Physician Recruitment Part Two The Hospital Responds Gordon Memorial responds to our question concerning what is being done in the important area of physician recruitment. Successful physician recruitment requires considerable human labor resources as well as timely and constant follow-up. Diana Stevens was brought on board in September and is responsible to focus on the recruitment process, which includes generating and following leads on physicians, nurses and other medical providers who are, or may soon be, available to work in Gordon. "Our goal is to attract well trained providers who can give quality health care to the Gordon community, said Stevens."In order to do this, we had to become stronger competitors in the recruitment field. This required a comprehensive effort based on industry proven strategies." Beyond centralizing recruitment efforts, the Gordon Memorial Hospital plan includes making sure that health provider salary's, sign-on bonuses and benefits are aligned with the rest of health care market," said Stevens. Competitive compensation offers, positive aspects of the location, recreation, and the amount of time required for on call service are just a few of the items that health care professionals evaluate in their decision to relocate. "Quality of life is our truly biggest selling point, so we accentuate this in our recruitment process as much as possible." Stevens has been quite busy in her new role. To date she has contacted many family practice residency programs in a multistate region, set up several esites with job openings, established a formal relationship with physician recruitment firms and followed-up on three community leads. Stevens is also charged with screening all health professional resumes, tracking the status of each potential candidate in the recruitment process and keeping in close and immediate contact with them. She coordinates interviews and job site visits and makes herself available to answer questions from recruiting firms and or potential candidates with a rapid response. "Currently, we are in the process of sending out opportunity letters or packets to potential candidates," said Stevens. "Our target areas include Nebraska, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Iowa." These states have many Critical Access Hospitals like Gordon Memorial where these providers complete their training. Stevens believes that the most effective method for physician recruitment is the "BLT" format, an acronym that stands for born, licensed and trained in Nebraska. "We believe that physicians who meet this criteria generally have a comfort with the geographic area and therefore, make the best matches for this community," said Stevens. It is also a bonus if the physician candidate's spouse has family ties to the area or was born and raised in Nebraska, added Stevens. Recruitment of providers remains a top priority for Gordon Memorial Hospital, said Stevens. Although the market is extremely competitive, Stevens believes that the strategic approach Gordon Memorial has chosen to take toward physician recruitment will certainly help. "The ongoing sustainability of the hospital depends on successful physician recruitment." Stevens notes that she welcomes any leads or ideas from the community. She can be reached at (308) 282-6181 or via email at dstevens@gordonmemorial.org.