You scurry in and out of examination
rooms like a person possessed. You're halfway out the
door before patients have finished explaining why they're
there. You stopped taking on new patients and you can
barely handle the ones you have.
Isn't it time you brought in a
new physician to lighten your load?
Adding a doc to your practice isn't
as simple as posting a competition on a job board and
hiring a top med school grad. There are some important
considerations to make ahead of time that, despite your
current workload, could determine whether your practice
can even accommodate another doctor.
DESIRABLE
QUALITIES
The first thing to think about is strategy. Yours may
be a case of dispersing a heavy patient load to one
other doctor. Or, as healthcare consultant Jim Morell
points out, you may want "someone with a different skill
set that would enhance internal referrals." In other
words, you're looking for someone who complements the
abilities that already exist in your practice. Bringing
in someone new is a means to grow.
CASH
FLOW
Like any other business, finances are top priority.
Can you afford to hire someone new?
If the answer is yes, Mr Morell,
president of Chicago-based Morell & Associates,
has a follow-up question: "How long will it take the
new member to become a fully contributing financial
partner?"
You don't want to put more into
a new team member than you're getting in return. Keep
in mind that it's not just a doctor who's joining the
roster. A new physician means new support staff, resources
and technology, especially if you're dealing with a
specialist.
You'll also need to consider what
pay structure works best. Does it makes sense to hire
a new physician as an employee or bring him on as an
equity partner? It depends on how flexible you'd like
that person to be. The expectations aren't the same.
"When your name is on the door,
so to speak, and you have an equity position," Mr Morell
says, "you're likely to be more flexible in what you
do and put a few more hours in."
ROOM
TO GROW?
Adding a new doctor means you'll likely be squeezed
for space, too. The average physician needs three exam
rooms. Then there's a work area for the nurses and a
private office. Your reception area might need to expand.
When it's all tallied up, Mr Morell says you'll need
to allot approximately 1,000 to 1,500 square feet for
a new physician.
One way to meet the demand for
another doctor when space is tight is to stagger shifts.
And that way you're serving patients over longer hours.
MEETING
DR RIGHT
So you've got the funds, the space, the technology and
the support staff. You're ready to deliver, right? Not
so fast, says Mr Morell. What makes or breaks the hiring
decision is whether the doctor is a good fit on the
team. It's not just about how well you think the candidate
will get along with others.
"It's a broad definition of personality
fit that encompasses personal as well as working relationships
and styles," Mr Morell says. That includes bedside manners,
commitment to hours and time dedicated to patients.
The decision to beef up the roster
involves some financial savvy, spatial planning and
resource management. A little intuition doesn't hurt
either.
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PATIENTS & PRACTICE
