At the 19th Annual Ambulatory Surgery Centers Conference in Chicago on Oct. 27, Ann Geier, RN, vice president of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America; Thomas Jacobs, president of MedHQ; John Merski, executive vice president of human resources for MedHQ; and Christopher Collins, RN, administrator of Metropolitan Surgery Center, hosted a panel on what great medical directors, administrators and directors of nursing should be paid.
The panel agreed on some of the main qualities which drive compensation, including strong communication skills, an ability and desire to propel the center forward, an understanding of the environment, knowledge of the ASC industry and a financial background.
No magic salary number exists, and geographical location needs to be a factor. Administrators on the east and west coast tend to make the most money.
"Everyone has seen studies come out with average salary ranges," Mr. Collins said. "It's up to the people who hire you and what you think you're worth. There are no hard and fast numbers."
While more metropolitan areas may have higher average salaries, often in rural locations it is harder to find qualified candidates, so surgery centers should considering paying more when they find a fit.
"We tell people to hire and pay what you have to pay," Ms. Geier said. "You get what you pay for. Pay what they are worth if it's a good candidate and you want to keep them."
Some surgery centers give stipends or salaries for clinical directors, but others consider it a volunteer capacity.
The panel also advocated bring up front with your employees about expectations and bonuses and reevaluating salaries if competition or cost of living increases. Also, if bonuses will not be awarded because of tight financial times, let your administrator or clinical directors know it is not a reflection of their job performance.
More Articles on Compensation:
4 Commonly Overlooked ASC Benchmarks — and How to Benchmark Correctly
45 Statistics on Anesthesiology Compensation
40 Statistics on Surgery Center Staffing Costs
The panel agreed on some of the main qualities which drive compensation, including strong communication skills, an ability and desire to propel the center forward, an understanding of the environment, knowledge of the ASC industry and a financial background.
No magic salary number exists, and geographical location needs to be a factor. Administrators on the east and west coast tend to make the most money.
"Everyone has seen studies come out with average salary ranges," Mr. Collins said. "It's up to the people who hire you and what you think you're worth. There are no hard and fast numbers."
While more metropolitan areas may have higher average salaries, often in rural locations it is harder to find qualified candidates, so surgery centers should considering paying more when they find a fit.
"We tell people to hire and pay what you have to pay," Ms. Geier said. "You get what you pay for. Pay what they are worth if it's a good candidate and you want to keep them."
Some surgery centers give stipends or salaries for clinical directors, but others consider it a volunteer capacity.
The panel also advocated bring up front with your employees about expectations and bonuses and reevaluating salaries if competition or cost of living increases. Also, if bonuses will not be awarded because of tight financial times, let your administrator or clinical directors know it is not a reflection of their job performance.
More Articles on Compensation:
4 Commonly Overlooked ASC Benchmarks — and How to Benchmark Correctly
45 Statistics on Anesthesiology Compensation
40 Statistics on Surgery Center Staffing Costs