That's All Folks

I thought I would use this image at the end. Yes, it is harsh, but it was meant for a laugh. It doesn’t mean you still won’t hate me for writing this book. I may never change your mind about that but know that my intentions are pure. I want to improve the working environments for doctors, so they don’t burn out and leave, quit, retire, or do drugs and alcohol. It’s that simple. 

If you have contempt for me, for doctors, or for the material in this book, then maybe you need to rethink your career choice. That may come off as too bold of a statement, but you shouldn’t work with people you hate. Yes, I know this could make some of you even angrier, but I have looked over the chapters multiple times and can’t see how I singled out any one group. Nor do I ever say that doctors are perfect. If you see this book as an attack only on you, then you will never be able to fix your problem of physician turnover. I am not judging you. I am just telling you the truth. If you go back to the preface and read what that administrator who wrote to me, you can see where I am going with this. There is no way that someone like him, who doesn’t like physicians, can work well with physicians. Marriages can never overcome contempt, and the same goes for administrators and doctors. 

I spent a decade working on this project. I put as much into this book as I could in order to help you understand what doctors are thinking, and hopefully get them to stay. Let me concisely summarize a few things:

1.       Doctors are unhappy and burned out.

2.       Happy doctors stay. Happy doctors recruit other happy doctors. And happy doctors make patients happy.  

3.       This saves you money and makes you money.  

4.       Recruiting is important but retention is crucial. You can keep pouring water into a bucket, but if you don’t plug the holes that are there then it is a never ending battle you will lose.  

5.       A PRP (Physician Retention Program) is what you need to retain doctors and save that money.

6.       After proper analysis and diagnosis, the PRP program sets in motion a plan to make things right.

7.       You can try to create a PRP yourself, but doctors often don’t trust their employers. You can hire a consultant not versed in this area, but doctors won’t trust them either.  

8.       If you get 100% buy-in from the hospital and doctors, then you can help prevent your doctors from leaving. They may even brag to the world about you.

9.       There are many ways to create a successful PRP. Concepts and ideas were offered throughout the book.  

10.    What is needed is a system to implement these concepts. And a system to measure it. I believe a designation of being a “Physician-Friendly Hospital” would do it.  

So that’s it, right? Hardly. I do want to point out that I know this is NOT an easy fix. Don’t believe any consultant who claims they can fix all your problems. They cannot. Consultants are adjuncts. They can make your situation better, but the basics are up to you. 

Here are a few things that Physician Retention Specialists (PRS) should not do:

•         GET INVOLVED WITH SALARY NEGOTIATIONS -

That is a specialized skill by different professionals. It also changes the dynamic of the job, which would not be beneficial to any party involved. 

•         LIE OR KISS UP TO THOSE WHO HIRE THEM -

Hospitals and their administrators may hire consultants, but they are there to help you retain docs, not to convince them they have it “too good” already. 

•         FIX THE PROBLEM ALL BY THEMSELVES - Just like doctors give advice to patients, so do PRS give advice to hospitals. And just as patients choose or not choose to listen to their doctors’ advice, hospitals that hire PRS are in the same boat. 

•         RECRUIT DOCTORS – PRS are not in the recruitment game. That being said, happy doctors will recruit other doctors they know, so there will be a ripple effect. 

“Okay, what’s next?” Not so fast. I want to be brutally honest here. Any changes you make will be subtle transformations. I may be biased, but I think that to improve your physician retention rate you need to have a great consultant help you. I have also been very transparent. I was not the perfect physician employee, but I am older and wiser and now I spend my time trying to share what the rest of the business world is doing about employee retention and bring it into healthcare. I am your Frank Abignale and I think your Physician Retention Program needs to be run by physicians, retired or otherwise, who know what goes on in hospitals. They should be doctors who have been in the trenches, have the trust of your physicians, and now want to help you keep your doctors. 

What I have offered in this book are concepts that work, some more than others. That’s because every hospital is unique. They have different dynamics. That is another reason I believe you need a third party to use a proven methodology in order to get your hospital where you want it to be. This starts with a consultant listening to you and your doctors, analyzing the situation, and aggregating the right data. They need to help you identify the challenges and then find the solutions, or strategic plan, and work with you over an extended period to make the appropriate changes. Together, you can find ways to improve your workplace environment and make your doctors happier, so they stay longer, recruit other doctors, and keep your patients happy. 

All this will help plug your holes (see cover image again) so that you are not constantly trying to fill up your bucket. 

And the result will be the creation of a “Physician-Friendly Hospital.”

Or you can hate me and this book and burn it. 

It’s your choice.

(This is chapter THIRTY from my book The Hospital Guide to Physician Retention: Why Creating a Physician-Friendly Environment is Critical for Your Organization's Success. See earlier chapters on my LinkedIn, For more info, go to physicianretention.com)