Staffing has remained a persistent thorn in the side of physician practices, hospitals and ASCs alike. However, some ASCs have developed their own strategy, such as in-depth interview processes, ownership opportunities and competitive benefits, to overcome the ongoing shortage of clinicians and healthcare professionals nationwide.
Three ASC leaders connected with Becker's to share their staffing methods that have been successful despite competitive markets.
Editor's note: These responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: How is your ASC attracting staff and physicians?
Bonnie Goodwin. Administrator at The Surgery Center at Mills River (N.C.): We have been fortunate to attract great staff, but it has taken over a year since opening. My director of nursing has been vigilant with interviewing for the right fit. After she interviews the candidate, she introduces them to her nursing staff and allows them to tour the facility with the staff. This allows the candidate time to see the demands of the job and ask any questions that they might not have asked.
We quickly found out you have to offer a competitive salary and benefit package. Employers paying 100% of health benefits is a game changer, and not something I have seen in the past.
Gone are the days of no weekends, holidays and on-call. You cannot still require those things and expect nurses to jump on board. While it may be appealing to the nurses recently out of school, it is not something the tenured nurses are looking for. Flexibility with schedules, commutes and time off is as important as a competitive rate. We all know that if your nurses are happy, your doctors will be happy.
We have also been fortunate to have a hospital partner that is working diligently to recruit additional physicians for our center. It doesn't get any better than that!
Barbara Smith. Administrator at Coastal Virginia Surgery Center (Newport News, Va.): Our ASC is a Spine and Orthopedic Center owned by the physicians. When they add additional surgeons, after they have been vetted, they are given the opportunity to become a partner in the ASC. I believe that is an excellent attraction to anyone joining the group and something to work toward.
While we all had staffing issues during the pandemic our reputation of being an excellent place to work has become known in the community. We do our best to keep our salaries competitive with other centers, which helps.
We are open five days a week, but only do surgeries four days a week, every day except Mondays. Consequently, staff can easily request time off on Monday to take care of personal matters. My staff has told me this is an important plus to working at our ASC.
Alene Stewart, RN. CEO of Raritan Valley Surgery Center (Somerset, N.J.): Here at RVSC, we have a multifaceted approach to attracting teammates and physicians to the center. The secret sauce for RVSC starts with competitive salaries and benefits that include an annual bonus program. As you know, the ASC industry provides a wonderful work-life balance, free of on-call responsibilities. This certainly helps to attract a larger pool of candidates, but there is so much more.
At RVSC, we focus on professional development, continuing education and career growth in a work environment that is truly positive, collaborative, and supportive. Employee engagement scores have been above 90% for the last five years. The core values that include clinical quality, continuous improvement, teamwork, service excellence, accountability, integrity and inclusiveness are how we recruit and hire only the most knowledgeable, skilled and compassionate individuals. When a candidate has these core values, the rest is history.
Everyone at RVSC has a voice and is responsible for speaking up for clinical safety. This is one of the reasons RVSC holds a clinical quality score of 100%. With a dedicated team of professionals, this is also key on how we attract the most sought after physicians as well. The high-quality and patient care received at RVSC is second to none. In regard to physician partnerships, SCA Health is focused on putting clinical safety over cost in all situations. Our culture of quality and safety includes efficient operations where physicians love being involved in the clinical decision-making processes. The medical executive committee, physician partnership and governing board are highly engaged in all aspects of the facility, and there is a mutual respect for the team that they work so closely with.
Physicians' time is important, and the team makes every effort to ensure on-time starts and the most efficient processes. RVSC teammates have a knack for anticipating and catering to the needs of the physicians. This strategy is supported by a 100% physician partnership satisfaction score, which has led to the success and a proven track record for longevity and tenure of the physicians and staff. The reputation that RVSC has, attracts other physicians to this truly cohesive team.