Provider Recruitment and Retention, Pt. 2

Recruitment was the topic of my last post, but is there anything an organization or community can do to ensure your providers remain?  What about encouraging local students to enter the health care field and return to work in their community?

 

“Grow your own” providers is an option; provide resources and opportunities for middle and high school students to learn about health careers.  Some communities have started Club Scrub programs.  Two years ago the Office of Rural Health awarded a grant to implement a Club in southern WI; take a look the proposal.  The idea is that a hospital or clinic collaborates with local school districts to create an extracurricular club for students interested in health careers.  Hands-on activities are an important feature of a successful program, such as suture practice and CPR training.  Participants can also job-shadow; follow providers (doctors, nurses, EMTs, pharmacists, etc.) as they go through their rounds or a typical shift.  This is a low cost program idea that wouldn’t require a lot of financial resources.

 

The UW School of Medicine and Public Health will host a one day version of a Club Scrub on April 3; American Indian Health Sciences Day.   American Indian middle and high school students from Wisconsin can participate in a day of programming about health careers.  Students will have the opportunity to talk with American Indian health professionals and students.  The event is free and lunch is included.  Contact Sarah Esmond, Center for the Study of Cultural Diversity in Healthcare, 608-263-9401, for more information.

 

Two years ago the UW Medical School implemented the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine (WARM).   The program’s goal is to increase the number of physicians practicing in rural communities by recruiting rural students and offering a rural curriculum during all four years of medical school.  Students spend their third and fourth years living and working in rural learning communities around the State.  The first cohort will begin their program in Rice Lake this summer.

 

Several state primary care associations collaborated to produce a manual, Recruitment & Retention of Clinicians, that addresses these issues from both the organization and community perspective.  Topics include working with spouses/partners, the importance of identifying your clinical needs and designing an effective site visit.

 

There’s more to an effective retention policy than simply providing adequate salary and benefits (although this is probably THE primary factor!).  Career development opportunities are important to both providers and organizations.  Conferences are an excellent career development opportunity with the added benefit of peer networking.  I think it’s a good idea to allow adequate opportunities for your providers to attend appropriate conferences.  There are two nursing conferences later this year:

 

 

Lastly (but not least!) I have to mention the Office of Rural Health provider recruiters.  My colleagues Marsha Siik (dentists and physical therapists) and Randy Munson (physicians) have years of recruitment experience between them and are familiar with literally hundreds of positions, both rural and urban, throughout Wisconsin.  Whether you’re looking for a position, or looking to fill a position, I encourage you to contact them.

February 13, 2009 · KJacobson · No Comments
Tags: , , ,  · Posted in: Conferences and Webinars, Program Updates, Training and Tools

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