The Erie (PA) Physicians Network is enjoying robust growth of its physician team, in large part because its members are continually looking for good talent. In the past year, it has added eight physicians to its 21-doctor group and has recently contracted with the CHG recruitment team to help source candidates for a GI position. 

To help recruit good physicians and oversee day-to-day operations, the independently owned practice has a management contract with MED3000, a national healthcare management firm. Dennis Thomsen, part of the MED3000 team, serves as executive director for the Erie Physicians Network and is responsible for recruiting and hiring new physicians.
“The difficult part can be finding the right candidate,” he says. “Once we get in touch with a candidate, that’s when the work can start.” Thomsen emphasizes that finding the right prospect is truly a team effort. He encourages the physicians in the group to keep an eye out for qualified candidates. When these prospects are brought in for interviews and get-to-know-you dinners, he invites input from all the physicians. 

“Sometimes a recruiter may run a candidate by the docs and it may not be someone they want, so you end up spinning your wheels,” he notes. “It’s important to have the candidate meet some of the key physicians as early on as possible and gather their input.”

As part of the interview process, Thomsen has each candidate talk one on one with each physician—asking the doctor for 10 minutes in the office. “I try to get that person around to as many of our practices as I can, to get to meet at least all of the owners of the practice” as well as the office manager.

The extra effort is valuable in creating a feeling of collegiality between the practice physician and potential hire. In turn, that spirit—and the fact that key physicians have all had an opportunity to meet and evaluate the candidate—tends to make the hiring decision by Thomsen and the physicians easier and more efficient. Dennis Thomsen, executive director of MED3000, cites three components of a strong recruitment strategy:

1. Get the physicians on the team involved. Making sure they meet and talk with candidates ensures a more complementary and compatible mix after the hire. 

2. Find a way to make contacts in the market. Encourage your physicians to look for strong candidates through residency rotations and those they encounter in the hospital. And use the right external resources that will market your practice opportunity as broadly as possible. 

3. Develop a scenario that demonstrates the strengths and benefits of your practice. They should translate well on paper as well as when discussed in person.

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