Physician turnover is at an all time low at Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health, the American Medical Association reported Nov. 15.
Sutter Health CEO and President Warner Thomas told the AMA that there are several factors driving the system's low turnover rate:
1. A strong sense of impact. "People want to work at a place where they see that they can make a difference, that it's growing [and] expanding its impact," Mr. Thomas said. "Those are many of the things that we're doing here at Sutter Health."
2. Open communication and inclusivity. Mr. Thomas also said that open communication within each medical group and throughout the system as a whole is another factor in Sutter's high retention, which stems from an internal culture that makes people feel included.
3. Listen to the workforce. While vital for health system leaders to communicate openly with their workforces, it's just as important for leaders to be open and receptive to feedback from their physicians and staff, Mr. Thomas said.
4. Leverage the right technology. "We need to make sure that technologies are more intuitive and easier for folks to use, whether it's our online portal systems for our patients, or remote patient management for chronic disease, or just how we stay connected to our patients, or how we make it easier in our exam rooms for our physicians and clinicians," Mr. Thomas said. "That's what we have to think about in health care."
5. Stay current on new technology developments. As artificial intelligence and other medical technology continues to develop at a rapid pace, Mr. Thomas underscored the importance of staying ahead of the technological curve.
"We're just in the early stages of how the new technologies can impact our ability to take care of patients in the future and impact our ability for physicians and clinicians to work in the practice each and every day," Mr. Thomas said. "At the end of the day, it has to be sustainable for our physicians and clinicians. That's a lot of the work we're doing every day to make that an easier situation for them."