A national physician shortage is a growing issue for hospital executives and consistently ranks as one of their top concerns, along with financial challenges and governmental mandates.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the United States could see a shortage of nearly 122,000 physicians by 2032, impacting patient care nationwide. Meanwhile, the senior citizen population is expected to grow 48% by that time.

Follow this link to access additional data about trends that are projected to drastically impact health care throughout the country.

OUR COLLEGE’S PHYSICIANS WORKFORCE

In fiscal year 2017, the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville had 394 faculty physicians, who represented $279 million in net revenue. Clinical service made up 77.5% of the revenue, followed by hospital activity at 14.3%, research at 5.2%, and state and education funding at 2.5%.

During fiscal year 2018, the college lost 7.8 percent of its faculty physicians. Termination was the main reason, accounting for 56% of those departures. Meanwhile, 31% of them joined a Jacksonville-area competitor and 13% joined other health centers outside the region. Reasons given for leaving include compensation, opportunities for career advancement, lifestyle, lack of resources and staffing concerns.

Departure of faculty from academic health centers is costly. Retention is as important as recruiting. Data shows, on average, it costs $250,000 to recruit a faculty physician. That amount accounts for search expenses, sign-on bonuses, income guarantees and relocation costs.

On the other hand, a physician who leaves represents more than $1.4 million in annual lost revenue.

PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT

It is key to recruit and hire physicians who fit the organization’s culture and would integrate well into the community. As such, the interview process needs to be highly personalized, essentially “rolling out the red carpet” for the physician and their family.

Learn about the physician’s interests — as well as those of the family — and carefully coordinate logistics, including transportation, lodging, meals and various tours of facilities. Carefully select the interview team and be prepared for tough questions or concerns from the candidate.

The key to success is ensuring consistency while interviewing candidates during each step of the process. This helps make the process more efficient, while providing candidates with an experience that leaves a positive impression and facilitates referrals.

And remember, the interview is just one component of recruitment. Bringing in new faculty doesn’t happen quickly. At the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville, it takes, on average, 245 days for an offer to be made after a position is posted and then three more months for the hire to occur.

ORIENTATION AND ONBOARDING 

Retention begins with the process of integrating faculty into their new work environment, which includes onboarding and orientation. The office of Administrative Affairs is working with the university’s Human Resource Services on recruitment and onboarding toolkits to standardize the practices across the College of Medicine – Jacksonville.

We are the region’s premier academic health center. An organization’s culture forms the foundation for recruiting and retention. It’s essential to get the right people on board who will contribute to organizational success and deliver high-quality patient care.