously.Now take it to the next level.

Association of Staff Physician RecruitersFellowship Certification Program.

Visit www.aspr.org/fellowship for complete details

Be the best at what you doWe know the challenges you face on a daily basis, as an in-house physician recruitment professional. That’s why our educational programs are designed and presented by professionals like you, who know the challenges — as well as the rewards of the profession.

We offer the knowledge, tools, and resources at your fingertips to be the best at what you do. ASPR Fellowship Certification lets you stand apart from the crowd because it demonstrates that you have received comprehensive education in all aspects of physician/provider recruitment. You understand the needs of both your healthcare organization and the physicians you are seeking. You know how to match talent with opportunity and do so in the most cost-effective manner.

Summer 2013 23

Learn how to become a better leader

influence people. Check the website often, as ASPR will continue to add new resources that will help you in your leadership quest.

If you aren’t currently in a leadership role, but want to improve your networking abilities and gain new skills, you can check out the volunteer opportunities job board on the ASPR website. Here, you can see what short and long term projects are available that you might be interested in getting involved with. Add your name to the volunteer match database and tell us what your interests and skills sets are so that we may contact you if a new opportunity arises that matches what you’re looking for.

Finally, if you are planning to attend the ASPR annual conference in August, you won’t want to miss the breakout session, Become a Leader in Your Organization and Industry. A panel of industry and ASPR leaders will share their experiences with developing leadership skills, growing recruitment departments, and advancing their careers. You’ll leave with useful tips on how to be a resource to your c-suite, present to your board, become a recognized leader in your organization and industry, and ultimately advance your career.

are currently a leader in your organization, a volunteer group like ASPR, or you hope to one day hold a leadership position, the new ASPR Volunteer Development Program can help you. The membership committee has been working behind the scenes to create a program that provides professionals with the resources needed to prepare for leadership roles in any organization, whether with ASPR or in the medical industry.

As part of the Volunteer Development Program, ASPR has introduced a volunteer development portal on the ASPR website. This section of the website is full of valuable information for individuals who wish to hone their leadership skills or learn how to be a successful leader. You will also find a list of books, webinars and other resources on the portal that will help you excel as a leader. The current list of resources includes topics like conflict resolution, the future of healthcare, controlling your destiny and how to

By Maddie Wagner, MBA, FASPR, CMSR, medical staff recruiter, Reading Health System, Reading, PA, [email protected]

Harold “Hal” Sydney Geneen ( January 22, 1910 – November 21, 1997), an American businessman most famous for serving as president of the ITT Corporation, once said, “Leadership cannot really be

taught. It can only be learned.” Why are some people better leaders than others? How do you become an effective leader? If you aspire to be a leader, how can you get recognized in an extremely competitive world?

Learning how to be a great leader remains a mystery to many. ASPR understands that it is not easy to rally people together in support of a common goal. It is difficult to be a leader in a work environment and sometimes more difficult in a volunteer group. Whether you

ASPR Chat reminderRespect member privacyALL information that is shared on chat is for ASPR members only. Do not forward emails, recruiter information, etc. This includes copying people on the email who are not members of Chat. Please be respectful of one another and keep the information within our ASPR group.

A good rule of thumb: you should never have to edit the “To:”, “From:” or “CC:” areas of a chat email. If you are replying, it will go to that person. If you want to send it to everyone on Chat, a “reply all” to [email protected] will send your message to the entire group.


Like to shop?According to www.visittucson.org, “Tucson is a shopper’s dream. There’s a mixture of specialty shops, indoor malls and outdoor shopping that’s sure to please the most discriminating shop-per.” Shop at the Tucson Mall (Tucson’s largest shopping mall), Park Place Mall, La Encantada, or Foothills Mall (with outlet shops like Saks Off 5th). Or visit shopping districts like Campbell Avenue District, Downtown Tucson Partner-ship, the Fourth Avenue Merchants Association, the Lost Barrio, and Main Gate Square. Fourth Avenue has a variety of eclectic shops and restau-rants too. Main Gate Square is a nice shopping and eating area located on the University of Arizona campus.

Restaurants and nightlifeTucson is known for its Mexican and South-western cuisine, but the city’s culinary scene is expanding to several other types of dining adventures. Among the restaurants receiving top ratings from Zagat: Beyond Bread (bakery, sand-wiches), Café Poca Cosa (Mexican), Le Rendez-Vous (French), The Dish (new American), and Vivace (Italian). Find more information about restaurants and nightlife at http://www.visit-tucson.org/things-to-do/restaurants.

Find more things to do in Tucson at http://www.visittucson.org/things-to-do/100-things-to-do/.

Arts and cultureTucson is home to top-notch art and specialty museums such as the Arizona State Museum, Center for Creative Photography, Tucson Museum of Art, and University of Arizona Museum of Art. The Pima Air & Space Museum is the largest non-government funded aviation museum in the world. For those who love his-tory, there are beautiful Spanish missions like San Xavier del Bac and ancient Native American archaeological sites. For music lovers, national pop and rock stars play venues like Centennial Hall, the Tucson Convention Center, and the area casinos (see below). The Rialto Theater hosts an array of local and national bands in a wide variety of genres and the Tucson Jazz Society provides concerts and educational activities as well.

Family funBringing your family? Visit the Arizona-Sonora Museum in Tucson Mountain Park — which is more like a zoo than a museum — with animals exhibited in very natural settings (including a hummingbird aviary). Also enjoy the Reid Park Zoo in the heart of Tucson; the exhibits will take you from South America to an Asian rainforest, and on to the African savannah. The new “Expe-dition Tanzania” exhibit is a seven-acre habitat for elephants. The Children’s Museum Tucson provides play-based interactive experiences (such as “Pet Vet,” an exhibit where kids get to put on lab coats, check out pet X-rays and other vital statistics, and “groom” stuffed animals) in air-conditioned comfort.

Games for big kidsTucson is home to several casinos, including Casino Del Sol, owned and operated by The Pascua Yaqui Tribe. Try your hand at cards or test your luck on the slot machines. You can also enjoy fine dining or catch a show. Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment offers bingo, slots, poker, blackjack, and Keno; it’s owned and operated by the Tohono O’odham Tribe, and has three locations in Southern Arizona.

2013 ASPR Annual Conference

Enjoy Tucson: Things to see and do

Arriving early? Staying after the conference is over? Looking for something to do with your free time? Tucson offers a multitude of things to see and do — as does the resort where the conference is located. The Wall Street Journal referred to Tucson as a “mini Mecca for the arts,” while Frommer’s travel website calls Tucson “Arizona’s most beautiful and most livable city.” Tucson is a metropolitan area with nearly a mil-lion residents — without the hassles of big-city driving or pollution.

Our conference headquartersThe JW Marriott Resort & Spa has world-class spa facilities and nationally acclaimed golf courses, as well as a beautiful pool and relaxing lazy river! The resort is nestled in the mountains just west of the city of Tucson, with hiking and bike trails among the saguaro cactus. Best yet, almost everything listed in this article is just 15 to 30 minutes away from the resort.

The active lifeThere are ample hiking, biking, rock climbing, and horseback riding opportunities through-out the Tucson area. Nearly surrounded by five mountain ranges, Tucson offers hikers of all skill levels convenient access to unspoiled beauty with hundreds of miles of trails. Landscapes range from cacti-covered hills to pine-topped moun-tains, making hiking an option for every season. Within the city there are many miles of trails for walkers, bikers, inline skaters and horseback rid-ers. One of the top rock-climbing destinations is Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains; at elevations up to 9,000 feet, you will feel some cool breezes, even during the summer! If you’re a “birder”, Tucson is home to more than 500 species of birds — including species of hum-mingbirds that are found nowhere else in the US. View a complete list of Tucson area birding sites on the Tucson Audubon Society website.

By Laurie Pumper, ASPR Communication Director, [email protected]

Summer 2013 25

Highlight on conference keynote speakers

Monday Keynote Speaker Mark Scharenbroich, CSP, CPAE

Mark Scharenbroich has spoken to more than 3,500 audiences. He has earned an Emmy award, been inducted into the National Speak-ers Association’s prestigious Hall of

Fame, and received international film awards for his film, The Greatest Days of Your Life…(so far). He is also the author of Nice Bike: Making Meaningful Connections on the Road of Life. Mark has spent his career working in both education and business, discovering how some of the best organizations and industry leaders build a culture that encourages personal and professional growth.

Nice BikeMix thousands of black leather, bandana-wearing Harley-Davidson riders, a 100th year anniversary celebration and a beige Ford Taurus and you get the Nice Bike principle in action. Join author and motivational speaker Mark Scharenbroich as he takes us on a ride to build stronger connections in our personal and professional lives.

Mark will inspire you, motivate you, and vali-date the importance of recognizing people to improve employee and team performance. The Nice Bike principle will demonstrate three pow-erful steps: acknowledge, honor and connect to develop stronger relationships.

Part motivational speaker, part thought-provoker and entertainer, Mark tells engaging stories on how to develop meaningful connec-tions.

Tuesday Keynote Speaker M. Tray Dunaway, MD, FACS, CSP

Tray Dunaway is a world-class medical record delinquent and practiced as an every-other-night-on-call general surgeon in Camden, SC, where he endured 17 years of having his

staff telling him, “stop talking to the patients and hurry up so we can go home.” He finally figured out a way to actually get paid for speak-ing and now no longer has to get out of bed in the middle of the night to go to the OR. Dr. Dunaway created a business solution for physicians, PAs and nurse practitioners when he simplified and streamlined E&M coding and, in the process of keeping clinicians out of compliance jail, discovered how to connect physicians, hospitals, patients, and all the “dots” of healthcare in more meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships.

Connecting the Dots of Healthcare: Better Healthcare through MutualityWe all work in an increasingly complex matrix creating an ecosystem of healthcare. Deci-sions and actions by any individual, group, or organization of these “dots of healthcare” affect the entire ecosystem composed of other “dots.” Using principal foundational elements, Dr. Dunaway weaves a program to help cope with future changes and not just survive, but thrive. He will focus on a few key elements and contri-butions that physician recruitment can make to illustrate that we are all in a complex network of interconnectivity and our ultimate solutions to challenges come from this network.

This award-winning, powerful physician speaker will share his secrets of success to con-nect “the dots of healthcare” in more meaning-ful ways with humor, honesty, and surprising insights from a physician’s perspective. Don’t miss this presentation that has garnered rave reviews from healthcare audiences, will leave you in stitches, and will touch your mind as well as your heart.

Wednesday Keynote Speaker M. Shane Foreman

Shane Foreman is the Principal and Founder of 3d Health. Shane is a noted healthcare strategist, author, and speaker. He helps establish and grow healthcare businesses.

Shane applies his 23 years of professional exper-tise and experience to working with hospitals and health systems to define high impact strate-gies, relationships, and business structures.

Shane’s work has been published and cited across the country in numerous publications including ADVANCE for Imaging & Radia-tion Oncology, CAP Today, The Dallas Morning News, Diagnostic Imaging, Family Practice Man-agement, Healthcare Financial Management, HealthLeaders Magazine, Journal of the Associa-tion of Staff Physician Recruiters, Radiology Busi-ness Journal, SmartBrief, and World Research Group, to name a few.

Physician Recruitment in a Post-Reform Era There are 32 essential elements included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Healthcare Reform”). While interesting and dizzying at the same time, many of the elements simply do not impact physician recruitment. However, portions of Healthcare Reform will fundamentally change physician recruitment.

The Post-Reform Era will call for a differ-ent type of physician, a more sophisticated physician recruitment process, and physician recruiters with new and different skill sets. This session will provide participants with the knowledge, insight, and energy to evolve into the physician recruiter of the future.


Print, Web, and Bulk Advertising • Free CV Database • Free Tips/How To Resources

The Endocrine Society’s EndoCareers resources have proven to be very useful for recruiting endocrinologists over the years. I recommend this option to anyone looking for good quality people!

— Physician Recruiter, Tucson, AZ

The Finest Endocrinology Career Resources Available!

Contact: Christine Whorton, [email protected] | 1 (800) 361-3906 | www.endocareers.org

Included in the survey is a poll of physicians who work on a temporary basis. The survey indi-cates that the primary reason physicians work as locum tenens is for freedom and flexibility. “Temporary practice is an increasingly popular alternative for many doctors who are tired of the bureaucratic and other restrictions they face today,” Ebner says. “It reduces the hassles and allows doctors to do what they do best, which is to provide superior patient care.”

Complete results of Staff Care’s 2013 Survey of Temporary Physician Staffing Trends can be accessed at www.staffcare.com.

The majority of healthcare facility managers surveyed (74 percent) said their facilities had used temporary physicians or advanced prac-titioners sometime in the last 12 months. Of these, 35 percent had used temporary primary care physicians, 31 percent had used temporary behavioral health professionals, 12 percent had used temporary surgeons, and ten percent had used temporary PAs or NPs. The survey also indicates that many healthcare facilities are seek-ing to extend their clinical workforce through the use of telemedicine. Forty-three percent of healthcare facility managers said their facilities had integrated telemedicine into a least one of their departments. Of these, 42 percent have integrated telemedicine into radiology, 38 per-cent into behavioral health, and 24 percent into primary care. “Telemedicine is one way to bring the work to physicians when you can’t bring physicians to the work,” Ebner said.

Growing shortages fuel demand for temps

Hospitals, medical groups, and other health care facilities which for years have utilized physicians as locum tenens, now are also turning to tempo-rary physician assistants and nurse practitioners to fill gaps on their medical staffs, a new survey suggests.

“There are not enough PAs and NPs to make up for provider shortages in primary care and other areas,” Ebner said. “Today, both advanced practitioners such as PAs and NPs and physicians are in short supply.”

The survey, conducted by Staff Care, a national temporary healthcare staffing firm and a company of AMN Healthcare, polls hospital and medical group managers about their use of temporary clinicians and includes data on the types of clinicians healthcare facilities use on a temporary basis. The survey indicates that requests for temporary PAs and NPs received by Staff Care grew from less than two percent of all requests in 2010 to ten percent of all requests in 2012. The rise in requests for temporary PAs and NPs reflects a national shortage of both these types of clinicians and of physicians, Staff Care executives said.

According to Sean Ebner, president of Staff Care, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are turning to temporary PAs and NPs when they cannot fill permanent positions. In some cases, these same facilities are seeking PAs and NPs to supplement their physician staffs, which also have openings that are hard to fill, Ebner said.

“There are not enough PAs and NPs to make up for provider shortages in primary care and other areas,” Ebner said. “Today, both advanced practitioners such as PAs and NPs and physicians are in short supply.”

By Phillip Miller, Staff Care, [email protected]

Summer 2013 27

Michigan Recruiter & Retention Network annual conference

If you would like to post a position available for in-house physician recruitment professionals, you can post them online on our website. For information on the most recent job listings, and for more extensive information on these listed opportunities, check the ASPR website at www.aspr.org.

ASPR Employment Hotline

Physician RecruiterCorizon Tallahassee, FL Posted: June 20, 2013 View Job Posting

Physician RecruiterCorizon Pine Bluff, AR Posted: June 28, 2012 View Job Posting

Physician RecruiterKaiser Permanente - MidAtlantic Permanente Medical Group Rockville, MD Posted: May 29, 2013 View Job Posting

Director of Physician RecruitingMedSpring Austin, TX Posted: June 6, 2013 View Job Posting

Medical Staff RecruiterVanguard Health Chicago Chicago, IL Posted: June 14, 2013 View Job Posting

Staff Physician Recruiter/Physician Recruiter ConsultantStamford Health Integrated Practices (SHIP) Stamford, CT Posted: June 3, 2013 View Job Posting

Director, Provider Recruitment & ServicesPeaceHealthVancouver, WA Posted: June 10, 2013 View Job Posting

Senior Director, Provider ServicesUnion Hospital of Cecil CountyElkton, MD Posted: June 30, 2013 View Job Posting

The Michigan Recruiter & Retention Network (MRRN) 19th Annual Conference “Winning the Game of Physician Recruitment, Orienta-tion, and Retention” was held at the Greek-town Hotel in Detroit, MI, April 28-30. More than 40 MRRN members attended. Speakers included Brian Pruitt, Deidra J. McClelland, Dennis Burns, Timothy Durso, and Craig Hunter. The event opened with a formal net-working reception, included a Tigers baseball game, and concluded with a career fair spon-sored by PracticeMatch. A special thank-you to Trisha Fite, the planning committee and our vendors that made the conference possible.

MRRN members had a great time cheering on the Detroit Tigers baseball team at a networking event during the MRRN annual conference.


12, for our breakout session followed by our all-member business meeting. Nominees for AIR leadership for 2013-2014 include: Donna Ecclestone for president, Lauren Forst for vice president, Jennifer Kambies for treasurer, and Stacey Armistead and Katherine Harris for secretary. AIR members who are not able to join us in Tucson can vote via electronic ballot during the first week of August. Members who will attend the all-member business meeting will vote in person. Clara Irizarry, AIR president, will also present a recap of AIR’s accomplish-ments at the meeting. Hope to see you there!

For more information about the Academic In House Recruitment Chapter, please email Donna Ecclestone, AIR secretary at [email protected].

Academic In-House Recruiters (AIR) Update

The Academic In House Recruiter (AIR) Chapter presented a webinar featuring Dr. Laura Lieberman, director, Office of Faculty Development at Memorial Sloan Kettering on May 14. Dr. Lieberman and her staff foster the career development of all Memorial Sloan-Ket-tering faculty members and serve as a resource for recruiting, retaining, and supporting their professional growth. Her office includes specific initiatives for women (the Program for Women Faculty Affairs, established in 2005 to ensure equal professional development opportunities for women and men faculty), junior faculty, and faculty in their expanding regional networks. The hour-long presentation was full of great, helpful information! A recording of her webi-nar is available on the Member’s Section of the AIR website.

AIR members will meet on Monday afternoon at the ASPR Annual Conference, August

bers. We are alive in the world of social media, with Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, and we co-sponsored an onboarding survey with ASPR corporate contributor Barlow/McCarthy. This information was presented in an ASPR webinar with OAR vice-president Donna Ecclestone serving as co-presenter.

To learn more about OAR firsthand, please stop by our information table at the ASPR confer-ence in Tucson in August!

Onboarding and Retention (OAR) Update

It is hard to believe that another year has passed and the ASPR annual meeting is just around the corner. The OAR chapter has had a wonderful inaugural year with now more than 100 mem-bers on board! We also are now “official” in the eyes of the IRS as a 501(c)(6) organization. We look forward to convening in Tucson, where we will hold a business meeting and networking session to give members an opportunity to put names and faces together! OAR will also host a table during the roundtable session that will be open to all conference attendees.

Our leadership team has worked diligently to develop contact points for members. Welcome letters are sent to all new members, and we have interactive education sessions on our monthly calls to encourage input and ideas from all members. A newsletter also has been developed; it will be sent via email bi-monthly to mem-

By Kate Rader, OAR President and Manager, Recruitment Coordination Services, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX

By Donna Ecclestone, AIR Secretary, Associate Director, Physician Integration, Duke University Medical Center

For information, call: Margaret Gardner, (215) 351-2768Maria Fitzgerald, (215) 351-2667 | Marian Monchais, (215) 351-2728

Find your physician

with

THE Society.THE Publications.THE Website for Internal Medicine.

Summer 2013 31

ignore that physicians abroad have much lower medical education costs and medical malpractice insurance rates. Health reform needs to address these areas if the idea of price controls is to have any traction with physicians.

While consolidating the health industry has tremendous potential to improve patient care, it also risks driving up the cost. How this tension is resolved will determine whether these health system changes ultimately benefit patients.

Kevin Pho is co-author of Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices. He is founder and editor of KevinMD.com, also on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn.

prices. This would make already costly health insurance more expensive for patients.

Despite Kaiser Permanente’s stature as the model integrated health system, it hasn’t been able to substantially lower health costs. And rapid consolidation increases the clout of providers in the marketplace, allowing them to dictate prices. Worse, doctors in such consolidated settings have described pressure to bring in more money, “often by performing unnecessary tests and procedures or by admitting patients who do not need a hospital stay.”

Government-enforced price controls are often raised as a way to mitigate rising costs, an approach anathema to the health industry. Health reformers point out that many countries have price controls, but these advocates usually

Health reform faces tension with integrated health systems

The following column was published on March 26th, 2013 in the New York Times’ Room for Debate blog. It is reprinted with permission of the author.

In the coming years, healthcare reform will drive consolidation in the industry. Reformers, including the president himself, point to integrated health systems like Kaiser Permanente as the future of healthcare delivery. While this movement may improve patient care, whether it will shield patients from increasing health costs remains in doubt.

Health reformers who want the Kaiser model to be replicated nationwide advocate a model known as accountable care organizations. Rather than paying physicians for every office visit and procedure, no matter whether they help patients or not, accountable care organizations aim to reorganize doctors into larger groups and pay them set fees per patient. If physicians meet defined quality standards without exceeding the fee, they keep the difference.

Hospitals are rapidly buying physician practices to create such integrated health systems. As a result, only 39 percent of physicians practice independently today, down from 57 percent in 2000.

Integrated physician groups have the potential to improve patient care in the following ways:

• They can afford to switch to electronic medical records. Consider that Kaiser Permanente has spent $30 billion on technology, a figure far out of reach for smaller physician groups.

• They make it easier for physicians to share patient information with one another, work together and coordinate care.

• They urge doctors to follow evidence-based, standardized practice guidelines and reduce the variation of care, which can improve patient outcomes, according to the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care.

But consolidation hasn’t been definitively shown to reduce health costs, and may even increase

By Kevin Pho, MD, Kevin’s Take

Melissa Gruenwald, Tucson, AZ (South)Melissa Gruenwald is physician recruitment director for Northwest Healthcare in Tucson, AZ. She is a native Arizonan, although she has lived in other parts of the country. “I always come home because I Iove Arizona,” she said. Gruenwald has been working in healthcare in Tucson for about 20 years. “I love the fact that I can be outside almost any time of the year. In the winter, it’s best to be outdoors in the middle of the day. In the summer, you can still do your outdoor activities in the early mornings and evenings. It’s the best of both worlds since I love to hike and horseback ride in the desert and mountains surrounding Tucson.”

Where is your favorite place to take visitors to AZ? “I love the Desert Museum because it is so unique to our area. Also, I think we have the best Sonoran-style Mexican food in the country.”

How do you spark interest among recruits to come to AZ? “I tell them we have the amenities of a big city with a small town feel. Everyone is

very friendly in Tucson, and I think some of the recruits from the east coast notice it right away.”

What is your advice for ASPR members coming to the conference in Tucson in August? “Drink plenty of water and avoid direct sunlight in the middle of the day. Enjoy the food and culture if you get some time away from the conference. Try to see the Desert Museum if you have the time.”

Martha Vasquez, Yuma, AZ (South)Martha is a physician recruiter for Yuma Regional Medical Center. Originally from southern California, Martha has been in Arizona for 21 years. She came to the area “because of family, the good cost of living and a friendly and welcoming community.”

Where is your favorite place to take visitors to AZ? “Mt. Lemmon is amazing and typically much cooler than Tucson itself. It’s a steep ride up the winding road, but well worth the trip. Yuma also has a lot to offer. We often enjoy the Colorado River and lakes that surround us. It’s a great way to stay cool as the heat intensifies, but lots of water and sunscreen are a must!”

Meet Arizona colleagues cont’d from page 5


Gold Corporate Contributor Feature

Why physician recruiters should think more like marketers

What do they dislike about practicing medi-cine? Pay attention to changing attitudes about practicing medicine in today’s health system. Understanding this will help you know how to better position your jobs.

Features tell, benefits sellHow should physician candidates view your opportunity based on what’s important to them? Emphasize particulars of the job that you think they will find most attractive. Make a list of differentiators, including intangible benefits offered both inside and outside the workplace. This will help you determine your unique value proposition. Examples are:

• Work-life balance• Employee culture• The ability to make a difference• Quality of life/cost of living• Community amenities• Recreational opportunities To illustrate how this can affect employment branding, consider what we’ve been able to achieve at CompHealth. As a division of CHG Healthcare Services, we are ranked in the top 3 on Fortune’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For in America, which has given us a competitive advantage in our hiring efforts. One of the factors that led to our inclusion on this list is the praise that our people give to our people-centric culture and benefits program.

Ensure you reach your audienceYou see that we live in a technology-driven world that is constantly changing the way people seek out information and communicate. This is why digital and social marketing need to take center stage in your recruitment plan.

Online job boards—There’s no one best job board for all physician specialties, so it’s better to target a mix of sites. Your focus should be to write compelling, searchable headlines. They need to capture the attention of physicians and also contain relevant information for search engines; otherwise, your job posting likely won’t even show up on a results page.

Social media—Social sites can be excellent channels for recruiting, particularly younger physicians. Medscape’s 2012 Physician Lifestyle Report shows that only 8 percent of physicians under 30 do not use social media. Keep in mind that you’re now dealing with passive candidates, so always establish relationships before trying to discuss job opportunities, or risk turning them off completely.

Additionally, don’t underestimate the value of offline marketing to round out your media mix. Traditional tactics such as print advertising and direct mail are still incredibly effective in reach-ing a targeted audience.

For expert insight into how to start market-ing your jobs right away, including real-world perspective from physicians, attend the ASPR session, “Think like a marketer to capture top talent,” presented by Leslie Snavely, CHG’s Vice President of Marketing. Afterwards, stop by Booth #314 to find out how CompHealth can complement your recruiting efforts. To get started today, call 800.453.3030 or visit www.comphealth.com.

The competition you face to attract the most talented physicians is intense, so it’s worth evaluating your recruitment strategy to see how you can gain competitive advantage. Don’t overlook the power of marketing to give you that edge. The most effective campaigns use an integrated, mixed-method approach that takes into account how tech-savvy candidates search and apply for jobs today.

In this social world, physicians expect to engage with your brand on a variety of devices and channels. Yes, I said “your brand.” In this competitive market, you need to differentiate your opportunity from the many, many others out there, and beyond just offering a lucrative compensation package.

One of the benefits of partnering with a com-prehensive staffing company like CompHealth is that you can take advantage of our in-house marketing department to promote your open jobs. But there’s also no reason why you can’t do it yourself—the key is to approach it like a marketer would.

Really understand your target marketThe more you know about how your target market thinks, the stronger you will become in influencing them to want to work for your facil-ity. As you network with physicians, do a little research to find out:

What do physicians want in a job today? It’s rarely just about money. Consider work values such as good relationships with staff and col-leagues, control over time off, adequate material resources, and autonomy in decision making.

What do they care about, career-wise and in general? What are the personal and professional goals of the physicians you talk to, and how might that translate to the candidates you’re trying to attract?

By Melissa Byington, President, CompHealth Locum Tenens

Summer 2013 33


National physician survey reveals greater locum tenens growth

Of the 1,000 physicians responding to the Wakefield survey, roughly 25 percent either currently take or have accepted locum tenens assignments. In addition, three out of four providers responding said they are considering locum tenens opportunities in the future.

The physician shortage is expected to be compounded by the predicted 30 million new patients flooding the market in 2014 due to the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. That being said, according to Pat Kennedy, president of Weatherby Healthcare—one of the largest locum tenens staffing companies in the U.S.—the influx of providers working locum tenens assignments is a vast relief to the health-care industry overall.

“The gap in coverage for patients who des-perately need care is a concern we all share,” says Kennedy. “But this new data showing an increase in the number of physicians work-ing locum tenens should alleviate some of the concern. Medical professionals who accept tem-porary placements to fill the voids in a variety of clinical settings are indispensable. In today’s

world, locum tenens has become the proven, long-term solution to ensuring positive patient outcomes.”

Weatherby Healthcare is encouraging facilities feeling the sting of the physician shortage to turn more frequently to the locum tenens solu-tion. “Nationwide, there are thousands of quali-fied providers ready to fill the gaps,” Kennedy adds. “For Weatherby Healthcare, partnering with a hospital, clinic, group practice or private practice to help ensure patient needs are met drives us. Through our signature Red Ribbon Service—which is woven into the very fabric of our culture—we are committed to help-ing facilities assure the continuity of superior patient care.”

The Association of American Medical Colleges and the Medical Group Management Associa-tion are estimating the physician shortage will continue to increase exponentially over the next decade, making it more difficult for facilities to fill needed positions. But a new, nationwide survey being released by Weatherby Healthcare reveals some positive trends.

Current data indicate there will be a deficit of 125,000 providers in America by 2025. That’s a staggering number, but the national study points to a growing percentage of physicians who are mitigating the impact of the shortage by completing locum tenens assignments. The survey, conducted this spring by Wakefield Research on behalf of Weatherby Healthcare’s parent company, CHG Healthcare Services, queried 1,000 physicians from across the coun-try. Providers were polled on multiple topics, including whether they are now working locum tenens, have previously done so, why they have or haven’t worked in the industry, and whether or not they anticipate taking locum tenens assignments in the future.



Cure three factors that drive your recruitment costs

High turnover is costly, given the investment in recruitment, relocation and practice start-up. Measuring these costs and investing in prevention of turnover can create a recruiting advantage over organizations who neglect it.

Invest in assessing cultural fit during recruitment and committing to effective onboarding. For example, groups who assign a mentor during onboarding report lower turnover. Continue to invent a combination of initiatives and incentives, such as paying a retention bonus, developing a leadership or partnership track, and offering flexibility for work/life balance.

2. Prolonged vacancyVacancy metrics hold the key to diagnosing and solving expensive recruitment or retention gaps. One client divides the prior year’s hospital and clinic net revenue by the number of departed physicians to calculate their expected annualized loss of downstream revenue at approximately $990,000 per full-time equivalent physician vacancy. Add that to the recruiting and startup costs, and you have a model for your monthly cost of vacancy — and a clear motivation to minimize that vacancy.

3. Inefficient recruitment processIdentifying and removing the barriers that are prolonging your vacancy, and investing in an efficient process, will save time, which equals money. Through a thorough assessment and benchmarking you can identify areas where greater efficiency and effectiveness could significantly widen the candidate pool, reduce the number of interviews, increase the value derived from each interview and lower the overall cost of filling a vacancy. A physician vacancy costs medical organizations over $100,000 per month.

A physician vacancy costs medical organizations over $100,000 a month. Source: Cejka Search and American Medical Group Association (AMGA), 2011.

Organizations that invest in these practices will be well-positioned in an increasingly competitive environment by establishing benchmarks and adhering to proven processes from recruitment team readiness to delivering an offer within 48 hours of the interview:

• Ensure the practice is “ready to recruit”• Remove barriers to recruitment• Screen for fit prior to on-site interview• Engage spouse/partner early in process• Prepare the team to deliver a red carpet

experience• Debrief the candidate and interview team

immediately• Deliver an offer within 48 hours For more great resources and further insight into physician recruitment best practices, visit www.cejkasearch.com/resources or contact Lori at 314-236-4441 or [email protected].

Visit Booth #101 at the ASPR 2013 Conference, August 10-14 at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa.

In an industry driven by evidence-based outcomes, it is surprising to learn that the majority of health care organizations do not measure how much high turnover and an

inefficient hiring process may be costing them. Only 21 percent of medical groups quantify the cost of a physician turnover, according to the 2012 Physician Retention Survey.

Over 30 years and experience with thousands of searches, we have isolated the three common factors that drive up costs. The good news is that, in nearly every case, each of these “causes” has a “cure” – a best-practice solution that can be uniquely adapted and implemented within your organization.

1. High cost of turnoverAs the health care environment shifts from volume-based reimbursement, the efficient recruitment and effective retention of physicians and advanced practice clinicians (APCs) takes on greater importance.

By Lori Schutte, MBA, President, Cejka Search

Summer 2013 35


Get started with mobile recruiting

tialpark survey, 57 percent of respondents want to search for jobs on their mobile devices, while 39 percent want to find information on the recruitment process. At HEALTHeCAREERS Network, physicians and surgeons made up the largest percentage of mobile visitors over the past 12 months.

Develop a mobile job appAccording to Potentialpark, 30 percent of jobseekers want to apply for positions on their mobile devices. Thirty-nine percent want to track application status, while 30 percent want to receive updates on new jobs.

A mobile job app makes all this possible. Its customizable software allows physicians to search, save and apply for jobs as well as receive updates. At HEALTHeCAREERS Network, the total number of job applications submit-ted through mobile devices has increased 207 percent over the past 12 months.

Use email to drive mobile usageAccording to Nielson’s recent mobile consumer report, 75 percent of American smartphone owners use their mobile devices to read emails. Once you have their attention, a single click is all it takes to drive them to your mobile career website. At HEALTHeCAREERS Network, email campaigns generated 31 percent of mobile

visits over the past 12 months. Nearly 42 per-cent of email-driven visits came from job alert messages.

As the doctor shortage increases physicians will spend even less of their day at a desk. Mobile recruiting lets you engage them anywhere, at any time, and through any device. According to Potentialpark, only 7 percent of employers cur-rently offer a mobile version of their company’s website, and a mere 3 percent provide a job app— these tools are also likely to give you an advantage over your competition.

Tricia Pattee directs product development at HEALTHeCAREERS Network. For more industry news and tips, sign up for newsletters or visit us today!

Our nation needs doctors. According to one New York Times article, the U.S. will have 62,900 fewer than required to satisfy patient demand in 2015. By 2025, that number will double as insurance coverage expansion and population aging increase the need for care. Of course, this isn’t news to physician recruiters. As it stands, hospitals and clinics across the country already find it challenging to meet staff-ing needs. Fortunately, you can improve your chances of securing top candidates by incorpo-rating mobile into your recruiting strategy.

Why mobile? A Potentialpark 2011 survey found that 19 percent of jobseekers use their mobile devices for career-related purposes. We can safely assume that number has since grown. HEALTHeCAREERS Network has seen a 98 percent increase in mobile device visits over the past 12 months and almost 30 percent of total network visits are now through mobile devices.

Launch your mobile recruiting efforts with these tips.

Create a mobile career websiteViewing a standard website on a phone or tablet can be difficult. Mobile versions incorporate simple design and abbreviated functionality to make it easier for jobseekers to find and view information quickly. According to the Poten-

By Tricia Pattee, HEALTHeCAREERS Network


Silver Corporate Contributor Feature

A strategic solution for finding quality talent

co-founded the National Healthcare Career Network (NHCN) to address workforce challenges such as these. Through AHACareer-Center.org, you can leverage a national platform of association career centers to reach more than 525,000 specialized physicians and surgeons—a network that’s as close as your nearest PC, tablet or mobile device.

In the search for experienced physician talent, AHACareerCenter.org can provide a practical, strategic solution for meeting your physician recruitment goals that’s closer than you think.

For more information on posting, branding and advertising opportunities to targeted physicians

As the Affordable Care Act moves forward, health care delivery will change dramatically. Nearly 30 million Americans will come on to the insurance rolls. Yet, statistics reveal that there will not be enough physicians in primary care, pediatrics and other specialties to meet the demand.

For hospitals, this means that your search for qualified talent becomes more competitive. The American Hospital Association (AHA)

in your area, visit AHACareerCenter.org at the Annual ASPR Conference, contact Chris Stone at 312.895.2517 or visit http://www.ahacareer-center.org/physicianrecruiters.shtml.

Silver Corporate Contributor Feature

Five game changers in email marketingBy Ann Lamb, Regional Sales Manager, Contact Physicians

According to a study by Pardot (a lead-nur-turing and marketing automation company), most people now spend more time reading their emails than surfing the web. Email is one of the most powerful mediums that you can use to talk to candidates. Following these five tips when you are emailing candidates will help push through the clutter they receive on a daily basis and get your message delivered.

Get recipients to read your emailThe subject line is the first thing your target audience will see. It has to be enticing enough to get them to open the email. A good subject line should contain no more than 30 to 50 characters. Always use action verbs and write it as a headline to grab the audience’s attention.

Keep your email short Less is more. Keep your text short and to the point — too much text could get your email deleted or trigger spam filters.

Tie emails to landing pagesWhen writing your email, insert links to landing pages to lead recipients to related content on your website. If you have the technology, utilize tracking tools to see which email/landing pages performed the best and then incorporate that intelligence in future marketing efforts.

Use content marketing to build a relationshipWhen developing email messaging, it is impor-tant to think like your audience. Put yourself in their shoes and figure out what content or data they might be interested in – and when the tim-ing is right, put it in front of them.

Balance the frequency of contact Touching your candidates with relevant infor-

mation is important but you do not want to overwhelm them or they will opt out of your email marketing. Balancing the timing of your message with relevant content is key.

Get ResultsVisit Ann Lamb, Regional Sales Manager, Contact Physicians, at the ASPR Annual Conference, Booth

#103. Pick up a copy of the Cejka Search Residents and Fellows Survey and learn how Contact Physicians can be a comprehensive resource for accurate US physician resident and fellow graduate contact information. For more informa-tion, visit www.contactphysicians.com or contact Ann at 800.296.1591 or [email protected].

Summer 2013 37

ASPR recognizes and appreciates

the support of members of the

Corporate Contributor Program.

This affiliation with ASPR provides a

unique opportunity for exposure to

ASPR members that includes name

recognition and goodwill. While

ASPR recognizes and acknowledges

Corporate Contributors, it in no way

directly or indirectly endorses the

corporation, its products, or services.

Corporate Contributors who advertise

or promote an endorsement or

implied endorsement by ASPR, will

automatically be terminated from the

Corporate Contributor Program.

Endorsement policy

Find family physicians at AAFP CareerLink. EASY.

(RECRUIT THE RIGHT PEOPLE.)

www.aafpcareerlink.org

Your job posting will be: • Available by free search to job seekers. • Emailed directly to compatible candidates.• Posted on Facebook and Twitter for added exposure.

START RECRUITING TODAY.

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Bronze Corporate Contributor Feature

Inside tips for the smart neurology recruiteris demonstrated through the Neurology Career Center and Neurology Career Week.

The AAN Neurology Career Center At the AAN’s Neurology Career Center, more than 1,800 active users generate 30,000 views of job openings each month. More than 250 job applications are generated monthly through this high-impact site.

Mark your calendarThe AAN’s Neurology Career Week will take place October 7-11. This unique, online-only event is unlike anything else for neurology recruitment and is exclusively available to AAN

Did you know that the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) now has more than 26,000 members? The AAN’s mission is “To promote the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care and enhance member career satisfaction.”

Last year: • 2,719 AAN members were in residency.• 935 completed residency. • 468 went on to a fellowship. • 467 entered the job market. The AAN’s commitment to enhance our members’ career satisfaction is multifaceted, but for many young neurology professionals, it

members only. The event features an online job fair, webinars, free CV reviews, personal coach-ing sessions, and prizes to encourage member participation. You can reach job-searching neurologists through a variety of advertising options:

• Print• Online• Banner Ads• Emails Whether you are recruiting young neurologists or seasoned professionals, the AAN is the best place to start your search.

Bronze Corporate Contributor Feature

Job boards are not dying, they are just evolving

states that of all the filled searches, 27.1% of the fills were from internet job board postings, and that was the #1 source.

As a recruiter, your success is dependent upon qualified candidates viewing your opportuni-ties. Experts theorize that the market has now moved from general to specific — allowing recruiters to deliver their message to a targeted group of people. This focused approach is more efficient and allows the recruiter to get

There has been speculation about the future of job boards, with experts predicting that social media would put them out of business. There are an estimated 10,000 job boards in the US — are they in jeopardy of disappearing? Not according to the 2012 ASPR In-House Physi-cian Recruitment Benchmarking Report, which

By Michael Berg, Vice President of Marketing, PhysicianCareer.com

responses from people that are relevant and qualified. “A niche job board, particularly one that has a higher ratio of candidates to opportu-nities, will prevent your posting from being lost, while attracting the prospects you seek,” said Tom Broxterman, vice president, PhysicianCa-reer.com.

To explore the benefits of a physician specific job board, PhysicianCareer offers a two-week free trial. To get started, email [email protected].

Don’t Forget to Register for the 2013 ASPR Annual Conference

August 10-14, 2013 JW Marriott Starr Pass

Tucson, AZ

www.aspr.org

Summer 2013 39

PresidentScott Manning, FASPR, SPHRDirector, Human Resources & Provider RecruitingDistrict Medical GroupPhoenix, AZPhone: 602-470-5012Toll Free: 877-463-3776Email: [email protected]

President-ElectDeborah Gleason, FASPRPhysician Development AdministratorNebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NEPhone: 402-559-4679Email: [email protected] liaison to: Benchmarking Committee

SecretaryDonna Ecclestone, FASPRAssociate Director, Physician IntegrationDuke MedicineDurham, NCPhone: 919-419-5057Email: [email protected] liaison to: Fellowship Committee

TreasurerDiane Collins, FASPRPhysician Recruitment CoordinatorHealthPartners Medical GroupMinneapolis, MNPhone: 952-883-5453Email: [email protected] liaison to: Marketing Committee

Vice President, EducationAllen Kram, FASPRDirector of Physician DevelopmentHealth QuestLaGrangeville, NYPhone: 845-475-9605Email: [email protected] liaison to: Education Committee

Vice President, GovernanceFrank GallagherInterim Director, Physician & Advanced Practitioner RecruitmentBaystate HealthSpringfield MAPhone: 413-794-2623Email: [email protected] -Board liaison to: Chapter and Regional Relations Committee

Vice President, EngagementLaura Screeney, FASPR, CMSRCorporate Director, Office of Physician RecruitingNorth Shore-LIJ Health SystemManhasset, NYPhone: 516-823-8874Email: [email protected] liaison to: Journal Committee

Vice President, ResearchShelley Tudor, FASPRPhysician RecruiterHumana Clinical ResourcesLouisville, KYPhone: 765-807-6680Email: [email protected] Board liaison to: Membership Committee

ASPR Executive DirectorJennifer Metivier, MS, FASPR1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 252Saint Paul, MN 55114Direct Phone: 651-290-6294Toll Free: 800-830-2777Email: [email protected]

BenchmarkingSuzanne Anderson, [email protected]

Shelley Tudor, [email protected]

Chapter and Regional RelationsChristopher Kashnig, [email protected]

Kate [email protected] 214-648-9859

EducationJoelle Hennesey, [email protected] 745-7232

Robin Schiffer, [email protected]

FellowshipMarci Jackson, [email protected] 702-240-8944 Lynne Peterson, [email protected]

Journal Miranda Grace, [email protected]

Lori Jackson Norris, [email protected]

MembershipTim [email protected] Maddie Wagner, [email protected]

ASPR Board of Directors

ASPR Committee Chairs

Call for Committee Volunteers ASPR committees are always looking for willing and eager volunteers. Please consider joining a committee. Contact the appropriate committee chair for more information. Committee Chairs and contact information can be found above and below.

Association of Staff Physician Recruiters

1000 Westgate Drive, Suite 252 | Saint Paul, MN 55114

Phone 1-(800) 830-2777 Fax (651) 290-2266

www.aspr.org

Journal of ASPR - Summer 2013

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