Helping practitioners usher in new physicians
Starting on the right foot
Training physicians just out of school can be a challenge. But an expert who has added 40 newly qualified physicians in the last year says there is a proven systematic approach that can reap rewards for the practice and get the new hires settled in within three months.
Kathy Greenwalt, director of physician recruitment at the 220-physician Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, PA, has developed a mentoring system designed to keep the comfort level of the physicians high, while still ensuring they are learning how Guthrie doctors work.
Mentors monitor progress
After a two-day orientation when the new physicians learn the computer and billing system, they are passed off to their office mentors, says Greenwalt. Those mentors are responsible for doing chart reviews and monitoring their progress.
"It’s a bit easier for us because in a group practice situation, they have people they can talk with about problems they are having regarding administration, operations, or patient care.
Greenwalt also makes sure contracts are signed two to three months before the start date so that the new physicians’ schedules can be built up. "We give them routing history and physicals, and walk-ins, too. We don’t worry about totally filling up their schedules because since everyone is new, they can’t see as many patients."
Greenwalt has taken the right track making sure that both the physicians’ needs and the practice’s needs are met during the initial work period. Checking off a simple list of things to do can help smooth the transition, says Dorothy Sweeny, a consultant with the Health Care Group in Plymouth Meeting, PA.
4 Credentials.
"You want to make sure you get paid, so you better make sure that the physician is credentialed," says Sweeny. "This isn’t as simple as you think, and a lot of people outsource this. It can be a three-to-six month delay, so if you have a physician start in July, it might be Christmas before you get your reimbursement."
4 Marketing.
Put together a three-fold brochure on the new physician, and give it to your referring sources, Sweeny advises. Include a photo of the doctor, his or her background, and any special skills or interests. Send this with a letter to your referring physicians, pharmacists, nurses, dentists, and local hospitals. Sweeny also recommends leaving some of the brochures in your waiting room for patients to read.
4 Administration.
There is nothing worse than a new physician starting a job and the receptionists’ not knowing who he or she is or about any specialty the doctor has, says Sweeny. "Train your [practitioners] people to direct patients to your new doctor if there is a specialty or if he or she is available in lieu of another doctor."
4 Community.
For the first couple of weeks hospital employees should take the new doctor around to meet referral sources. "If they are reluctant to do this, it should be a very bright red flag for you," Sweeny says.
You might also consider having the new doctor shadow an existing physician, she says. This not only introduces the new doctor to referring physicians and the wider medical community, but if the shadowing includes patient care, it provides the new hire with information on the best practice in their group.
[Practitioners] have to realize, Sweeny says, that in the beginning, the practice will not be as productive. "For a while, there are teaching, training, and curbside consultation responsibilities," she says. "A small group of co-equal physicians don’t watch each other. But you watch the new guy."
Expect the transition to take about 90 days, she says. "Your staff will be a big help, too, though. Your nurses, medical assistants, and administrative staff will be able to provide feedback to your senior physicians."
Submit physician reviews
She also recommends supervisors submit reviews every two months for the first six months, then quarterly. "You want to discuss performance, clinical issues, doctor/staff relationships, and the relationships between the physicians," she says.
It takes about 500 new patients a year to support a new doctor, says Sweeny. "You have to steer your new patients to the new doctor, and inter-refer. But if you do, the practice should rebound from the initial slowdown."
Greenwalt says she allows two years for a physician to build a practice. Guthrie actually guarantees income for the new doctors for 30 months. "But we expect them to go into the community and make their presence felt from the start," Greenwalt says.
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