Preparing Physicians
For The Interview process
BIO
Don O’Bryan, CMSR, FMSD has served for the past nine years as Corporate Director of Physician
Recruitment for the Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA), a 13-hospital regional health system
with facilities in NE Tennessee and SW Virginia. He is responsible for the ongoing medical staff
development for the system and full-cycle provider recruitment for a variety of practice situations
that include private, employed, academic, rural, and metro.
For the past two years, the MSHA Physician Recruitment Team has had a strong emphasis on
screening and preparing physician candidates for the on-site interview. This session will focus on
practical ways to not only understand a candidate’s expectations, but also communicate your
hospital’s expectations with the goal of a good overall “fit”.
Don has been a member of the Association of Staff Physician Recruiters (ASPR) for nine years and
has served on their education committee. He is also a Board Member of Carolina’s Association of
Physician Services (CAPS). He regularly speaks on topics related to physician recruitment.
He has been married to Laura for 28 years. During their long romance, they have raised four boys
(Dan, Chris, Josh, and Kevin). Don and Laura have two grandchildren and another on the way.
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Agenda
Overview of our MSHA Physician Recruitment
Department.
Recent Influences That Have Affected Our
Recruitment Strategy.
Basic and Advanced Screening - Setting Candidate
Expectations.
Reinforcement of Expectations Throughout the
Recruitment Process.
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History and Development
 Johnson City Medical Center (our flagship) has had a
formal in-house physician recruitment program for
nearly 20 years.
 All physician recruiters are trained and certified
(Certified Medical Staff Recruiter) by the American
Academy of Medical Management. Three have
obtained the Fellowship in Medical Staff Development
by this organization.
 All physician recruiters are members of the
Association of Staff Physician Recruiters (ASPR), and
CAPS.
 Average physician recruitment experience: over 10
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years
Reporting Relationships
 Directly report to the system VP of Business Development
 Indirectly report to
Sr. VP for Tennessee
Sr. VP for Virginia
All Hospital CEOs
VP Cardiology
VP Oncology
VP Women’s
VP Children’s
VP for Ortho/Neuro/Trauma
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President of our Physician Group
Current Organizational Chart
Donald O’Bryan, CMSR, FMSD
Corporate Director
Physician Recruitment
Reg. Dir. of Medical Staff Development
(Smyth, Russell, Wise Counties - VA)
MSHA Physician Recruiter (Full Time)
Washington County - VA
Physician Recruitment Assistant (Full Time)
Physician visits, weekly staff meetings, office operations, etc.
Manager of Medical Staff Development
Washington County - TN
MSHA Physician Recruiter (Full Time)
Physician Recruitment Assistant (Part Time)
Sullivan/Washington County - TN
Compliance, special events, career fairs, med staff list, etc.
MSHA Physician Recruiter (Full Time)
Carter/ Greene County - TN
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Physician Recruitment Challenges
Five Areas of Concern and Focus:
1. Aging physician population.
2. Future supply of physicians.
3. The general effect of healthcare reform.
4. The economy and consumer confidence.
5. Retention of our current medical staff.
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Physician Recruitment Toolbox
1) Practice Match - www.PracticeMatch.com
Type: Sourcing web site.
Description: Post opportunities, information on available candidates, useful for resident and fellows.
Has capability to send bulk email and generate mailing lists. Database for sourcing responses. Cost:
Currently under a corporate contract.
2) Practice Link – www.PracticeLink.com
Type: Sourcing web site.
Description: Up to 70 job postings, able to search for C.V.’s of available physicians who have selfposted their information for the purpose of finding a job. Post jobs. Practice Link attends all specialty
meetings across the country, interviews candidates and makes info available. Able to send bulk
emails and design a call list. Cost: Currently under a corporate contract.
3) Health E Careers - www.healthecareers.com
Type: Job advertising site.
Description: Manages the job advertising for dozens of specialty web sites and cross advertises on
JAMA. MSHA purchases bulk advertising that can be used as needed. Current contract is for one
year and up to 10 jobs per month. When running an ad, the recruiter has access to posted C.V.’s of
available candidates of that specialty. Cost: Currently under a corporate contract.
4) Kontact Intelligence – www.kontactintelligence.com
Type: Web-based Contact Management Data Base
Description: Data storage tool and contact management system for collecting info on candidates
sourced by MSHA recruiters and for tracking progress. We upload documents such as CVs and
references to this site. Recruiters can access this via internet connection from anywhere. Cost:
Currently under a corporate contract.
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Toolbox (p.2)
5) MSHA.com
Type: Sourcing and area information
Description: Provides opening information, area info, video info, pictures. Cost: none
6). Social Media
Type: Relationship building, maintaining contact with interested candidates
Description: Establish a social media site, such as Facebook, and encourage med
students, residents, candidates, spouses, etc. to “like” us in order to establish and
maintain a long-term communication link for recruitment and retention purposes. Cost:
none
7). Training Program Recruitment
Type: Sourcing and Relationship Development
Description: Contacting training programs with job opening information, maintaining ongoing relationship with program directors and coordinators, arranging presentations to
trainees on job-search related topics, etc. Cost: None, unless we do a lunch
presentation or travel outside the area. $200 – $500 + travel
8). Speciaty Web and Journal Ads (as needed)
Type: Sourcing and Branding
Description: Varies with each specialty. At the request and/or approval of the Hospital
CEO or Service Line VP, additional advertising may be secured at suggested sites or
journals that are know to be a source of candidate traffic. Cost: $500 - $1,500 per 9
month.
Toolbox (p.3)
9). Cold calling
Type: Sourcing
Description: Develop a targeted calling list of candidates to present information about
your opening. Cost: Individual phone calls
10). Exhibiting (Specialty meetings and Career Fairs as needed)
Type: Sourcing and Branding
Description: At the request and/or approval of the Hospital CEO or Service Line VP, it
may be determined that MSHA should to have a presence at a specialty meeting via
renting booth space or attending the meeting’s career center to generate additional
leads. Average cost: $2,000 - $6,000.
11). Direct Mail (as needed)
Type: Sourcing and Branding
Description: At the request and/or approval of the Hospital CEO or Service Line VP, a
direct mail piece may be developed and sent to prospective candidates. Mailing lists can
be obtained through Practice Match and using targeted criteria. Average cost: $1 per
piece.
12). Contingency Recruitment Firms (as needed)
Description: MSHA has signed contractual agreements with several firms that require
payment only if we sign the candidate. Average cost: $23,000.
13). Retained Recruitment Firms (as needed)
Description: At the request of the Hospital CEO or Service Line VP, MSHA will
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engage a retained firm to conduct a search. Average cost: $35,000.
Setting Goals
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5 Basic Goals For Each
Approved Opening
1. Well thought-out recruitment plan that creates the
necessary candidate flow to be successful.
2. Thoroughly screened candidates who understand
our opportunity.
3. Well orchestrated visits that make a good first
impression with good information exchange.
4. Streamlined contracting process.
5. Smooth on-boarding process.
6. An effective retention plan.
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Recruiting in the
Healthcare Reform Era
Everything is being measured against the
Triple Aim™ goals:
improve the health of the population;
enhance the patient experience of care
(including quality, access and reliability); and
reduce, or at least control, the per capita
cost of care.
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CASE STUDY –
Reform Influences on our System Culture
- Continued commitment to patient-centered care
- Tennessee Quality Award and the pursuit of Baldridge
- Medicare quality initiatives
- ACO’s rapid development
- The shift from pay-for-performance to pay-for-value
- Infusion of Medical Executives throughout the system
- Decisions are becoming more becoming data-driven.
- More employment of physicians
- Less tolerance toward anything that loses money
- LEAN – a management system derived from Toyota
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- Healthcare contraction
Physician Recruiter Responsibilities (Overview)
 Insure the opening has been approved and/or support is obtained to begin
recruiting.
 Work with the group to define the job description, skill-set, and recruitment
timeframe for candidates and verify with MSHA leadership.
 Develop a message or script to share with candidates.
 Develop and implement a recruitment strategy to produce a candidate flow.
 Screen candidates and spouse/family for fit with emphasis on PBQ.
 Preliminary background check (license, certification, google, references, NPDB,
Medicare sanctions, etc.)
 Present appropriate candidates who have cleared screening.
 Arrange for phone interviews with group.
 Set up on-site interviews.
 Maintain energy from the first contact and all the way through the contracting
process.
 Nurture the newly-recruited doctor through the on-boarding process.
 Make quarterly contacts with the doctor for three years (retention).
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Two Parts of Effective Candidate Preparation
Basic Screening - Compatibility with the
Area/Group/Job/Family needs and
understanding their expectations.
PBQ Screening – Helping the Candidate
Understand Your Expectations.
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Ex·pec·ta·tion
a standard of conduct
or performance expected
by or of somebody.
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We spend our time
managing these three things:
Hospital Expectations
Group Expectations
Candidate Expectations
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Information Exchange
with candidates in the
Recruitment Process
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Basic Candidate Screening
 Candidate qualifications (training, BC/BE, ability to obtain a license, medical
staff privileges, get on the insurances, etc)
 Candidate’s practice preferences
 Compensation needs
 Skills (what they do, what they don’t do)
 Availability date
 English or language needs
 Personality
 Ties to the area
 Spouse/Family needs
 Malpractice history
 Verify state licenses and certification
 National Practitioner Data Bank
 Professional questions
 References
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Relaying Practice Information
 Why the group is recruiting
 Provider make-up of the practice
 Basics of the compensation and benefits
 Skills that are important to the group
 Call arrangement
 Payer mix
 Benchmarks
 Practice culture
 Area competition
 On-boarding assistance
 Start-up assistance for a new provider
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Relaying Area Information
Web sites
Tourism info
City demographics
Housing
School options
Recreation opportunities
Economic base
Key restaurants and shopping
Nearest airport
Housing options
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Relaying Hospital information
Why the hospital would benefit
Specialty-specific info
Number of beds
ER volumes
Inpatient census
Hospital call issues
Available specialty support
Financial info to emphasize stability
Hospital culture (recent changes affected by
Reform)
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Setting Candidate Expectations:
PBQ Screening
ф
 Productivity - work ethic, willingness to do the things
needed to build a practice quickly, see the necessary
patients to cover salary and expenses, etc.
 Behavior – Professional, good bedside manner, treatment
of family members, treatment of nurses and staff,
cooperative with hospital administration, citizenship (serve
on volunteer committees, call coverage, teaching residents
and student who are on rotations, etc.)
 Quality - Improved outcomes, establish and/or follow
protocols, evidence-based medicine, best practice,
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malpractice history, claims data, etc.
Communicating your hospital’s
expectations in these areas starts
with the physician recruiter but
must be reinforced at every
stage of the interview.
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Productivity Screening
 Do some data gathering ahead of time. If there are other physicians in the
practice, gain an understanding of their work ethic and establish production
benchmarks - Research how many patients/surgeries a new doc needs to cover
the proposed salary and overhead.
 After screening the candidate for basic qualifications, geography, spouse issues,
etc., point out to the physician that practices are very sensitive about financial
loses at this time.
 State to the candidate that productivity is very important to the group/hospital.
 Ask the physician how they compare to the MGMA median for wRVUs or
other benchmarks.
 Ask the physician what is typical workday for them. If it doesn’t match your
need, the interview may be over before you spend any money on a visit.
 Ask for data to confirm their work ethic, especially if they are demanding a
high salary.
 Ask behavior interview questions – (Tell me about a time when you were
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informed that the practice was not making budget. What did you do?
PHYSICIAN BEHAVIOR:
ACPE Survey
840 Physicians and Physician Executives were surveyed:
 41% of respondents witnessed profanity
 40% witnessed inappropriate jokes
 24% witnessed discrimination against colleagues or patients
 21% witnessed the spread of malicious rumors
 14% witnessed physicians throwing objects
 14% witnessed substance abuse
 13% witnessed physicians retaliating against perceived
slights
 3% witnessed physical violence.
* American College of Physician Executives – May 2011
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Behavior Screening
Check licenses, Google, LinkedIn, Facebook,
on every candidate.
In the initial conversation, state that your
hospital/group is very interested in
recruiting a well-behaved doctor.
Give some positive examples of behaviors
that are important.
Ask behavior interview questions.
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Quality Screening
State that quality is the highest goal for your
hospital and, as the recruiter, you are seeking
physicians that are also quality-oriented.
Mention your hospital or group’s quality
initiatives.
Emphasize patient-centered care, the use of Press
Ganey, the evaluation of the physician experience,
and how physician behavior impacts our success.
Seek data or information that will reinforce that
the candidate is quality oriented.
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Quality Screening (cont.)
Interview questions:
- Do you serve on any quality-related committees?
- Have you had any quality issues in the past?
- Can you provide documentation on your
outcomes?
- Are there any procedures typical for your
specialty that make you uncomfortable?
- For surgeons: Would you be open to one of our
surgeons coming to your location to view an
operation?
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Have others reinforce PBQ
in the interview process.
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Responsibilities in the
Recruitment Process
Norton Recruitment Responsibilities
For MSMG Openings
______ Primary Responsibility
______ Provide support to Primary and/or participate (if needed)
Decide to
Recruit
Robbie C.
Develop
practice
description
Sourcing
_________
_______
________
_________
_______
________
Joan C.
_______
Mark L.
_______
Susan M.
_______
_________
Brenda N.
_______
_________
_______
________
________
________
Don O.
_______
________
_________
________
________
________
___________
_______
______
___________
______
_______
_______
__________
______
_______
__________
_______
_______
______
___________
______
___________
________
________
______
______
________
________
_______
___________
________
Steve K.
Ann F.
LOI
2nd Site
OnDevelopment
Visit
Contract
Signed
Boardand Delivery Details Negotiations Contract
ing
________
________
_______
1st Site
Visit
and
Details
________
_______
Dr. T.
Doug E.
Screening Initial
Approval
and comp Hospital
to
discussion
Call
Interview
__________
___________
__________
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Recruiter Interview Components
 Collect C.V. and inquire about incomplete information.
 Initial phone screen using 20+ questions to insure a basic fit, including why
they are leaving their current job, family issues, timeframe, probe for
problems, etc. Behavioral interview questions included.
 Share basic hospital, service-line, system, and area information including
schools, area demographics, cost of living, taxes, shopping, outdoor activities,
etc.
 Introduce Patient-Centered Care emphasis.
 Introduce PBQ expectations.
 Send out Professional Questionnaire.
 Share information collected from interview with group and MSHA.
 Coordinate phone interviews.
 Coordinate 1st visit dates.
 Help secure offer information.
 Help with Letter of Intent (LOI).
 Coordinate 2nd visit.
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 Help insure contract process stays on track with good communication.
Hospital CEO Interview
Suggestions
Where we’ve been - History of the hospital
Where we are - The role of the hospital in MSHA, recent awards, etc.
Where we’re headed - Strategic vision and goals for the future
Baldridge business model.
Inpatient/outpatient statistics.
Construction projects, new equipment being added.
How the candidate’s specialty fits in to the big picture.
Ask any questions about the candidate’s information.
PBQ - Emphasize our expectations regarding productivity, behavior,
and quality.
 Provide any appropriate info about the group and competitor’s in the
area.
 Ask how you can help the candidate with their decision.
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Service Line VP Interview
Suggestions
 MSHA Service Line Corporate Strategy
 Hospital Service Line Strategy
 Where the candidate will fit in the picture.
 Statistics, demographics, market share, competitors (as
appropriate).
 PBQ - Emphasize our expectations regarding productivity,
behavior, and quality.
 Ask questions about clinical skills, what they are
comfortable doing, what they are not comfortable doing
and why.
 Behavioral interview questions.
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CMO Interview Suggestions
 Discuss our Patient-Centered Care philosophy.
 Discuss our participation in the various quality initiatives, MSHA’s
commitment to quality and outcomes, and the expectations we have for
incoming medical staff.
 Emphasize the hospital’s expectations regarding physician behavior.
 Ask about any malpractice issues that we should know about and drill in to
areas of concern that you may have.
 Discuss medical staff structure at your hospital / entity.
 Ask any questions about candidate information (training program, skills, if
there is anything they are uncomfortable doing within their specialty, etc.)
 Ask behavioral interview questions to gauge how they have reacted to
situations in the past.
 Discuss or answer questions regarding credentialing or privileging and probe
for any possible issues that may cause delay.
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Practice Interview Suggestions
 Discuss the structure of the physician group.
 Go over the strategic importance of their specialty to the group and
community.
 Share clinic history, set-up, and details.
 PBQ - Discuss the importance of recruiting a productive, wellbehaved, quality-oriented physician.
 Provide basic contract information and benefits information.
 Go over contracting process.
 Probe for offer information.
 Discuss any issues that may impact our ability to sign, credential and
relocate the candidate.
 Probe for start-up details (special equipment, space, staffing needs,
etc.)
 Discuss how the group measures progress.
 Behavioral interview questions.
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Congratulations!
You now have an established process that
has better prepared a candidate (and your
hospital) for the interview.
QUESTIONS?
Contact Info:
Don O’Bryan
obryandr@msha.com
423-467-4852