Physician Recruitment and Retention. - book reviews

Physician Executive, Nov-Dec, 1992 by William Rock

Aggressive, systematic recruitment of excellent and compatible physicians in a competitive environment is a requirement for every health care organization. Attracting and retaining the best candidates requires an understanding of the overall process, the need for a master plan, a person in charge, and a budget. Coordinators must be prepared and organized before recruitment begins.

This book lists every aspect of the planning process and the needed resources. It very adequately discusses the decision regarding using in-house or outside recruitment agencies. More important, it skillfully outlines the recruiting process, including identification and screening of candidates, on-site interviewing, and negotiating. Physician retention endeavors are resourcefully and cleverly delineated. Bibliographies for more in-depth study of issues are included with most chapters. The chapter on legal issues is of particular interest, especially to hospitals. Invaluable check-off lists of all procedural plans are provided.

Physician groups, hospitals and all organizations seeking to recruit physicians will benefit from this very informative, yet concise book. As a physician who has participated in recruitment for more than 30 years, I recommend this unique resource for every member of the recruiting team. It's the best I've seen.