aspr immigration - Association of Staff Physician Recruiters

VOL. 11, NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
Association of Staff Physician Recruiters
ASPR
THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION EXCLUSIVELY FOR IN-HOUSE PHYSICIAN RECRUITERS
Features:
Committee Chat ................................... 3
Corporate Contributor Features ........ 23
Corporate Contributor Listing .............. 2
Discount Purchasing Program ............ 3
Job Hotline .......................................... 26
New ASPR Members .......................... 24
President's Corner ............................... 2
Other:
Board of Directors .............................. 28
Committee Chairs .............................. 28
Guide to Advertisers
AAFP .................................................... 10
AAOS ..................................................... 9
American College of Physicians ......... 7
Atwood & Clark ..................................... 4
Health eCareers ................................. 12
Igby ...................................................... 14
JAMA ...................................................... 8
Medical Doctor Associates ................. 21
MMS ....................................................... 5
NEJM .............................................. 13,15
PM&R Resources ................................. 8
PracticeLink ........................................ 19
PracticeMatch ..................................... 11
Unique Opportunities ........................... 4
Vista .................................................... 10
Editor .... Judy Brown
Associate Editor .... Laura Screeney
Publisher .... Bonnie Young
www.aspr.org
WHAT'S NEW FOR THE FOREIGN
PHYSICIAN IN 2005? -A summary of recent legislative changes
by Geoff Leibl, Leibl & Kirkwood, Del Mar, CA
Recent changes in the law have created both options and obstacles for foreign
physicians seeking immigration to the United States. The following are some of the
developments that may impact a foreign physician seeking United States immigration
benefits.
I. H-1B Visas
In most cases, a foreign physician will require an H-1B visa in order to temporarily
work for a United States employer. The changes that will most impact a foreign
physician seeking an H-1B visa include:
A decrease in the H-1B visa quota from 195,000 to 65,000 for each fiscal year.
A new fee of $1,500 per application that must be paid by sponsoring employers.
Petitioners who employ no more than 25 full-time employees may submit a
reduced fee of $750.
The implementation of a new Fraud Prevention and Detection Fee of $500 that
must be paid by an employer seeking to sponsor H-1B and L-1 visa applicants.
(What's New - cont'd on p. 22)
Save these dates for the ASPR annual conference
August 14-16, 2005
The Westin - Charlotte, NC
Keynote Speaker -- Charles Lauer, Publisher, Modern Healthcare
Watch for the brochure and for the program in the Spring newsletter
www.aspr.org
Articles:
Page
A Day in the Life .................................... 7
Capturing the Inspiration of a
Fresh Start ........................................... 17
CASPR is Alive and Well .................... 16
Culture Based Recruiting ..................... 6
Does Your Career Opportunities
Website Need a Makeover ................... 8
Hospitals Not Limited in Assisting
Group Practices with MD Recruitment . 4
Immigration ........................................... 9
Medical Staff Retention ....................... 18
New Regional Group Formed ............ 14
What's New for the Foreign Physician
in 2005 .................................................. 1
ONLINE ASPR MEMBER DIRECTORY
The ASPR Membership Directory is available to all members online at
www.aspr.org. Just click on the "Recruiter Directory" button.
The online directory features the most current information on all
ASPR members as it is updated biweekly. In order to save costs in
copying, postage, handling, etc., we will no longer be publishing a hard
copy directory. If you have any concerns or feedback regarding this, please
email [email protected].
A S P R
PAGE 2
PRESIDENT'S CORNER
DANA BUTTERFIELD
The cliché holds true for me. It is with mixed
emotion that I write my last newsletter column to
you as President. On one hand, it is a relief that
after today I won’t have to struggle every quarter to
come up with information that I deem interesting
for members to read, but on the other hand, it
means that my term as President has come to an
end. First and foremost, let me say that I have
thoroughly enjoyed my two years as President of
ASPR. It has been both exciting and rewarding
working closely with such talented individuals in
our membership as well as with the ASPR office
staff. John Arlandson and his crew have done an
outstanding job of keeping us on track and
supporting our growth.
As you now know, the elections are over and the results are in for the new ASPR
officers. I would like you to join me in welcoming Kurt Scott as our next President,
Dana Reed as Treasurer, and Rich Lynch as Member at Large. I look forward to
all of these individuals bringing their physician recruitment expertise to the Board
and sharing it with ASPR. We are fortunate to have these “seasoned” recruiters
join the Board to help guide ASPR in 2005. Please also join me in thanking our
outgoing Board members: Past President Mike Griffin, Treasurer Judy Brown,
and Member at Large Rick Buchanan. All of these individuals gave a great deal of
their time not only in their respective Board positions, but also in their Board
liaison roles to the website, newsletter and strategic planning committees,
respectively. I personally will miss Mike’s wonderfully dry sense of humor, Judy’s
very contagious laughter, and Rick’s consistently unflappable good nature. Thank
you to all of you for your wisdom and efforts throughout the last two years. Mike,
Judy, and Rick will continue to be very involved in ASPR, and I look forward to
working with them on future projects. I remind them that I still have all of their
contact information, so they can’t go very far.
As I review what we have accomplished over the last year, there are a number of
things for our Association to celebrate. ASPR is at an all time high membership,
with 738 members, as of January 11, 2005. We have seen an increase of 213
members from 2003 to 2004 alone. Our Membership and Marketing Committee
has done a terrific job this past year. There has also been an increase in the
number of members who have joined ASPR and its Canadian arm -- CASPR. In
November, CASPR hosted their first annual physician recruiter conference in
Ontario. They had a great turnout and plan to host this event again next year. The
Regional Development Committee, under the direction of Dennis Burns, continues
to make great strides. Our newest group, NWSPR (North West Staff Physician
Recruiters), has hopes to encourage even greater membership in that region.
Please remember--if you have any interest in forming a regional group or finding
out if there is a group near you, please contact Dennis Burns (check the recruiter
directory on the ASPR website for contact information) for assistance.
There continues to be work completed on the fellowship program, which is being
developed in conjunction with the Strategic Planning Committee and the Education
Committee. If you have any interest in participating in development of these
materials, please call Scott Lindblom (check the recruiter directory on the ASPR
website for contact information), the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee.
(President's Corner - continued on p. 15)
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
ASPR Recognizes &
Thanks our 2004
Corporate Contributors
For product and contact information on these
companies, go to the "Members Only" page
of the ASPR website (www.aspr.org).
Gold Contributor
CompHealth
Elsevier
New England Journal of Medicine
PhysicianWork
PracticeLink.com & Web CV
PracticeMatch
Vista Staffing Solutions
Silver Contributor
JAMA/Archives Spec.Jour./AM News
Profiles
Bronze Contributor
AccuCheck Investigations
Action Moving/Atlas Van Lines
American Academy of Family Physicians
American College of Physicians
American Medical Association
Armstrong Relocation/United Van Lines
Barrett Moving & Storage/ United Van Lines
Doc-in-a-Box
Dowden Health Media
Enterprise Medical Services
Fox Hill Associates
J&C Nationwide
Kontact Intelligence
LocumTenens.com
Medical Doctor Associates
Medical Marketing Service
Physician HomeBenefits
Practice Support Resources
Quadrant HealthCom, Inc
Staff Care Inc.
Stevens Worldwide Van Lines
Unique Opportunities
Virden Associates
ASPR Endorsement Policy
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.
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
PAGE 3
COMMITTEE CHAT / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Don't forget...
It's dues renewal time!
Make sure this isn't
your last newsletter...
If you haven't
already done so,
send in your
dues renewal
NOW!
The ASPR Newsletter is published quarterly
for members of ASPR by the Association of Staff
Physician Recruiters and Office Enterprises, Inc.,
1711 W. County Road B, Suite 300N, Roseville,
MN 55113
Phone: 800-830-2777 or 651-635-0359
Fax:
651-635-0307
Email: [email protected]
Unless stated, comments in this publication do
not necessarily reflect the endorsement or
opinion of ASPR or OEI. 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.
Discount Purchasing
Program
ASPR members are eligible for special
discounts on services from participating
advertising, direct mail, and other service
providers. For a complete listing, go to the
members only section of our website and click
on the Discount Purchasing Program.
Call Bonnie at the ASPR office at 800-830-ASPR
(2777) if you have questions or need additional
information.
LEGISLATIVE SINK OR SWIM
Lately, it seems that all we can do is try to keep ahead of the all the legislation
affecting our jobs in physician recruitment. With the implementation of the Stark
II legislation this past year, along with the new bill signed in December by President
Bush regarding immigration issues, there is plenty to keep us on our toes.
As this year begins, most of us are still struggling with how to interpret the Stark
II laws. Almost daily, it seems as if a new issue pops up on the ASPR chat line
surrounding the interpretation of this legislation. Combine this with our daily
issues and concerns about employment law, immigration law, and the IRS codes
that effect everything we do from relocation allowances to CME reimbursement,
and it will make your head spin.
As you will notice, this issue has several articles on legislation surrounding
immigration as well as Stark II/Safe Harbor laws. I encourage you to read these
articles even if you feel it may not pertain to you directly. The more informed you
are of the laws and legislation affecting physician recruitment, the better off you
are. With physician recruitment, we often encounter a new search or a new
candidate who may pose new questions on “how to do this within the confines of
the law.”
One of the advantages of ASPR is the wonderful networking ability we have. Often
times we seek out the guidance of our peers to help us interpret how to handle
some of this new legislation. This is a wonderful way to find out how others are
interpreting the law … BUT… this information should not be taken as a legal
interpretation of how your organization should handle something. As is the case
with all legal issues, you should consult your own legal counsel. The legislation
surrounding physician recruitment – whether Stark II, employment, or immigration
laws – is extremely complicated. You need to make sure that you and your
organization can defend any decision you make.
I, personally, have found that I have spent more time talking with our attorneys and
accountants in the past year than I have in the past 15 years of physician recruitment
combined. Love them or hate them, our attorneys are the ones who are going to
keep us out of prison. Just think…. Stark III isn’t that far away…….
As always, we would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions regarding any of
the topics covered in this newsletter or regarding the discussions on [email protected].
Submitted by: Judy Brown and The ASPR Newsletter Team
Need a gift for a recruitment friend
for a birthday or other occasion?
Buy an
ASPR Shirt!
ASPR has men's and women's polo shirts available for purchase. They are white
with navy trim on the sleeves and collar, a burgundy and navy emblem on the chest,
and the Association name on the left sleeve. Men's shirts have a button closure,
and the women's have a V neck. These soft, Pima cotton shirts run a bit large and
should have minimal shrinkage.
Sizes in stock include:
Women - M, L, XL, XXL
Men - S, M, L, XL, XXL
Price:
$21 plus shipping & handling of $4
Call Bonnie at the ASPR office to order your shirt. 800-830-2777.
PAGE 4
A S P R
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
HOSPITALS NOT LIMITED IN ASSISTING GROUP
PRACTICES WITH PHYSICIAN RECRUITMENT
by Kurt Mosley, Vice President, American Medical Consulting
Hospitals and medical groups, while not always the most amicable
of partners, generally have found a mutual interest in physician
recruitment. To attract physicians to their communities, most
hospitals are prepared to assist medical groups with recruitment
costs, in many cases paying for the entire recruitment effort.
Often, this entails paying to advertise for the job, supplying the
recruitment personnel (whether an in-house recruiter or a
recruitment firm), and providing the financial incentive offered to
the physician (often in the form of an income guarantee).
In return, medical groups provide a favorable setting to recruit
into, because many physicians prefer the teamwork, stability,
and administrative support a group can provide to the hazards of
setting up a solo practice. Sometimes it is virtually impossible to
recruit physicians to an area unless they can join a group.
Partnership Questioned
However, this type of partnership has been called into question
by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines governing physician
recruitment. In particular, a 1994 private letter agreement between
the IRS and Hermann Hospital, Houston, caused many hospitals
to abstain from funding the recruitment of physicians to existing
groups. In the agreement, Hermann Hospital consented to follow
a number of guidelines set forth by the IRS. One of these
guidelines stipulated that Hermann Hospital could not pay more
than 50 percent of the recruiting costs to an existing practice.
This was interpreted by most experts to mean both the cost of
recruiting and the financial incentives offered to physician
candidates.
Incentives provided by a hospital to
recruit into an existing practice should be
acceptable as long as any private benefit
to the existing group is incidental to the
benefit the community receives from the
newly recruited physician.
Though the agreement was binding to Hermann Hospital only,
had no precedential value, and applied only to non-employee
physicians, many hospital legal departments felt that by following
the agreement they would fall into a "safe harbor" and thus avoid
IRS scrutiny. For that reason, some hospitals discontinued the
practice of fully funding recruitment to existing groups.
Atwood and Clark Consultants
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We offer prompt service, bypassing emergency room waiting,
affording expedient return to work, and thus saving time and
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your source for OSHA compliance, Industrial Hygiene and
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Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
PAGE 5
The effect of this was to curtail physician searches in some areas,
as many groups do not have the resources to successfully recruit
physicians on their own or with only partial assistance from a
hospital.
is clear that incentives provided by a hospital to recruit into an
existing practice should be acceptable as long as any private
benefit to the existing group is incidental to the benefit the
community receives from the newly recruited physician.
Developments
Two developments have changed the hospital/medical group
recruitment dynamic. First, in April 1997, the IRS released
"Revenue Rule 97-21," a "final rule" that has precedential value.
Therefore, it supersedes the Hermann Hospital agreement in
importance and in general applicability. Ruling 97-21 outlines five
recruitment situations and indicates what incentives are
permissible in each. Though not all possible scenarios are covered
in these five situations, there is no specific or implied stipulation
prohibiting hospitals from providing recruitment assistance to
existing practices. Indeed, there is no mention of a "50 percent
limitation."
In short, as long as the hospital has identified a community need
through some sort of documentation or staff plan, and can
demonstrate that the new physician is providing a necessary
service, it is not limited to providing only 50 percent of the
recruitment costs for an existing group. However, the hospital
must follow all the other guidelines pertaining to recruitment,
including paying physicians at a level consistent with local and
national norms, abstaining from tying incentives to referrals or
admissions, and refraining from seeking to limit physicians'
hospital privileges to the recruiting hospital.
Moreover, in July 1998, the IRS entered into a private letter ruling
with a hospital wishing to fully fund recruitment to an existing
group (the ruling did not become public knowledge until July 1999).
The hospital, which was concerned by the "50 percent limitation,"
was represented by the same legal counsel that had represented
Hermann Hospital.
In its ruling of July 1998, the IRS expressly rejected the 50 percent
limitation. The combined implication of Ruling 97-21 and the 1998
private letter ruling is that there is no 50 percent limitation. It now
Physician recruitment is a key area of common interest for many
hospitals and medical groups. Hospitals and groups that are
aware of the rules and follow them should be able to work closely
together on the vital business of bringing physicians to places
where they are needed.
Kurt Mosley is Vice President, American Medical Consulting, 222
W. Las Colinas Boulevard, 19th Floor, Irving, TX 75039; 888456-1789; email [email protected]
PAGE 6
A S P R
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
CULTURE-BASED RECRUITING:
HIRE FOR THE ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST THE JOB
by Dr. Steven Hunt
This article explains how to identify aspects of company culture
that can be used in efforts to more effectively attract, select, and
retain candidates.
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF CULTURE
People are more likely to remain in company cultures that support
their personal values and professional success.
In terms of candidate sourcing and attraction, the most important
aspect of culture is the degree to which common practices and
beliefs in your company are perceived as unique and similar to
the beliefs and preferences of candidates. For example, some
organizations believe financial rewards are more important than
other forms of recognition, such as praise from supervisors. One
candidate may like this money-based culture, while another may
find it impersonal or threatening.
In terms of candidate selection, the most critical aspects of culture
are philosophies that employees must support, adapt to or
overcome to be effective. Culture can have a major impact on the
success of newly hired employees, even those with very similar
skills and experiences. For example, certain skills are more critical
in consensus-oriented cultures than in cultures where employees
are expected to act autonomously. A highly independent employee
might succeed in a company that places little emphasis on
consensus, but fail miserably in the same job in a company that
encourages group decision-making.
IDENTIFY YOUR COMPANY’S CULTURE
Using culture for recruitment requires identifying aspects of your
company’s culture that make it different from other companies. In
essence, you need to identify the unique beliefs, behaviors, and
practices of your company.
Review mission and vision statements, shareholder
reports or marketing materials that convey the company’s
self-identity. But these materials often convey what the
company wants to be, and may not reflect what the
company’s work environment actually is.
Conduct a survey. However, surveys are fairly labor
intensive and often fail to capture the work environment’s
truly unique aspects.
Interview a cross-section of employees and leaders about
the work environment. Ask for short phrases that describe
the company’s atmosphere, reasons why they like the
company, and things they find frustrating.
The ideal approach is to use a combination of these methods,
although interviews tend to be the most efficient and information
rich. But people may be reluctant to speak openly about negative
aspects of the company, so you may want to use an independent
third party with expertise in organizational culture and employee
staffing.
If done correctly, a culture audit should provide five to 10 primary
cultural attributes that set your company apart. These themes
will probably not be completely positive. However, culture tends
to evolve based on a past or current need, and it is usually possible
to find ways to word each attribute in a way that highlights its
advantages. The following are good and bad aspects of some
common cultural attributes:
Clearly Structured/Bureaucratic
Adaptive/Reactive
Focused on Results/Evaluative or Competitive
USING CULTURE FOR RECRUITMENT
Once you’ve identified your company’s primary cultural attributes,
create a subset to incorporate into your recruiting strategy. Look
for attributes that:
You want to retain and develop as core cultural
competencies.
Employees must embrace to succeed in the organization.
Avoid recruiting people based on culture attributes you want but
do not currently have. Such people are likely to either quit or be
unsuccessful in a culture that is incompatible with their normal
styles.
Although it is preferable to hire people who fit the culture, there
are times when this is less important. When your goal is to recruit
someone to perform a specific task for a set amount of time,
culture may not be critical. Culture is also less important when
people will be working in an environment that is relatively isolated
from the rest of the company. In these cases, focus on the local
culture created by the team the person will work with. However,
avoid establishing multiple, conflicting cultures within your
company.
Reprinted with permission from Monster Worldwide, Inc.
Copyright 2003 - Monster Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
You may not copy, reproduce, or distribute this article without the
prior written permission of Monster Worldwide. This article first
appeared on Monster, the leading online global network for careers.
To see other career-related articles visit
http://content.monster.com.
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
PAGE 7
A DAY IN THE LIFE
by Jerry Hess, Placement Coordinator, Mercy Medical CenterNorth Iowa, Mason City, IA
Tomorrow is going to be great! Tomorrow I have a site visit.
Tomorrow I finally get to meet the physician I have been talking to
over the phone and writing to for the past two months. We have a
great day planned. We start off with a community tour. Then we
continue with a leisurely drive through the new housing
development, a visit to the elementary school, coffee at a delightful
new Shoppe at the mall, a hospital tour that includes the new
addition to the cancer center, lunch with the chairman of the
department at my favorite restaurant, followed by meetings with
key physicians and administrators in the afternoon. We finish
the day with a meeting with Human Resources to review benefits,
and I follow up with a quiet meeting over coffee to review the day
and take the opportunity to follow up on any questions that have
been unearthed or left unanswered. Tomorrow is going to be great!
We have the attention
of more than
100,000 internists.
By advertising in one of our highly
regarded publications, you can, too.
But today, I have to place some ads in professional journals,
update my on-line jobs, send out follow up letters to the physicians
I met at last week’s job fair, present a contract to the physician
who visited last week, send
copies of the ads to the
immigration attorney
for our new
physician on
an H1B visa, run a database search for a new specialty search,
call our semi-retired physicians to fill locum needs for next month,
write up a recruitment plan for presentation to the Search
Committee, confirm air and hotel for the annual ASPR meeting,
return phone calls to three physicians responding to our ads,
schedule a physical and drug screen for our new midlevel provider,
follow up on credentialing for the new physician starting in a month,
visit with the Medical Director about a candidate we are no longer
pursing and preparing him for the fall out, returning a call from a
search firm with a phantom candidate, read an article on retention
for our afternoon meeting, meet one of our residents for dinner to
discuss practice opportunities in our network and, finally, fill the
car with gas for tomorrow’s site visit.
Today is filled with incidentals and by-the-ways and the stuff we
have to go through to get to our objective: a site visit by a qualified
candidate. Tomorrow is the highlight of the week, the culmination
of hours of planning and calling, and writing and scheduling and
hoping and checking and rechecking. Tomorrow is the real thing.
I will get through Today, but I can’t wait for Tomorrow!
ACP, the world’s largest medical specialty
society, publishes critical clinical content for
doctors of internal medicine—physicians working in virtually every vital area of medicine
today. ACP is the first place to which internists
turn when seeking guidance for their practice.
For even greater exposure, advertise online.
acponline.org receives more than one million
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Call for space reservations
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A S P R
PAGE 8
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
DOES YOUR CAREER OPPORTUNITIES WEBSITE NEED A
MAKEOVER?
by Carol Sullivan, Executive Director of Healthcare Services, NAS Recruitment Communications
According to SHRM Online’s survey—“HR Professionals’
Attitudes Toward and Use of the Internet for Employee
Recruitment”—many HR administrators are more comfortable with
Internet job boards than they are with their own employment
websites. Even so, the survey indicated very positive attitudes
toward the Internet as a recruiting source. You know that job
seekers expect openings to be posted on your website, and you
realize that a powerful website can be a strong factor affecting
the candidate’s decision to proceed with an application or to move
along to the next site. But how much effort is actually devoted to
this valuable element of recruitment?
If your organization is serious about using its website to attract
qualified candidates, it may be time to update technical capabilities
as well as creative content. In order to ensure that your site will
be an effective and efficient recruiting tool—one that gives you
the best ROI for your advertising dollars—it’s essential that job
seekers don’t get frustrated with a slow, difficult-to-navigate, outof-date site. Employment websites that follow Best Practices:
Are easily accessible to all browsers
Have continually updated copy and graphic content
Communicate the organization’s culture and employment brand
Sell the organization as an employer-of-choice
Attract passive and active job candidates
PM&R Resources
The Rehabilitation Industry’s
Most Advanced Physician Search Firm
PM&R Resources, Inc. has a rock solid reputation
for completing the most challenging physician searches.
With clients in nearly every state we represent the largest
and most respected rehabilitation practice management
and physician search practice nationwide.
We offer the best recruitment solutions and practice
consulting services in the marketplace.
Offices in…
California • Pennsylvania • Florida • Georgia
For additional information on our services call:
(714) 665-6920 – Fax (714) 665-6928
www.pmandr.com
Make the application process
quick and easy
Use pre-screening tools that
help
hire
top-quality
candidates
Automate requisition tracking
Have a separate college recruiting section
Address the diversity initiative
Enlist the assistance of an Interactive-web expert to write, design
and engineer your custom career opportunities website, or to
conduct a review and analysis of your current site for:
Design and content
Features and functionality
Usability and navigation
Explore other resources that will aid your online recruitment
strategy. Helpful web-based tools that can streamline the
recruitment process include customized position description
libraries, an interface for Internet job postings, and powerful
technology for filtering and ranking candidates.
Carol Sullivan, Executive Director of Healthcare Services, NAS
Recruitment Communications, NAS Health Advantage newsletter,
Aug/Sept, 2004.
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
PAGE 9
IMMIGRATION
by Robert D. Aronson, Ingber Aronson, Minneapolis
Note: This article was written prior to the 2004 Presidential election and the subsequent passage of the new immigration legislation in
December 2004.
The federal fiscal year commenced on October 1, and this date is
normally greeted with a great deal of relief for immigration purposes.
Under law, the commencement of the federal fiscal year signals a
replenishment of both immigrant and nonimmigrant numbers and
an infusion of financial resources as the various federal agencies
receive their budgetary authorizations so as to initiate new
immigration-related programs.
This year presents a starkly different situation in that the recent
commencement of the federal fiscal year has brought little relief to an
overburdened system owing to the confluence of the following factors:
1) statutorily set limitations on the number of visas available
within our immigration system;
2) administrative inefficiencies that have yet to be resolved; and
3) continuing uncertainties on balancing immigration
opportunities with national security safeguards.
We take a great deal of pride in this firm in keeping abreast of
prospective developments so as to develop appropriate, responsive
immigration objectives for those whom we serve. It is in this vein
that I am writing this, specifically focusing on the various
processing delays and backlogs currently in existence in the U.S.
immigration system.
EXHAUSTION OF H-1B VISA NUMBERS
The United States maintains a quota of 65,000 H-1B visa numbers
per year, which marks a significant decline from the previous
numerical allotments of this widely utilized temporary,
nonimmigrant visa classification. The H-1B Temporary Worker
provisions are extensively used to provide immigration status to a
wide range of foreign professionals who hold offers of professional
employment in this country.
Since this past April, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) has been accepting H-1B Petitions for positions
commencing on October 1, 2004. Ironically, on the exact same
day--that is, October 1--that the new H-1B numbers became
available, USCIS announced that it had received enough H-1B
Petitions to meet the Congressionally mandated cap for this
coming fiscal year. As such, requests for H-1B status subject to
the quota cap cannot be approved for a full year, until October 1,
2005, when the next allotment of H-1B numbers become infused
into the immigration system.
To be sure, the announcement of the exhaustion of the H-1B
numbers for this current fiscal year does not necessarily crush
all employment-based immigration cases for this forthcoming
period of time. It does, though, require new, creative strategies
and ongoing communication with all parties involved. Specifically,
here are some of the approaches now being utilized in view of the
exhaustion of the H-1B numbers:
Determine whether an H-1B Petition is subject to the
H-1B quota cap. There are broad instances under law in
which an H-1B filing is simply not subject to the quota and,
therefore, can be immediately approved. Examples include:
most H-1B extensions; requests for concurrent H-1B status;
and changes in the terms of employment for current H-1B
workers. Also, universities and many university-affiliated
entities are exempt from the H-1B quota, as are many
physicians who have received waivers of their two-year home
residence obligations.
Explore alternative temporary, nonimmigrant visa
classifications. Remember: this announcement solely
pertains to newly filed H-1B requests. Conversely, nearly
all other temporary, nonimmigrant visa classifications do
not have a quota cap. Many foreign nationals may qualify
for alternative employment-authorized nonimmigrant status,
such as: TN classification for certain professionals from
Canada and Mexico; E-1 Treaty Trader / E-2 Treaty Investor
situations; L-1 Intracompany Transferees; Student (F-1, J1, or M-1) Practical Training Authorization; and J-2
employment authorization.
Consider accelerated options for permanent
residence. In certain instances, it may be possible to
concurrently file an Immigrant Visa Petition along with an
Application to Adjust to Permanent Residence. In these
situations as primarily although not exclusively relating to
academic figures, researchers, certain corporate managers
and executives, and foreign nationals contributing to U.S.
(Immigration - continued on p.10)
AAOS - 1/4 NEW for Dec
PAGE 10
A S P R
(Immigration - continued from p.9)
national interests, it may be possible to obtain employment
authorization as an interim benefit to a properly filed request
for Permanent Resident status.
It is axiomatic in this field of law that each case needs to be analyzed
separately on its own merits. The basic point, though, is that the
recent announcement of the exhaustion of the H-1B numbers should
not and does not bring employment-based immigration to a standstill,
particularly since there are many instances in which an H-1B request
will not fall within the H-1B quota restrictions or in which alternative
and perhaps even more desirable immigration options exist. In
terms of our own practice, we are quite fortunate to provide
immigration legal services to a broad range of universities, universityrelated institutions, and physicians--all of whom in the main are
unaffected by the H-1B quota.
LABOR CERTIFICATION DEVELOPMENTS
The Labor Certification Application process is in many instances
the required first step toward Permanent Residence based upon
employment. This process requires an employer to satisfactorily
recruit and advertise in order to determine the availability of fully
qualified U.S. workers for a position presumptively to be filled by
the foreign national. Over the years, both the state labor offices
and the various regional certifying offices of the U.S. Department
of Labor have developed substantial processing backlogs that
are now being remedied by some concerted palliative initiatives.
At present, there are two emerging initiatives to reduce the backlog
in Labor Certification Application processing: The Backlog
Reduction Plan and the PERM Program.
VISTA - 1/4 SAME
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
First, on July 21, 2004, the Department of Labor announced its
intention to establish two centralized processing facilities in
Philadelphia and Dallas to provide both state and federal offices
with additional resources to clear up the backlog of roughly 310,000
pending and unadjudicated Labor Certification Applications. This
Backlog Reduction Plan does not in any manner alter the
substantive Labor Certification Application requirements; rather,
it simply makes an additional processing resource available to
both the State Workforce Agencies (SWA) and the Regional
Certifying Officers of the U.S. Department of Labor.
Since the announcement of this Plan, there has unfortunately
been no appreciable decrease in the processing times of Labor
Certification Applications. In fact, various state officials have
informed us that they have yet to receive instructions on even
how to avail themselves of these additional resources. The
prevailing theory is that the Backlog Reduction Plan will not
become fully operational until the new PERM Program is
introduced, which conceivably makes sense given the fact that
the main impetus of the Plan is to clear out the existing backlog
as a corollary to PERM's introduction.
Second, the Department of Labor has announced its new PERM
Program, which represents a major re-engineering of the Labor
Certification Application Program. The PERM regulations are
currently under final review at the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB), and it is believed that the implementation of PERM will
not actually occur until after the Presidential election.
At present, there are many unanswered questions as to how this
new Program will actually operate. The goal of the PERM Program
AAFP - 1/4 SAME
A S P R
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
is to reduce substantially the processing time of Labor Certification
Applications through the elimination of the role of the SWAs in
favor of the establishment of two National Processing Centers in
Atlanta and Chicago. Under the PERM Program, an employer
will need to make various attestations regarding the overall terms
and conditions related to the recruitment of a foreign national,
which, once done, will result in an expedited approval of the
Application. However, employers will then bear certain ongoing
exposure based upon a complaint-driven system in the event that
they do not fully comply with these attestations.
A pilot program to more expeditiously process concurrently
filed Immigrant Visa Petitions and Adjustment of Status
Applications;
Issuance of Employment Authorization Documents (EADs)
for multi-year periods of time based upon the expected
processing period for Adjustment of Status applications;
Extensions of H-1B status beyond the six-year maximum
for certain permanent resident pipeline cases;
The Premium Processing Program, which in return for the
payment of an extra $1,000 filing fee obligates USCIS to
process certain nonimmigrant visa petitions within 15 days;
Establishment of single processing centers for certain
immigration applications and petitions, thereby achieving
better economies of scale and enhanced adjudication
expertise;
Postponement of immigrant case adjudication until an
immigrant visa number becomes available (something
analogous to a "just-in-time" approach in manufacturing)
with a view of focusing finite resources on cases ripe for
adjudication and the conferral of benefits.
IMMIGRATION PROCESSING BACKLOGS
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has also been
plagued by substantial backlogs in its processing rates. While
USCIS claims that its new obligations to conduct background
security checks have added major additional burdens, the plain
fact is that the administrative organization, staffing levels, morale,
technology, and other factors in combination with the steady
escalation of immigration requests have resulted in unconscionable
delays in the processing of immigration petitions and applications.
On June 16, 2004, USCIS unveiled its Backlog Elimination Plan
that has targeted the end of 2006 to eliminate the application
backlogs and achieve an application processing time of six months
or less.
In addition, USCIS has announced a number of other initiatives
intended to incrementally address its existing backlog of cases,
including:
PAGE 11
9/11 COMMISSION FINAL REPORT
The National Commission on Terrorist Attacks (9/11 Commission)
released its final report in July, which addressed a broad range of
issues and public policy initiatives aimed at enhancing the national
security. Not surprisingly, the Commission Report also includes
various suggestions for enhancing the security-related aspects
of our immigration system, including the following
recommendations:
(Immigration - continued on p.12)
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PAGE 12
A S P R
(Immigration - continued from p.11)
Enhanced utilization of biometric identifiers so as to apply
new technologies for screening and monitoring foreign
nationals at the time of visa issuance, admission to the
United States, and internal movement. This in and of itself
is a daunting task given that these three functions are
currently discharges by three entirely separate federal
agencies: the U.S. Department of State (visa issuance),
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (admission process),
and USCIS (internal immigration status).
Integrating the U.S. border security system into the larger
network of screening points including the transportation
system.
Creation of enhanced and more stringent requirements
related to the issuance of birth certificates and other sources
of identification.
Enhanced sharing of intelligence among the various national
security agencies and, more importantly, greater availability
of security watch lists at the time of adjudicating immigration
benefits.
An expansion of access by a broadened range of
immigration adjudicating officers to background intelligence
on foreign nationals, thereby enabling front line immigration
officials to more quickly assess the possible threat to
national security by a foreign national coming to this country.
VISA ISSUANCE POLICY
Particularly in the aftermath of the 9/11 tragedy, the U.S.
Department of State instituted various new programs requiring
more intensive background security checks as well as personal
Health eCareers - 1/2 same
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
appearances for all applicants for nonimmigrant visas. As a direct
consequence of this policy, foreign nationals often times encounter
delays in making appointments at U.S. Consulates abroad, and
this situation may get substantially worse after October 26, 2004,
at which time many foreign nationals previously utilizing the Visa
Waiver Program will be forced to apply for visas owing to their
need to hold Machine-Readable Passports.
In addition to the recurrent difficulties in simply getting appointment
dates at the Consulates, there have been major security-driven
delays in actually issuing the visas. Perhaps the hardest hit
cohorts of visa applicants experiencing delays have been males
from the Muslim countries of the Middle East and foreign nationals
engaged in either high technology or dual-use technology
endeavors in the United States. As of September, the Department
of State claims that 98% of all nonimmigrant visa applications are
processed within 30 days or less, although this assertion conflicts
with a study noting continuing delays as issued a few months
ago by the Government Accounting Office.
In fairness, we have noticed a marked improvement in visa
issuance processing times that we primarily attribute to four
developments:
Installment at all 211 overseas Consular Posts of the
required equipment and technology for collecting fingerprints
for biometric processing, thereby enabling the various
Consular Posts to electronically obtain visa issuance
clearances in a time-efficient manner.
A substantial expansion of national security data that can
be accessed through the Automated Biometric Identification
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
System (IDENT), the Consular Consolidated Database
(CCD), and other government databases, thereby enabling
the State Department to make more final visa decisions
rather than having to obtain clearances from the FBI, the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other securityrelated agencies.
An expanded utilization of biometric identifying information
at ports of entry, thereby creating a greater degree of
seamless interaction between the visa processing posts
abroad and the actual points of admission.
Increased public pressure and press reportage on the
unfortunate consequences arising from the delay in visa
issuance, principally although not exclusively to foreign
students coming to the United States.
Establishment of a Security Advisory Opinion (SAO) office within
the State Department to provide timely guidance and directives
on the security considerations of specific visa applicants.
EXTENSION OF CONRAD STATE 30 PROGRAM
In one very promising development pertaining specifically to the
foreign physician community, the Congress at present is in the
last stages of finalizing a two-year extension to the Conrad State
30 Waiver Program. This Program specifically provides to the
states and federal agencies the authority to recommend waivers
of the two-year home residence obligation to physicians
undertaking practice commitments benefiting the indigent and
medically underserved. The Conrad State 30 Program has become
one of the principal initiatives to bring much needed physician
resources to communities in need.
As of this writing, both Houses of Congress have passed their
respective versions of this legislation. While substantively quite
similar, these two enactments now need to go to a Joint Committee
that will recommend out a single version for consideration and
signature by the President. The principal changes/enhancements
appearing in this new legislation over its former version include:
The states will again be limited to 30 waivers per year, but
they will have the flexibility of recommending up to five (5)
waivers per year for physicians treating the indigent and
medically underserved, even if the actual practice site is
not in a designated medically underserved community;
Physicians receiving waivers from federal agencies will be
exempted from the H-1B quota cap;
Both primary care and specialty care physicians will be
eligible under either the state or federal waiver programs;
The program will be extended for a limited two-year period
of time.
SOME MATTERS OF PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL
INTEREST
On some personal notes, I was in Washington, DC a few weeks
ago on two distinct but related missions.
First, I am a Vice Chair of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society
(HIAS), which is one of the most highly awarded refugee and
immigrant rights organizations in the world, having a remarkable
record of assisting in the migration of oppressed Jewish and nonJewish populations to lands of opportunity. The purpose of this
visit was to advocate to various federal agencies on the need for a
(Immigration - continued on p.14)
PAGE 13
PAGE 14
A S P R
(Immigration - continued from p.13)
robust refugee program and the enhancement of immigrant rights.
We as a Board spent over three hours in the White House complex
engaged in a very meaningful and wide-ranging discussion with
Administration officials. We were encouraged that the United
States, undoubtedly in response to concerns raised by the refugee
advocacy community, has set the refugee admissions level for
this forthcoming fiscal year at 70,000, which represents roughly
a 40% increase from the number admitted last fiscal year (although
still a small initiative toward addressing the migration and
resettlement of the world's roughly 17 million refugees as certified
by the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees).
As a second endeavor, a colleague and I also met with the
Congressional leadership dealing with the extension of the Conrad
State 30 Program. Roughly 25 years ago in a previous professional
incarnation, I was a lobbyist and lawyer on international trade
and investment issues in Washington, DC, and would regularly
visit Capitol Hill and the White House. This recent effort on the
Conrad reauthorization represented one of my rare recent forays
into Congressional offices, and to say the least it is highly
reaffirming that individual citizens can gain access to elected
representatives so as to advance and discuss legislation of
perceived national benefit. In this particular case, there appears
to be a direct correlation between these meetings and the passage
of the extension of this legislation in both Houses of Congress.
This coming week, I will again be returning to Washington, DC to
participate in meetings with the U.S. Department of State as a
member of my professional association's liaison efforts. My main
interest and area of expertise concerns the J-1 Exchange Visitor
Program and waivers of the two-year home residence requirement,
and my professional association maintains an active, ongoing
cooperative effort with the Department on these issues. These
forthcoming meetings, though, will embrace a wide-ranging agenda
with the Visa Office focusing largely on visa issuance policies
and procedures, and the minutes of these sessions will become
a matter of public record.
I also was recently invited to participate in a nationwide
teleconference organized by the American Association of Medical
Colleges (AAMC) on H-1B visa policies for foreign medical trainees.
I always appreciate the opportunity to appear before knowledgeable
and involved audiences, and along with my co-panelists on this
presentation we were able to review not only immigration legal
standards, but also individual institutional attitudes toward utilizing
the H-1B Temporary Worker classification as opposed to the J-1
Program for medical training purposes.
The information herein presented is not intended, nor should it be
utilized as legal advice on any specific situation. Furthermore, given
the rapid pace of change, the veracity of this information is constantly
subject to modification and/or reversal. Rather, this piece represents
a good faith attempt to orient clients and other interested parties served
by Ingber & Aronson to current immigration developments. This
piece in no manner supersedes the need to seek competent legal
advice when engaged in activities carrying possible immigrationrelated consequences.
Bob Aronson is with Ingber Aronson, 1221 Nicollet Mall, Suite 506,
Minneapolis, MN 55403. Phone 612-339-0517.
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
NEW REGIONAL GROUP FORMED
by Dennis Burns, Chair, ASPR Regional Development Committee
We are pleased to announce the formation of the North West Staff
Physician Recruiters (NWSPR) association. ASPR members from
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska are
joining together to form a regional network of professional colleagues
to promote effective physician recruitment and networking.
Our charter meeting was held on October 6 in conjunction with the
CareerMD Career Fair in Seattle, WA. With the direction of Dennis
Burns, chairman of ASPR’s Regional Development Committee, 12
recruiters from WA, OR, and ID met to discuss goals, bylaws,
development of an association website, and a recruiting brochure.
The group agreed to have a less formal structure, require ASPR
membership as a prerequisite, and meet on a biannual basis. In the
meantime, a core group has met via telephone conference calls.
Goals include collaborating on sourcing ideas, sharing educational
topics and expertise, exchanging sourcing and retention ideas, as
well as referring candidates where appropriate. We are considering
hosting our own career/educational fair in 2005 and have already
received interest for vendor support.
The response from ASPR members has been great and the
volunteerism is commendable. We are considering a work retreat
this winter in order to build a solid foundation for the group. Our
destination will be in the beautiful snow country of Sun Valley, Idaho.
It’s not too late to relocate…
For more information, please contact: Deborah Akins at 206-6214106 or Dennis Burns at 586-753-1257.
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
(President's Corner- continued from p.2)
During the second half of the year, I had an opportunity to speak
at two different regional meetings. One of these was the NEPRA
(Northeast Physician Recruiters Association) conference in
Portland, Maine, and the other was NAPR (National Association
of Physician Recruiters) Fall Fly-In in Hollywood, Florida. Both of
these meetings were great opportunities for me to share information
about ASPR with nonmembers and non-corporate contributors
seated in the audience. At the NAPR conference, I had the chance
to present information to their Board as well as their membership.
This also allowed me to learn more about the organization and
how we might be able to partner with them in the future. One of
our goals at ASPR is to “get the word out” about ASPR. I also
feel there is value in developing relationships (whether they be at
arm’s length or not) with other associations. I hope I may help to
continue work in that area as Past President of ASPR.
Our Association has also taken the initiative to hire an Executive
Director. This permanent, full-time position will take a sales,
marketing, and educational direction. I believe this person will
help develop relationships that will move ASPR to the forefront of
physicians' minds when they are looking for career opportunities.
This individual will develop presentations to share information about
ASPR with doctors. If we can encourage more physicians to go
directly to our website, I think we will increase membership and
enhance our effectiveness as recruiters.
Now, if we can move onto those New Year’s resolutions. I would
be remiss if I didn’t mention one last time about the benefits of
volunteering. This is such a giving membership. It would be a
shame for you not to take full advantage of it. Please consider
giving your time.
Don't forget...
It's dues renewal time!
Make sure this isn't your
last newsletter...
If you haven't already done so,
send in your dues renewal
NOW!
PAGE 15
PAGE 16
A S P R
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
CASPR IS ALIVE AND WELL!
by Jackie Thoms and Ginette Vezina, 2004 Conference Co-chairs
CASPR, the newly formed Canadian Association of Staff Physician
Recruiters, was officially launched as it hosted its 1st Annual
Conference in Toronto, Ontario on November 24, 2004.
Attending were 67 recruiters representing most of Canada from
Newfoundland to British Columbia. We were thrilled to have Dennis
Burns from ASPR’s Michigan Chapter join us and address the
group. Ten national sponsors provided funding and gifts. Thanks
to their generosity and contributions, participants enjoyed highcaliber Canadian national speakers who presented on “Managing
the Workforce – A Primer for the Millennium”, as well as,
“The Power of One, The Power of Many, The Power of You,”
and “Managing the Stress of Relocation.”
A short business meeting was held during the conference during
which the election process was discussed. The group
recommended that elections for an Executive Committee be held
electronically following the meeting, and that process is now
underway. CASPR should have an official first Executive by the
end of January 2005. Likewise, several association logos
were presented and a vote is being carried out to select
the favorite.
Conference Co-Chairs Ginette Vezina (left), recruiter, Sudbury
Regional Hospital (Ontario), and Jackie Thoms (right), Manager,
Health Professional and Community Development, NOMEC
(Sudbury, Ontario)
Overall, the Planning Committee did an outstanding job
and plans are now underway for CASPR Conference 2005.
The spirit of CASPR persists!
Full House - A total of 67 recruiters from across Canada
attended the first CASPR conference in Toronto, Ontario
Joan Hatcher, ASPR liaison, leads the first
CASPR business meeting
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
PAGE 17
CAPTURING THE INSPIRATION OF A FRESH START!
by Don Hutson, Professional Speaker and Trainer
In the first edition of SELF HELP written by Samuel Smiles and
published in 1881, Smiles set forth some thoughts about personal
achievement. Smiles said “Happiness and well being must
necessarily depend mainly upon the individual - upon one’s own
diligent self-culture, self discipline, and self control - and above
all on the honest and upright performance of individual duty which
is the glory of strong character.” Smiles, who, in the opinion of
this writer, is the father of positive thinking as we know it today,
nailed it!
Our success today is primarily the result
of what we plan, expect of ourselves,
and skillfully execute. You can
forget winning the lottery, since
that is a long shot unworthy of
your worry. To plan on acquiring
the easy buck is folly.
The path to accomplishment and
success is through individual initiative.
We are all competing for the same rewards
as millions of other people, so we need
a solid, well thought out plan if we are
to progress and endure. What better
time to visualize a successful future
than the beginning of a new year? Yes,
now is the time to have strong resolve and
capture the inspiration of a fresh start. The
question is “Will you be motivated to take
action?”
Thoreau defined motivation as “The pull of anticipation and the
push of discipline.” I have never seen a more superb definition.
Anticipation is our goal-setting and vision establishment element,
and discipline is the courage and never-give-up element. There is
evidence everywhere in our American culture that most people
are uninspired to go for greatness today. Less than 1/2 of 1% of
the population puts their goals in writing. Our challenge is to
make the decision to be in the minority who will pay the price for
the success we desire! If you are intrigued so far, read on.
Whether you call them new year’s resolutions or goals is
immaterial. What matters is that you sit down either with paper
and pen or your trusty PC, and go to work on actually creating
your future. Subscribe to the philosophy that “If something is
important, work from document, not just thought.” Put power in
your goals and visions by putting them in writing and your
subconscious mind will go to work for you! To give you a track to
run on, I will offer seven categories of goals to focus on in your
process. I suggest you write a one sentence “belief statement”
or “premise” for each category. Since all behavior is based on our
beliefs, this exercise will give you a solid foundation from which
to work. An example of this is applied to education goals: “I
must continually expand my knowledge of my chosen craft if I
am to make measurable progress.” After you have written your
premise, then write the specific goals down which you plan to
achieve.
The seven categories of goals are: Career, Education, Family,
Financial, Physical, Social, and Spiritual. For a balanced
life, we need to devote time, focus, and energy to
each. I recommend you simply allocate and
schedule one hour for this process, but if you
only spend thirty minutes on it, do it. (Why not
today?) Write your premises expressing your
beliefs in each category, and list three specific
goals in each, and you will have a predictably better
year than if you ignore the process. Research
indicates that you will triple your commitment
to your goals and the probability of
successful achievement just by writing
them down. If you go one step further
and assign a specific time frame to each
goal (60 days, 3 months, one year, etc.),
you will quintuple commitment and the
probability of achievement!
It works. Cavett Robert, founder of the National
Speakers Association says that character is “The ability
to carry out a worthwhile resolution long after the mood in which
it was made has left you.” That’s the inspiration we need to go for
it! Following an organized, written process will keep you in the
mood to achieve. Why not do it? Here’s why. In great, rich,
beautiful America we don’t
have to. We can coast
along and live better than
94% of the rest of the planet.
Many of us have become
apathetic, even lethargic
about our own personal
growth. Not you, you say?
Great. Go for it. Just do it.
I dare you!
Don Hutson is a professional speaker and trainer, author of eight
books, and CEO of U.S. Learning based in Memphis. You may
contact him at 800-647-9166 or
[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
PAGE 18
A S P R
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
MEDICAL STAFF RETENTION
by Tim Skinner, Medical Staff Development, Gundersen Lutheran Health System, LaCrosse, WI
BACKGROUND
Physician recruitment is becoming more costly and more intense
because of supply and demand issues and/or maldistribution by
specialty of geography.
Younger physicians work differently than their predecessors, with
more need for time off.
The cost to recruit physicians is estimated to be $20,000 to $40,000
with the average at about $30,000.
Several 2003 surveys indicate that 85% of hospitals and clinics
in the US are recruiting.
It is difficult to determine physician turnover rates with
the aim of developing a benchmark. However, a review
of recent studies and articles suggest physician
turnover rates range from about 5% to well over
20%, depending on type of practice and
geography. It appears that physician turnover
rates have not been comprehensively studied
within the last four years. In a group of 400
employed physicians, a turnover rate of 8%
suggests that 32 will need to be replaced.
TURNOVER – DISCUSSION AND
CAUSES AS REPORTED IN
SELECTED ARTICLES
Turnover rates among professionals, including
physicians, are highest during the first three years of
employment. Retention planning needs to be especially
active during those first three years of practice. Relationships
with the leadership, support staff and other physicians, practice
development and personal adjustment to new environment are
critical to the discussion. Health care and medicine today can
create dissatisfaction. Do the organizational structure and
decision making processes add to dissatisfaction?
CAUSES OF TURNOVER
The practice was different than expected or explained during
recruitment
Poor feedback or lack thereof during the first crucial months
of practice
Desire to be closer to family or lack of perceived activities
for singles/families
The physician and family never become a part of the
community
Rural America didn’t turn out to equal the dream of small
town living
Lack of control over the practice - scheduling, referral
authorization, being excluded from the decision-making
process, etc.
Lack of two-way communication, not being invited to
participate in discussions involving the practice
Lack of appreciation in general
GAP – there is a “gap” between real or perceived
expectations and reality
RETENTION IS PART OF A PROCESS, NOT AN
UNRELATED EVENT
Physician retention begins with strategic planning, provider
needs assessment, a recruitment plan, interviewing, hiring
and orientation. The retention plan should be an integral
part of the recruitment/interview process.
Strategic planning tells the organization where
it is going and how it will get there.
Needs assessment should review efficiency
issues, patient volumes and types of patients,
market share, and determine the type of provider
who will fit that need (associate staff or medical
staff).
Recruitment planning includes sourcing, practice
description, criteria for hire, and “fit”.
Interviewing process should be defined as part of the
planning. Keep the surprises to a minimum (any ongoing
issues will rise to the top during recruitment).
Hiring should move the new physician smoothly into
relocation and orientation.
Orientation is step one in developing a retention plan that
is part of a total process, which includes a feedback loop
(exit interviews, succession planning and the strategic
plan).
RECRUITING AS RETENTION
Define the criteria of skills and requirements for the group
Screen candidates for the best all around “fit” based on
criteria and knowledge of the organization and service
area
Establish common expectations during the interview and
discuss before an offer is made (i.e. patient load, call
schedule, committee time, timeframe to a full practice,
etc.) Remember the GAP by asking about expectations
vs. reality
Offer the significant other support
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
Integrate retention into the interview process. Discuss
with staff and candidate that one of the primary goals of
the recruitment process is retention
RETENTION PLANNING
PAGE 19
ORIENTATION IS THE ONE STEP IN A RETENTION
PROGRAM
Common to almost all active retention plans are both
professional and personal issues and activities.
The key to physician retention is to maintain regular contact with
physicians and their spouses to stay abreast of how they are
adjusting, and to anticipate any problems that may develop. The
most critical element in any retention plan is a mechanism to
“check in” on the physician’s expectations.
Orientation is step one in retention
Recruiting cannot be considered completely successful until the
physician is on staff and productive to the point of providing a
service to the community and producing enough revenue to support
the new practice. Therefore, the recruitment function should
include responsibility for seeing that the physician and his or her
family are not only recruited, but are successfully acclimated to
their new location.
Plan is in writing, supported by leadership, and process
is tracked
Keep in mind the needs of physicians’ spouses and families
because frequently physicians’ satisfaction depends on their
families’ adjustment.
Retention efforts will not be wasted because it is far less costly
to save one promising recruit than to find another.
PracticeLink- 1/2 SAME
Professional mentor
Social mentor
One to three year plan with less frequent direct involvement
over time
Organizational commitment is clear
Long term follow up for three years
All retention plans have similarities, but variations should
reflect organizational differences.
CEO calls or sends a note welcoming the physician to
the practice
Recruit staff select Mentors (Professional and Social) for
the new physician
(Retention - continued on p.20)
PAGE 20
A S P R
(Retention - continued from p.19)
Recruiter sends the Physician Mentor a copy of the
Physician Mentorship Program and expectations
Recruiter sends a note to the new physician advising them
that a Physician Mentor will be contacting them
Offer Social Mentor Program to the new physician’s
spouse. If interested in participating, select a Mentor (not
all will want this – respect the decision)
Department/Clinic orientation involves the new physician
with issues regarding equipment, office space, scheduling,
support staff, business cards, etc
Recruiter keeps in touch with the physician and spouse
to “check in” on relocation preparations
Physician Mentor should call the new physician to keep
him/her informed of developments in the group and/or
department before their arrival
Ensure the physician’s office and exam rooms are ready
Marketing sends announcement introducing the new
physician to the clinic and system
Start of Year 1
Recruiter calls to welcome physician and their family within
the first week of relocation.
Sends a “Welcome” basket to the home on the new
physician’s first day of work
Social Mentor calls to welcome spouse/family within the
first week of relocation
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
Recruiter calls the Spouse to see how family is adjusting
to the community, and to integrate the Social Mentor
Social Mentor calls the spouse to plan activities, check
in, etc
Recruiter meets with the new physician after two months
to see if recruitment expectations meet reality
Recruiter surveys both new physician and spouse during
first six to twelve months to see what improvements could
be made in the relocation and practice orientation/retention
processes for future implementation
Annual meeting with the System CEO or Senior
Medical Leadership
Department Chair to ensure that schedule is being
followed
Year 2
Define meetings with the Physician Mentor
Define meetings with the CEO and leadership
Recruiter follows up with the CEO, mentor, Department
Chair to ensure that schedule is being followed
Year 3
Define meetings with the Physician Mentor
Define meetings with the CEO and leadership
Recruiter follows up with the CEO, mentor, Department
Chair to ensure that schedule is being followed
Orientation/retention schedule includes essential people
as outlined in organization policy, Mentor, CEO, Medical
Director, Department Chair, Directors, etc
Post-Employment Phase
Identified leadership within the organization should conduct
exit interviews with physicians who voluntarily leave the
organization. If information revealed in these sessions
indicates a pattern, it should be shared with the recruiter if
that information can be used to improve the Physician
Retention Plan.
Recruiter works with the Social Mentor to organize
appropriate activities, if desired by incoming family
SUMMARY
Physician orientation schedule starts on first day
Physician Mentor meets with new physician on first day
Monthly the First Year:
Monthly meetings with identified department chairs, VPs,
and mentor as identified in plan. Develop and offer feedback
on practice development and discuss problems or any
other topics relevant to their situation
Physician retention programs have evolved since about 1990. At
that time Carle Clinic, Gundersen Clinic and the Virginia Mason
Clinic appeared to be developing retention programs at the same
time. The three organizations shared information as the programs
tended to be similar.
Tracking of patient volumes, revenues and expenses (as
information becomes available). After three months,
Quarterly meetings for the remainder of the first year.
Generally, physician retention programs have a lot in common,
but are developed to meet the needs of specific organizations.
Physician Mentor meets with new physician monthly to
continue to provide information, guidance, and support.
The two physicians can determine meeting time; however,
requires the physician recruitment office to track and
document
Marketing of practice or outreach needs to be incorporated
into the process
Common to most retention plans are both professional and
personal issues and activities.
Strategic planning is both the start and finish of staff
development
Needs assessments need to review efficiency, patient visit
time, quality, access, market share, population, type of
provider or physician, and more
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
Recruitment process is defined
Position description developed
Sourcing plans developed
Recruit to retain
Screening and referencing is clarified
Interview process is defined
Offer, compensation, and benefits are clear
Relocation process is clear
Orientation is retention
Professional mentor
Social mentor
One to three year plan
Tracking system – who will monitor the process and will
leadership make it clear that retention is a priority in the
new physician or provider schedules?
RETENTION IS A PROCESS,
NOT AN UNRELATED EVENT
RESOURCES
www.aspr.org Excellent source for information and resources,
should be the first stop in search for information
www.merritthawkins.com Surveys published each year relating
to compensation
www.mgma.com Always a good source for various articles and
resources
www.iphca.org Illinois Primary Health Care Association
“Finding MD to Join Practice Takes Time and Money”, OB.GYN
News and Family Practice News August, 1990, interview of
Tim Skinner
“The Future of In-House Recruitment”, Unique Opportunities,
May/June, 1992, Tim Skinner
“Physician Retention”, Presentation, NAPR Annual
Convention, April, 1994, Susan Esposito, Jann Johnson, Nada
Shaw, Tim Skinner
Health Care Advisory Board Report, 1996
“Retention”, Presentation, ASPR Annual meeting, August,
1996, Christine Bourbeau, Tim Skinner
“Retention – You Got ‘Em, Now Keep ‘Em” ASPR Annual
Meeting, July, 1998, Kurt Scott
Recruiting Physicians Today, Volume 11, No. 4 July/Aug 2003,
Physician Recruiting: Costs and Rewards, Broxterman and
Smith
Tim Skinner is Manager of Medical Staff Development at
Gundersen Lutheran Health System in LaCrosse, WI. He can be
reached at 800-362-9567 x54224, or at email
[email protected].
PAGE 21
PAGE 22
A S P R
(What's New - continued from p.1)
The ability of a current H-1B visa holder to change employers
immediately upon the filing of an H-1B change of employer
petition.
The extension of the six-year H-1B limit if an applicant has
had a labor certification or an I-140 petition pending for one
year or more. In this situation, the USCIS will approve an H1B extension at one-year intervals until the green card
application is concluded.
The ability to change employers if an adjustment of status
application has been pending for 180 days or longer provided
the applicant’s new employment is in a similar occupation.
The new options that have been created permit foreign physicians
more flexibility to obtain and extend H-1B visa status. It will also
give H-1B visa holders the ability to easily move from one employer
to another. The new obstacles mainly include increased costs
for processing applications and a significant decrease in the
number of H-1B visas issued every year.
II. J-1 Waivers
The most common method used to obtain a J-1 waiver for a foreign
physician is the Interested Government Agency (IGA) request.
Currently, there are four different types of IGA waivers available to
foreign physicians. These waivers are: (1) the Appalachian
Regional Commission waiver; (2) the Department of Veterans
Affairs waiver; (3) the Health and Human Services waiver; and, (4)
the Conrad State 30 waiver.
The IGA waiver process has not changed significantly during the
last few years, and as a result, the majority of foreign specialists
either had to request a Veterans Affairs waiver or resign themselves
to the fact that they will be returning home for at least 2 years
before pursuing permanent resident status. However, on
December 3, 2004, the Conrad State 30 waiver program was
amended to permit 5 of each state’s Conrad State 30 waivers to
go to any type of physician provided it is established that the
physician will be serving residents of a medically underserved
area and that there is a shortage of that specific medical specialty
in the area.
While this change is relatively minor in the overall scheme of
immigration, it does open a small window of opportunity for a
specialty-trained physician to seek and obtain a J-1 waiver and in
so doing avoid the two-year home residence requirement.
III. Applying For A Visa in Canada or
Mexico for Third Country Nationals
Prior to September 11, nonimmigrants that obtained a change of
status in the United States, or a visa approval notice, routinely
would travel to the United States Consulates in Canada or Mexico
for visa processing, thus avoiding the need to travel overseas to
attend a Consular interview. While this policy has not changed, it
is now more important than ever to make sure that an applicant is
fully prepared for the visa interview, as any denial or delay will
ultimately result in the applicant being denied reentry into the
United States from Canada or Mexico, resulting in a return trip to
the applicant’s home country for visa processing.
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
As of April 1, 2002, citizens of certain designated terrorist
sponsoring countries (Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya, Sudan, North Korea,
and Cuba) are no longer permitted to travel to contiguous countries
or adjacent islands without a valid visa, even if they possess a
valid I-94 card or other documentation verifying current lawful status.
For example, if a nonimmigrant from one of the terrorist sponsoring
countries has changed status from J-1 visa to H-1B and then
travels to Mexico or Canada for a day, he will be required to obtain
a visa to return to the United States. More importantly, if any
applicant travels to a United States Consulate in Mexico or
Canada, and applies for a visa and the visa is not issued, the
applicant will not be permitted to reenter the United States.
These changes could have a significant impact on the manner in
which nonimmigrants obtain their Consular visa stamps and the
resulting freedom to travel internationally. In this current climate
of constant policy change, it is prudent to advise nonimmigrants
to avoid travel outside of the United States unless it is absolutely
essential. If travel is necessary, be sure to thoroughly research
the steps the nonimmigrant must take in order to obtain a consular
visa. Overlooking this issue could result in a significant delay in
the nonimmigrant’s return to work or quite possibly a denial of
reentry.
IV. Conclusion
Many options remain for you, the physician recruiter, to work with
the wealth of qualified foreign medical graduates who desire to
practice in the United States. It is important to have a basic
understanding of the applicable immigration laws but keep in mind
that the rules of the game are continually changing. Do not
hesitate to contact an expert for clarification on any issues early
in the evaluation process. In so doing, you will be able to
concentrate your efforts on those candidates who have a legitimate
opportunity to immigrate to the United States.
ABOUT LEIBL & KIRKWOOD
This article was written specifically for foreign physicians seeking
information about their United States immigration options. The
authors, Geoffrey Leibl and Joe Kirkwood, are immigration
attorneys and the founding partners in the law firm of Leibl &
Kirkwood, located in Del Mar, California. Leibl & Kirkwood is a
law firm dedicated exclusively to the practice of immigration law
and has assisted many physicians to immigrate to the United
States.
If you have any questions about the issues raised in this article,
or if you would like to discuss your specific case, please do not
hesitate to contact either Geoffrey Leibl or Joe Kirkwood at:
Leibl & Kirkwood
12865 Point Del Mar, Suite 190
Del Mar, CA 92104
Tel. (858) 481-5211
Fax (858) 482-7271
[email protected]
www.usimmigrationlaw.net
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
ASPR FEATURED GOLD CONTRIBUTOR
PAGE 23
COMPHEALTH
Growing Specialty Aids in Staff Optimization
There is a movement taking place in the healthcare world.
This movement is growing rapidly and will continue to grow
year after year. It has the potential to help increase
physician satisfaction while improving patient care and
safety. Many healthcare facilities are already participating
in this movement and are looking for help on how best to
expand their participation. What is this movement? It is
the growth of hospitalist programs nationwide.
Hospitalists were once seldom used and misunderstood.
That is rapidly changing. It is expected that there will be
30,000 practicing hospitalists in the next decade. So what
exactly is a hospitalist? In August 1996, Lee Goldman, M.D.
and Robert M. Wachter, M.D., coined the term “hospitalist”
in the New England Journal of Medicine. They defined
hospitalists as, “specialists in inpatient medicine who will
be responsible for managing the care of hospitalized
patients the same way primary care physicians are
responsible for managing the care of outpatients.”
Why would a healthcare facility choose to use a hospitalist?
Primary care physicians’ hospital work has declined over
the past few decades. This is because only the sickest
patients are hospitalized and more care is provided in the
physicians’ offices. As a result, physician offices are
generally busier now, and it has become less efficient for
physicians to commute to the hospital to see only one or
two patients at a time.
In addition, as physicians provide less frequent care in a
hospital setting, it is increasingly difficult for them to keep
up with changes in hospital care and protocols for treating
particular health concerns. Hospitalists, however, who
exclusively provide inpatient care, are better able to track
such changes. These trends are contributing to the
popularity and success of hospitalist programs. By
referring patients to hospitalists for admission and inpatient
care, physicians increase their time available for office
visits and minimize the inconvenience of commuting to
the hospital. Some physicians believe this has improved
their own quality of life.
According to a 2002 poll by Medical Economics, 61
percent of responding primary care physicians refer
patients to hospitalists, while only nine percent of this group
is required to do so. Eighty-five percent of respondents
who utilize hospitalists rated their care as good or excellent.
The survey also shows that hospitalist programs benefit
hospitals, patients, and physicians by providing higher
quality patient care at a lower cost and improving referring
physicians’ convenience and efficiency.
Physicians aren’t the only group to benefit from adding
hospitalists to the staffing mix. Some people argue that
patients are wary about receiving care and treatment from
physicians other than their primary providers. But
according to a 2001 study by The Advisory Board, most
patients are pleased with their course of care under a
hospitalist. Some of the benefits mentioned by patients in
the study are:
Around the clock care
Discharge planning that begins at start of admission
Earlier start of treatment
Less “down time” in waiting for care, test results,
or specialty consultations
Ready availability of hospitalist to patient and family
members; improves communication and facilitates
patient and family approval for changes in
treatment
Vigilant attention to changes in patient condition due
to 24-hour coverage
As the staffing needs of hospitals and facilities continue to
be urgent and complex, the integration of a well-run
hospitalist program can be a key piece of the staffing
puzzle. Using hospitalists in temporary positions can be a
valuable solution for facilities to begin realizing the benefits
that come with hospitalists while they get a program
started. For facilities looking to expand their offerings,
incorporating temporary hospitalists gives them more
flexibility and resources for accomplishing that goal.
To aid facilities with all of their questions and hospitalists
needs, CompHealth is launching a team dedicated
exclusively to staffing hospitalists, in temporary positions,
across the country. The hospitalist team will be up and
running in January of 2005.
The team will have the experience, expertise and resources
to aide you with all of your concerns and needs. It will help
you understand all of the nuances of using hospitalists to
help you take full advantage of this opportunity. For more
information on CompHealth’s hospitalist team, please call
Dave Andrews at 800-453-3030, or email him at
[email protected].
PAGE 24
A S P R
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
WELCOME NEW ASPR MEMBERS
Rebecca Banco
Physician Recruitment Coordinator
Rutland Regional Medical Center
160 Allen St
Rutland, VT 05701
Phone: 802-747-3844
FAX:
802-747-6207
E-Mail: [email protected]
James Dowling
Workforce Development Director
Maine Primary Care Assn
73 Winthrop St
Augusta, ME 04330
Phone: 207-621-0677
FAX:
207-621-0577
E-Mail: [email protected]
Buck Benton
Manager Professional Recruitment
Southeast Permanente Med Group, Inc
3495 Piedmont Rd, Bldg 9
Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: 404-365-4243
Toll Free: 800-877-0409
FAX:
404-364-4987
E-Mail: [email protected]
Tricia Henzel
Director Physician Recruitment &
Marketing
Olean Medical Group, LLP
535 Main St
Olean, NY 14760
Phone: 716-376-2346
FAX:
716-373-6632
E-Mail: [email protected]
Kate Bogue
Physician Recruitment Coordinator
The Great Falls Clinic, LLP
1400 29th St South
Great Falls, MT 59405
Phone: 406-771-3332
Toll Free: 800-421-1649
FAX:
406-771-3361
E-Mail: [email protected]
Jessica Howard
Physician Recruiter
Fairview Health Services
2450 Riverside Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55123
Phone: 612-672-2284
Toll Free: 800-842-6469
FAX:
612-672-2986
E-Mail: [email protected]
Judith Brown
Physician Recruiter
Emergency Medical Services, Inc
920 Main Ste 300
Kansas City, MO 64105
Phone: 816-559-6333
Toll Free: 800-821-5147
FAX:
816-561-3819
E-Mail: [email protected]
Kevin Kirkpatrick
Recruiter
Peterborough Regional Health Care
1 Hospital Dr
Peterborough, Ontario,
Canada K9J 7C6
Phone: 705-743-2121 x3064
FAX:
705-876-5015
E-Mail: [email protected]
Marjorie Creagh
Physician Practice Representative
Lake Hospital System
10 E Washington St
Painsville, OH 44077
Phone: 440-354-1988
FAX:
440-354-1244
E-Mail: [email protected]
Marce Knight
Asst. Administrator Physician
Recruitment
North Bend Medical Center
1900 Woodland Dr
Coos Bay, OR 97420
Phone: 541-267-5151 x294
Toll Free: 800-234-1231
FAX:
541-267-0500
E-Mail: marce.knight@
nbmconline.com
Teresa Kohn
Staffing Strategist
Cincinnati Childrens Hospital
2900 Vernon Place, MLC 9008
Cincinnati, OH 45229
Phone: 513-636-0503
Toll Free: 877-636-2462
FAX:
425-799-6959
E-Mail: [email protected]
Barbara Laible
Mngr Physician Recruiting/Medical Staff
Services
Kelsey-Seybold Clinic
8900 Lakes @ 610 Drive
Houston, TX 77054
Phone: 713-442-0750
FAX:
713-442-0426
E-Mail: [email protected]
Lynette McBride
Physician Recruiter
Hospitalists Management Group
4535 Dressler Rd NW
Canton, OH 44718
Phone: 330-492-6400
Toll Free: 866-464-7497 x557
FAX:
330-492-4906
E-Mail: [email protected]
Dawn McClure
Physician Recruiter
Blue Ridge Healthcare
2201 S Sterling St
Morgantown, NC 28655
Phone: 828-580-5691
Toll Free: 800-416-9233
FAX:
828-580-5699
E-Mail: [email protected]
Renee McNeely
Coordinator
East TN State Quillen College of
Medicine
PO Box 70622
Johnson City, TN 37614
Phone: 423-439-6389
FAX:
423-439-6387
E-Mail: [email protected]
A S P R
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
NEW MEMBERS
PAGE 25
- continued
Ross McNeill
Recruiter
HCA - North Texas Division
6565 N MacArthur Blvd
Irving, TX 75039
Phone: 972-401-8725
Toll Free: 877-401-8776 x8725
FAX:
866-315-2554
E-Mail: ross.mcneill@
hcahealthcare.com
Jo Reynolds
Marketing Director/Physician
Recruitment
Samaritan Hospital
1205 N. Missouri St
Macon, MO 63552
Phone: 660-385-8719
FAX:
660-385-8719
E-Mail: marketing@
samaritanhospital.net
Tim Watson
Specialty Recruiter
HCA - North Texas Division
6565 N MacArthur Blvd, Ste 350
Irving, TX 75039
Phone: 972-401-8727
Toll Free: 877-401-8776 x8727
FAX:
866-315-6889
E-Mail: tim.watson@
hcahealthcare.com
David Osmond
Coordinator, Physician Resource
Planning
Capital Health
Rm 1-015-Centennial Bldg
1278 Tower Rd
Halifax, Nova Scotia,
Canada B3H 2Y9
Phone: 902-473-4313
FAX:
902-473-7433
E-Mail: david.osmond@
cdha.nshealth.ca
Roxane Sanderson
Manager Physician Relations
St. James Hospital and Health Centers
20201 S Crawford Ave
Olympia Fields, IL 60461
Phone: 708-747-4000 x1986
Rebecca Woods
Director Physician Recruitment and
Retention
Eastern CT Health Network
71 Haynes St
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860-533-2908
FAX:
860-647-6860
E-Mail: [email protected]
Donna Overman
Director Physician Recruitment &
Development
Southwest Washington Medical Ctr
PO Box 1600
Vancouver, WA 98668
Phone: 360-514-1750
FAX:
360-514-2386
E-Mail: doverman@
swmedicalcenter.com
Julia Ramage
Director Physician Services
Robinson Memorial Hospital
6847 N. Chestnut Street
Ravenna, OH 44266
Phone: 330-297-2313
FAX:
330-297-2949
E-Mail: [email protected]
Mark Rearrick
Recruiter
Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic
518 W 1st Ave
Teppenish, WA 98948
Phone: 509-865-6175 x2284
FAX:
509-865-2891
E-Mail: [email protected]
Susan Sexton
Executive Assistant for Recruitment
Eastern CT Health Network
71 Haynes St
Manchester, CT 06040
Phone: 860-533-2908
FAX:
860-647-6860
E-Mail: [email protected]
Jamie Spence
Professional Recruiter
The Chickasaw Nation
HC72 Box 1195
Kingston, OK 73439
Phone: 580-272-7272
FAX:
580-564-9720
E-Mail: [email protected]
Paula Stoner
Assistant Recruiter
Gundersen Lutheran Health System
1900 South Ave H02-011
LaCrosse, WI 54001
Phone: 608-775-4242
Toll Free: 800-362-9567 x54242
FAX:
608-775-5974
E-Mail: [email protected]
Hope Valvero
Physician Recruitment Coordinator
SSM Healthcare
12277 DePaul Dr, Ste 500
Bridgeton, MO 63044
Phone: 314-344-6902
FAX:
314-344-6660
E-Mail: [email protected]
Shari Workman, PHR
Recruiter
Multicare Health System
PO Box 5299
Tacoma, WA 98415-0299
Phone: 253-459-7976
FAX:
253-459-7855
E-Mail: shari.workman@
multicare.org
Barb Yates
Director Physician Recruitment &
Client Services
Hospitalists Management Group
4535 Dressler Rd NW
Canton, OH 44718
Phone: 330-492-6400
Toll Free: 866-464-7497 x456
FAX:
330-492-4906
E-Mail: [email protected]
Angela Young Sheffie
Workforce Development Coordinator
Louisiana Primary Care Association
4550 North Blvd Ste 120
Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Phone: 225-927-7662
Toll Free: 800-350-5722
FAX:
225-927-7688
E-Mail: [email protected]
PAGE 26
A S P R
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
ASPR EMPLOYMENT HOTLINE
Complete job &"where to apply" info can be found in the
"Member Only" section of the ASPR website.
If you hear about a recruiting position available, call the
ASPR office at 800-830-ASPR (2777). For information on
the most recent job listings, check the member only section
of the ASPR website.
Physician Specialty Recruiter
Position is responsible for lead generation, pre-screening
and qualifying of physician candidates for HCA hospitals
located in Houston, Corpus Christi, San Antonio,
Brownsville and McAllen, Texas. Limited travel required for
conferences representing HCA at association meetings,
hospitals, and physician practices. Excellent computer
skills required (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Database Input)
in addition to composing letters and ads for journals or
internet postings. Bachelors Degree, five years of
experience in physician recruitment, healthcare recruiting,
and organization knowledge required. Excellent
interpersonal, communication, multi-tasking, and customer
service skills. Ability to exercise diplomacy, discretion,
sound judgment, and flexibility. Interested and qualified
candidates are invited to submit resumes.
Physician Recruiter
Dreaming of Alaska? We are looking for an experienced
Recruiter to join our team. This will be our Senior Recruiter
position responsible physicians, midlevel providers, and
psychologists.
The good life! Alaska. A land of massive glaciers, endless
mountain ranges and outdoor recreation that is unequaled
anywhere. Yet, in Anchorage – a progressive, international
city – there is a sophisticated and metropolitan side as
well. Alaska’s largest city is a young, vibrant community
still carving out its identity.
A unique organization. Southcentral Foundation is a
Native managed tribal organization providing health and
related services to the Alaska Native and American Indian
people in our region of the state. Based in Anchorage , our
state-of-the-art facilities offer the best of western medicine
while incorporating the strength of traditional Native values.
Start your adventure!
Manager, Recruitment & Retention
Programs
The Northwest Regional Primary Care Association
(NWRPCA) is a 501(c) (3) membership association of
community and migrant health centers in Alaska, Idaho,
Oregon and Washington (federal Region 10). Among other
programs, NWRPCA provides clinician recruitment and
retention services to member health centers to support
their staffing requirements. This position is located in
Seattle, WA
Position Summary
The Recruitment and Retention Program Manager works
under the direction of the Deputy CEO. The position is
responsible for design, development, implementation, and
management of recruitment and retention activities that
result in the placement and retention of qualified,
experienced clinical staff in health centers in Alaska, Idaho,
Oregon and Washington. Recruitment activities include,
but are not limited to, candidate solicitation, screening,
referral processes, and advertising of health center clinical
positions on the NWRPCA website. Retention activities
include, but are not limited to, clinician education and
training, the maintenance and promotion of the Northwest
Clinician’s network, and communications through a variety
of media. The individual also provides leadership and
coordination to a multi-state Primary Care Association
collaboration, the goal of which is the creation of an
integrated clinician recruitment program serving
community and migrant health centers in Region 10.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required. Experience as a clinician (i.e.,
MD, DDS, DO, PharmD, PA, NP, RN), or in clinical
recruitment, required. Masters degree in Public Health or
Administration, or other related field, with significant
management or clinic experience, may be considered as
a possible substitution for required qualifications. Licensing
as a clinician preferred. Significant management,
supervisory and program development/evaluation
experience required. Experience in community health and
with community-based nonprofit organizations serving
diverse populations or communities preferred. Excellent
interpersonal, oral and written communication and
organizational skills required. Experience in working
collaboratively, such as coalition-building, facilitation, and/
Vol 11 NO. 4, Winter 2004-05
A S P R
or consensus-building, required. Must be flexible, selfmotivated, able to prioritize multiple tasks, able to carry a
heavy workload. Ability to establish and maintain effective
working relationships with diverse people. Ability to resolve
conflicts in a precise, timely and collaborative manner. Must
be an enthusiastic collaborator, willing to experiment and
embrace organizational change and participate in the
development of a multi-state collaborative work team with
fluid and evolving roles. Must demonstrate an awareness
of, a value for, and the inclusion of cultural competence in
task implementation, and a commitment to social justice.
Physical ability to stoop, kneel, bend, use a computer and
perform light lifting. Ability to travel in-state and out-of-state
on a frequent basis.
NWRPCA is an affirmative action employer, offering flexible
benefits, and a casual work environment. Salary is
dependent on qualifications and experience.
Physician Recruiter
Cooley Dickinson Hospital in Northampton, MA, is a
member of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Alliance, a regional
network of hospitals and other healthcare organizations in
New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. Members
collaborate on community education, prevention and
treatment programs – many of which take advantage of
the advanced research and educational resources of the
medical school and teaching hospital at DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center.
Position Overview
Under the general direction of the Vice President, Medical
Affairs and within established organizational and
departmental policies and procedures, responsible for
coordinating the timely and cost effective recruitment of
hospital based and community physicians. Develops and
maintains network of contacts to help identify and source
qualified candidates. Attends professional association
events as a means of developing a network of physician
candidates for current and future recruitment needs.
Challenges of the Position
The Physician Recruiter will be successful in this role if
the following expectations are: Development of candidate
sourcing strategies that may include a combination of
internet use, advertising, direct mailings, contacting
candidates directly and attendance at professional
colloquium; Development and maintenance of a “contacts”
network to help identify and source qualified candidates;
Development of collateral recruitment pieces as a means
to facilitate the marketing effort of medical opportunities
which exist within the hospital; Development of appropriate
interviewing tools to ensure all referred candidate’s exhibit
CDH’s values and that the candidate’s needs and other
PAGE 27
factors are identified for assessing the potential fit for the
position; Development of a system to ensure the timely
credentialing and enrollment of newly hired physicians;
Development of a systematic methodology to ensure the
transition of newly hired physicians into the organization
and into the community.
Education/Experience Requirements
Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university
required preferably in marketing, nursing or business. Five
(5) to seven (7) years current experience in physician
recruiting, or HR Recruitment that includes interviewing,
sourcing and collaborating with management. Knowledge
of job skills, job markets, recruiting techniques and
employment policies and procedures required.
Recruiter
Emergency Physicians Medical Group in Ann Arbor,
Michigan seeks an experienced, energetic recruiter! Must
have a proven track record, be comfortable with new
technology, have excellent interpersonal skills, better than
average communication skills, dedication to quality hires,
strong networking abilities, public relations experience, and
ability to travel. If you want to excel in a professional
environment with high expectations and can make things
happen, this position is for you. Emergency Physicians
Medical Group prefers their recruiters to have a Bachelor’s
degree and at least five years of executive/professional
recruiting experience. We offer excellent salary,
commissions, and a fully loaded, fully paid, benefits
package.
Physician Recruiter
CHRISTUS Spohn Health System, Corpus Christi, TX - is
currently seeking a Physician Recruiter who will be
responsible for the effective physician recruiting efforts of
the CHRISTUS Spohn System. The physician recruiter will
work collaboratively with the hospital leadership and
management to promote and market CHRISTUS Spohn
Health System mission and image. The qualified candidate
will develop recruitment plans/strategies, ensure early and
timely contact and screening of candidates, recruit and
retain physician as required, and coordinate relocation
issues involving candidates, including spouse recruitment
or relocation and employment. Bachelors degree in
business, marketing, healthcare, or related field and 3-5
years successful physician recruitment experience is
required. Must have extensive knowledge of physician
credentials, Visa requirements and guidelines.
Association of Staff Physician Recruiters
1711 West County Road B, Suite 300 N
Roseville, MN 55113
See page 1 for information on
ASPR member directory
Winter 2004-05
2005 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Kurt Scott
Associate VP, Professional Staffing
Geisinger Health System
Danville, PA 17822-2428
Phone:
570-271-6744
Toll Free: 800-845-7112
FAX:
570-271-6988
Email:
[email protected]
TREASURER
Dana Reed
Director of Professional Recruiting
Ochsner Clinic Foundation
Baton Rouge, LA 70884-2109
Phone:
225-761-5893
Toll Free: 800-488-2240
Fax:
225-761-5441
Email:
[email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT
Diana Dieckman
Physician Recruitment Specialist
Spectrum Health
1840 Wealthy St SE, MC21
Grand Rapids, MI 49506-2968
Phone:
616-774-7287
Toll Free: 800-788-8410
Fax:
616-774-7471
Email:
diana.dieckman@
spectrum-health.org
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE
Rich Lynch
Medical Staff Recruiter
Fort Atkinson/Watertown Memorial Hospitals
611 Sherman Avenue E
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538-1998
Phone:
920-568-5413
Fax:
920-568-6045
Email:
[email protected]
SECRETARY
Cindy Bagwell
Manager, Physician & Specialty Recruitment
Moses Cone Health System
1200 N Elm Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
Phone:
336-832-7784
Fax:
336-832-7782
Email:
[email protected]
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE
Jerry Hess
Placement Coordinator
Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa
1000 4th Street SW
Mason City, IA 50401
Phone:
641-422-5551
Toll Free: 888-877-5551
Fax:
641-422-6495
Email:
[email protected]
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE
Marci Jackson
Physician Recruiter
Sierra Health Services Inc.
2350 W. Charleston
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Phone:
702-240-8944
Email:
[email protected]
PAST PRESIDENT
Dana Butterfield
Physician Recruiter
Gundersen Lutheran-LaCrosse
4045 20th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Phone:
608-775-6314
Toll Free: 800-362-9567 x56314
FAX:
608-775-5974
Email:
[email protected]
COMMITTEE
CHAIR/CO-CHAIR
Educ./Conf. Planning .................. Cindy Bagwell
& Dana Butterfield
Marketing/Membership ............... Rich Lynch
Newsletter ..... Judy Brown & Laura Screeney
Regional Development ............ Dennis Burns
Strategic Planning/Bylaws ..... Scott Lindblom
Website .................................... David Nyman