By: Emerson R. Moses, MBA, CPRP
President

A new year brings a fresh start, setting new goals and thinking about the future. Now that 2022 has arrived, it also has me reflecting on the events of the past year. The resiliency we collectively have to endure and overcome is inspiring. Even in struggle, I recognize the opportunities for change & innovation that the year brought to our profession. Much of which inspired notable and historic accomplishments for AAPPR and our Members.

In 2021, knowing that our traditional in-person Conference was not going to be an option, AAPPR pivoted and stood up our first ever Virtual Conference, hosting over 600 attendees and offering a virtual translation of our much-beloved annual conference. We held the first ever Leaders Connect in-person event, with a focus for leaders and stakeholders in the provider recruitment space. Additionally, the launch of the AAPPR Academy brings all our tools and resources together for a one-stop, easy to navigate, virtual learning experience.

AAPPR published its very first White Paper – a collaborative effort between the Board and a panel of leaders within our own membership – calling out the alarming trends and shifts we’re seeing in our industry impacted by the pandemic. In complement, AAPPR published 3 research reports on COVID’s impact on physician career changes, recruitment, onboarding, and compensation structure and benefits. In addition, the Annual Benchmark Survey hit a record high number of participants and search data points – inclusive of nearly 170 member organizations and almost 17,000 searches – shattering our prior year record of 11,000 searches.

Being at the forefront of industry trends and shifting landscapes is critical to supporting AAPPR’s strategic imperative of elevating our profession and our members as the source of knowledge and truth when it comes to recruiting and retaining physicians and providers. It is critical to us as a Board in ensuring that we are not only supporting our Members with the tools and resources they need, but always thinking ahead with foresight to advance our profession along the recruitment to retention continuum.

So, in addition to reflecting, we also start to ask, ‘what comes next’?

In 2022, I will reach a milestone in my own career – 20 years working in the physician and provider recruitment. From coordinator to recruiter to consultant to leader, I’ve worked within a multitude of care models, from fee-for-service, multi-hospital integrated academic systems, to capital-backed, technology driven health startups out of Silicon Valley – and everything in between. Experiences like these shape us as professionals and how we see things. The diversity of my own experience has shown me how much variety exists within our profession when it comes to

• how we do our work,
• what drives it and
• who the key contributors are.

The evolution of our industry is remarkable to watch.

Our traditional “in-house” recruiter lines are a bit greyer – with movement of physician and provider recruiters back and forth across the employer vs agency models. We have recruitment teams now that operate purely on production models, particularly those in the VC, pre-IPO space as new care businesses emerge every day and stretch to meet aggressive growth & hiring goals. As leaders in our industry, we need to consistently ask

• What is changing and how can we proactively anticipate the needs that come along with that change?

As we think towards the future, I challenge us to consider what that looks like.

• How is our work evolving?
• Who are the people influencing that change?
• Where are the content experts, the thought-leaders and the experiences that shape how we do our work and touch the physicians, providers, and communities whose lives we impact?
• Are the influencers part of our conversation and, if not, how do we invite them to the table?
• How do we continue to embrace and welcome change in a way that only makes us better – creating opportunity for learning and collaboration across the spectrum of our profession?

AAPPR embraces the change that is occurring and is eager to see what the future holds.