While reform is likely to significantly increase demand for health services, it will not have a particularly significant impact on the supply of clinical professionals. The new law acknowledges the shortage of health care professionals and takes some steps to address it. For example, the law calls for redistribution of a number of physician residency training slots that are not being used to training facilities where they will be used. Currently, there are 121,000 medical residency positions available at teaching facilities throughout the U.S, but only 109,000 are being used. Only a limited number of teaching facilities, however, have the funds and infrastructure needed to absorb redistributed slots. It is projected that redistribution of residency positions will only lead to several hundred more physicians coming out of training each year, when most experts agree that several thousand are needed to address current and projected shortages.
Though healthcare delivery has changed dramatically in many ways – especially in recent years, one fundamental paradigm has remained the same – physicians still refer patients to hospitals and they are still the key drivers of both patient care and revenue throughout the health system. Indeed, the most powerful tool in healthcare remains the physician’s pen. Hospital patient admissions and discharges, tests, treatments, procedures – all require a physician’s signature.
AMN’s 2009 Survey of Hospital CEOs reveals that while the recession inhibited the recruiting efforts of some hospitals, it actually spurred recruiting efforts at others. Hospital leaders were asked how the recession had affected their recruiting efforts for physicians, nurses, allied healthcare professionals and pharmacists. A significant number (24%) said that they had decreased their nurse recruiting efforts because of the recession, though 12% said the recession caused them to increase their nurse recruiting efforts. Interestingly, about 25% of CEOs said the recession caused them to increase physician recruiting, while only 8% said the recession caused them to decrease physician recruiting. These numbers may be explained by the fact that one physician, on average, generates $1.5 million per year on behalf of his or her affiliated hospital through patient admissions and procedures, according to a Merritt Hawkins’ survey. In bad times or in good, many hospitals are motivated to recruit the doctors they need to keep patient admissions and procedures flowing.
To anyone reading this who has a child, nephew, niece, friend or acquaintance contemplating a legal career I have a suggestion: consider immigration law. Why immigration over other areas of legal practice? Recruiters familiar with international employment trends can no doubt supply one answer.
Share As America continues to reel from the effects of the worst recession since the 1930s, the unemployment rate for September registered at 9.8%, with a loss of 263,000 jobs. Furthermore, many saw a reduction in the average workweek as well as overtime decreasing in many industries, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). And [...]
Share As employers embark on the road to recovery, the ability to lead, recruit, and retain are key, according to Aon Consulting, a human capital consulting organization. In fact, findings of the 2009 Benefits and Talent Survey reveal that 85% of respondents cite talent retention as a top priority, and 84% the ability to meet [...]
Share The United States (U.S.) is far behind other economically successful nations in terms of adopting policies that support workers and families, reveals a new study by researchers at Harvard and McGill Universities. In fact, 14 of the world’s 15 most competitive countries provide paid sick leave, 13 guarantee paid leave for new mothers, and [...]
Share Despite the national unemployment rate cresting 10%, many small business owners (44%) are preparing to hire new employees within the next 12 months, according to a payroll survey by Intuit Inc. And while many believe that benefits are key to attracting new hires, small business owners are finding them difficult to afford. Despite these proposed [...]
Share The Locate Jobs Network launches five new niche job boards that include a targeted focus on real estate, PICU, occupational therapist, help desk and radiology fields. Locate PICU Jobs, is dedicated to employment opportunities within hospital pediatric intensive care units. Career opportunities posted on the site vary from entry-level positions for technicians to jobs [...]
Share As the U.S. jobless rate rises to 10.2% for the first time since 1983, jobless figures rose by 190,000 rendering the number of unemployed people at 15.7 million, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). And while health care continued to see a positive increase in jobs (29,000), the largest job losses occurred in [...]
