Your independence isn’t only about autonomy; it’s a powerful tool for attracting top talent.
Let’s say your practice has been growing for years, and it’s time to add another doctor. You’re elated, until you learn that the large hospital a few blocks away is hiring for the same position—and offering a lot more money. You know that you can’t compete with those large salary and benefit packages.
However, these days, money isn’t the only thing that drives employment decisions.
Despite any perceived salary disparities, independent medical practices are thriving alongside even the largest healthcare systems. Tom Pierce, management consultant for Scroggins, said it’s because the smaller operations offer their physicians benefits the larger players can’t: freedom, flexibility, and control.
“Independent physicians get to select future coworkers, such as other physicians, staff, medical assistants, and nurses,” Pierce said. “They can also better control their costs, schedules, and patient load.”
A good office vibe is a powerful marketing tool.
When a medical practice works well, everyone feels it. The front desk is organized, employees are smiling, wait times are short, and patients leave feeling like they’ve been well cared for and they have a more personal relationship with their health care providers.
A friendly workplace is one of the reasons doctors and staff choose to work at independent practices. They know that working in a small-business setting means finding not only the best person for an open job, but the right person for the office culture. “If you’re working for a hospital network, you work with whoever they give you,” Pierce said. “Doctors have to move actively and efficiently in the office. And if they do not have the correct staff, they’re negatively impacted financially.”
When an office staff is a well-oiled machine that works as a singular unit, Pierce said in numerous specialties, doctors can see as many as 60 patients per day, and no one goes home feeling burned out or short-changed. In practices like these, decisions can be made on the fly, changes can be implemented quickly, and staff members have one another’s backs. That’s a less likely scenario at a large hospital, where turnover and transfers could mean a continuously new staff that may or may not work well together.
Dissension among the ranks impacts patient care, too. Beyond the backlogs and frustrated doctors, patients can sense if they’re being hurried or dismissed. It can lead to bad reviews, high turnover, and patients may even avoid necessary care because they don’t like the hospital atmosphere. At an independent practice, however, it’s easier to foster an atmosphere of joy, care, and attentiveness. “Making your patients feel like they were given excellent care is an art,” Pierce said, “and when it happens, they let their friends and family know.”
To be competitive, roll out the red carpet.
The one-on-one attention that makes patients feel heard, special, and well cared for is one of the hallmarks of independent practice. To stand apart from the competition, it’s essential to extend the same level of patient TLC to potential new doctors and staff. Pierce recommended going beyond the traditional interview and giving prospective employees a first-hand look at what it’s like to work for your practice. Have them meet the staff. Show them how a typical day runs, illustrate how compensation works, and lay out all the ways they’ll have control over their jobs (and outside lives) vs. what they might find as an employee of a health system or non-physician owned practice.
It’s also crucial to make sure that a potential new doctor understands that because they aren’t bound by red tape or too many cooks in the kitchen, independent practices are in a much better place to control costs. “First, they simply don’t have as many expenses,” Pierce said, “but when the team dynamic is right, it also creates efficiencies that further help cut costs. For doctors who will take ownership in a practice, that’s a huge benefit.”
For many professionals, a regular daytime schedule, friendly environment, and shared goal of patient care can bring as much if not more value than a potentially larger paycheck. Those types of employees tend to be loyal, dedicated, and invested in the future of the practice.
Still, convincing a new doctor to choose a small, independent practice over a larger system can be challenging. When they can’t compete dollar-for-dollar, it’s important for independent practices to focus on the whole picture and show the benefits they offer that a big system can’t: stability, collaboration, control, and agility, to name a few.
“You just really need to get that person into the office.” Pierce said. “Show them what you have, how your day goes, and how much control over their life as an independent doctor they would have, as opposed to just being a number.”
