Members Only | 09.25.25
What It Takes to Play in Today’s Recruiting Game
By Teddy Durgin
Recruiting physicians and other medical professionals is a tough task in today’s ever-changing healthcare landscape. There seem to be more sensitivities than ever. The wants and needs of those being recruited are different from what they were even a few years ago. And there is, of course, the pressure on recruiters to get the absolute best people for the job. We sat down with two staffing professionals to get their thoughts on the current state of recruits and recruiting.
The Challenges
The challenges for today’s recruiters are many. Just ask Monica Ultreras Nava, medical staff credentialing director/physician recruiter at Artesia General Hospital (AGH) in New Mexico. From her vantage point, one of the biggest challenges is geographic preference as her facility is located in such a rural area. “Many candidates are reluctant to relocate to rural or remote areas, particularly if they or their families are accustomed to urban amenities,” she notes. “In our case, Artesia’s rural location — combined with limited access to shopping, dining, and educational opportunities for spouses and children — often deters candidates.”
Another big challenge is the lack of professional support and peer collaboration. In the small hospital setting where Nava is employed, there is typically only one physician per specialty. “This means new hires, especially recent graduates, may find themselves practicing in solo roles without in-house mentorship or backup, which can be intimidating,” she states.
The Association of American Medical Colleges recently forecasted a shortage of approximately 86,000 physicians by 2036, including in the most urgent specialties like emergency medicine, primary care, and anesthesiology. Kat Brignano, vice president of talent acquisition for Vituity Healthcare Solutions & Hospital Staffing, remarks, “We are already seeing the pressure these shortages are placing on the market for psychiatry and anesthesiology. There are not enough physicians in these areas to meet the areas’ needs today, and there is pressure on the systems around these practices to try to bridge the gap. Organizations will increasingly turn to advanced practice providers to fill the gaps.”
Adding to this challenge is a shift in prioritization of work toward wellness. Brignano says, “I do not at all think that this is a bad thing, but it translates into fewer hours worked by active physicians. Instead of trying to meet 125 to 160 hours a month, many providers are trying to get their time [on the job] to the 100- to 120-hour range. This is across all specialties, and it means practices need to hire more providers to fill the schedule than they needed to pre-COVID.”
In this regard, what challenges have popped up just in the last few years? Nava comments, “In recent years, the demand for work-life balance and schedule flexibility has significantly increased, especially after the pandemic. At Artesia General Hospital, we've responded by offering flexible scheduling options to support this shift. For example, we work with physicians to design 40-hour workweeks that may include four 10-hour shifts or four-and-a-half days of patient care with a half-day dedicated to administrative tasks like charting.”
“Despite these efforts, challenges persist,” she says. “Most specialties are still required to provide 10 days of call coverage per month, which can be a deterrent for some candidates — especially in a rural hospital setting where there are few or no other providers in their specialty.”
A Lot Now Falls on Recruiters
The pressure placed on recruiters today is considerable, especially with the increasing number of older physicians retiring or at least cutting back on their hours. In rural settings, even the departure or reduction in hours of a single physician can have a major impact on service availability.
Nava remarks, “At AGH, we have faced situations where a specialty service line had to be paused or closed entirely due to the lack of a permanent provider. To maintain continuity of care, we’ve attempted to bridge these gaps by using locum tenens providers. However, this is not a financially sustainable, long-term solution due to the extremely high cost of locum coverage. The expense can quickly strain a small hospital’s budget, reinforcing the urgent need for stable, full-time physician recruitment.”
Brignano adds, “I think that what was most alarming was when we saw fewer residents match into the in-demand specialties like emergency medicine, family medicine, and psychiatry, leaving unfilled spots in these areas. While it has rebounded some, I think that recovery is tenuous particularly when we look at changes to Medicaid and with the trend of payers pulling out of certain markets and exchanges.”
The best recruiters know the qualities to look for when hiring the right doctors or medical personnel for a given organization or facility. Brignano notes, “For Vituity, the most important thing that we look for when hiring providers is someone who wants to be a partner with us as we work to positively improve lives. A commitment to working with each other toward something bigger than ourselves is what we focus on. And recently, with the entrance of private equity into this space — and the promise of a ‘big pay day’ — the desire to practice medicine for the impact rather than the dollar is something that we look for. At the end of the day, the focus needs to be on patient care.”
Nava concurs, adding, “Cultural and environmental fit is crucial. In our setting, the ideal candidate is someone who thrives in autonomy, is confident in their clinical decision-making, and understands the realities of rural medicine — treating higher-acuity patients with fewer resources and no immediate access to subspecialty support. We also look for resilience, strong communication skills, and a genuine interest in serving a small, tight-knit community.”
So, what are some common red flags? What do these staffing professionals keep an eye out for when sifting through applicants and interviewees? Nava listed such factors as an unwillingness to work independently and frequent job changes without a clear explanation.
The Carrot Sticks, the Incentives, the Pay
Let’s say you have found the right physician. Now, you have to get them to say, “Yes.” There are several competitive factors that influence whether candidates accept or decline offers. Compensation is always a factor. Brignano, though, believes that today’s candidate is more aware of market forces and how it can impact their career.
Beyond salary, Nava notes that work-life balance has indeed become a top priority for many physicians. A large number are now looking for reasonable call schedules, flexible work hours, and autonomy over their practice. Nava adds, “They are also more focused on organizational culture, mental health resources, and the ability to maintain a fulfilling personal life.”
Brignano thinks that today’s physicians are less focused on a job and more on a career. What does this mean? “Many physician providers are looking for a place where they can grow and spend the majority of their career rather than looking to hop from practice to practice. Stability outweighs money in many cases.”
The Generational Divide
Finally, both Nava and Brignano concur that candidates’ expectations now differ across generations. The former says, “Younger physicians tend to prioritize mentorship, flexible schedules, and a supportive culture. Many are hesitant to work in isolated settings without access to peers or senior colleagues, especially if they’re early in their careers. More experienced physicians are often more self-reliant and may be drawn to rural practice for the slower pace, lower cost of living, or the opportunity to have a broader scope of practice. However, they may also be more selective about call responsibilities and lifestyle amenities.”
Brignano concludes, “Fifteen years ago, new providers entering the job market wanted to work as much as possible to make as much money as possible. They worked as much as they safely could. Today, money is still important, but I am also seeing providers who want to know about a company’s debt load and outside investment, because those things can impact the stability of a company. They are also interested in how organizations are using AI to support their providers and to create efficiencies in their day-to-day work. Finally, they are looking at a place that can support their career growth and personal goals. The intrinsic value that a company can provide in terms of workplace culture and work-life integration is becoming ‘must-have’ when deciding whether to join.”
Conclusion
Recruiting physicians and other medical professionals is indeed a tough task in today’s ever-changing healthcare landscape, and it’s often made tougher by geography as illustrated by our two interviewees. Those who are recruiting for facilities in rural or remote locations are increasingly touting better work-life balance and more flexible scheduling options to job candidates over such non-lifestyle factors as compensation. Pay is generally more important to providers seeking job placement in cities and close-in suburban settings. But even those candidates need to be sold on everything from workplace culture to long-term career advancement opportunities.
The one absolute commonality? Today’s physicians are less focused on a job and more on a career.