According to the new division manager, Kurt Scott, VISTA is taking a distinctly different approach to physician recruitment by looking at the problem from a healthcare organization’s perspective. "We are providing a flexible range of search services, customized consulting and value-added tools that enhance the recruitment process," says Scott. "An organization can get exactly the services it needs when it needs them. One-size-fits-all simply doesn’t work in physician search."
"Due to the growing physician shortage, demands on in-house recruiting departments are increasing, often overpowering the resources of healthcare organizations," says Mark Brouse, VISTA president and CEO. "However, recruiters are sometimes reluctant to turn to outside search firms that traditionally require significant upfront retainers with no performance guarantees."
According to Scott, who has more than a decade of experience as a hospital-based physician recruitment leader, VISTA is addressing this concern by offering innovative pricing that is based on shared risk, successful placements, and physician retention.
Health care organizations rely on a complete medical staff to ensure the continuity and quality of care for patients. With a short supply of physicians, recruiting has become the number one priority nationwide. "A full physician staff is also essential to retaining market share, maintaining important referral relationships and generating revenue," Scott says. A case study presented in the Mar/April 2004 issue of the American Journal of Medical Quality called "A Review of Physician Turnover: Rates, Causes and Consequences," estimates that an organization loses $1.5 million in revenue, or more in some medical specialties, for each year a physician job is vacant.
As hospitals and practice groups compete for qualified physicians, the expertise and resourcefulness of the organization’s recruiters are becoming increasingly important. Even larger healthcare organizations with more savvy recruiting departments must make sure that their programs are functioning at the highest level in order to attract quality physicians.
The new physician search and consulting team at VISTA will expand on the firm’s proven ability to identify physicians with the skills and experience that match each organization’s medical staffing needs. VISTA’s newest core services are described below.
Physician and Executive Search
To customize its services, the firm begins each search with a comprehensive review of the organization’s situation and medical staffing requirements. VISTA tailors its physician search services to fit the needs, priorities and culture of each client, and offers an innovative pricing package based on shared risk, successful placements and physician retention.
In-house Recruitment Consulting
The physician search and consulting team helps organizations assess their in-house recruiting teams and marketing and sourcing tools for maximum effectiveness. The firm provides a "toolkit" that includes checklists, interviewing tips, process flow charts and FAQs. VISTA is also very experienced in developing and enhancing system retention programs.
In-house Program Development
For smaller organizations that are just putting an in-house physician-recruiting program into place, VISTA provides recruiting and training services to help construct an efficient program. When the time is right, VISTA will help transition a well-functioning program over to the organization’s management.
Interim Physician Staffing
VISTA also offers its in-depth experience as a locum tenens firm to healthcare organizations that are utilizing the new physician search and consulting services. The firm can fill temporary physician staffing needs with highly-quality locum tenens physicians who can ensure continuity and quality of patient care and generate revenue while the physician search is underway.
About VISTA Staffing Solutions
VISTA Staffing Solutions (www.vistastaff.com) is a leading provider of temporary physician staffing and permanent physician search services. Founded in 1990, the employee-owned company helps hospitals, medical practices and government agencies solve their physician staffing challenges. VISTA is the only agency that offers short- and long-term domestic jobs, international work opportunities, and permanent placement for physicians. The company is a founding member of the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO).
