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The Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment (AAPPR) is redefining recruitment to retention and is the only professional organization where physician and provider recruitment leaders and others who influence recruitment, onboarding and retention can connect, learn and advance their careers.
Emerson Moses, MBA, CPRP-DEI, shared in her post last month how AAPPR made amazing strides in 2022 to expand the reach and visibility of the association. We have created great momentum and are now off and running into 2023. We have accomplished this through many strategic imperatives, but one of our most important goals is to ensure we maximize value for our members. One of the ways we do that is by offering a diverse suite of professional development opportunities.
Professional development and recruiter education is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. I would not be where I am in my career today without the help of AAPPR. Many moons ago when I first stumbled into a role in provider recruitment as a coordinator, I was a one-woman show with no mentorship or guidance internally. I had no idea what I was doing, and my phone was ringing off the hook. The best advice I ever got was to join AAPPR and get my certification. Within two years of starting my role, I sat for my certification and never looked back.
Many of my fellow board members have had similar experiences or can deeply relate to this sentiment. These experiences have informed how we prioritize the importance of educational opportunities for our members. Outside of the Certified Physician and Provider Recruitment Professional (CPRP) certification we have many educational offerings. In addition to our courses, we also host monthly round tables and webinars. Our webinars have always been a staple of AAAPR’s educational contributions, and we continue to collaborate with our affiliates and corporate partners to offer a wide scope of content related to every facet of our roles.
Over the last few years, we have worked diligently to expand our course offerings outside of the CPRP. We have launched an Onboarding and Retention Certificate, Locum Tenens Management Certificate, and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Micro Certificate. We identified a gap in introductory education for new members, which led us to develop an Introduction to Recruitment course, which will launch later in 2023.
We continue to prioritize our education offerings as an association because the board understands that when our members succeed, so does AAPPR. Helping our members elevate themselves as professionals allows them to position themselves as subject matter experts within their organizations. This, in turn, creates more visibility and credibility for members and the association.
This year, whether you are new to the field or a seasoned professional, I challenge you always to strive to continue to learn and take advantage of all our educational offerings. Whether that is attending monthly roundtables or joining us at conference in Austin, TX in March, it will make an impact. Together our members and AAPPR will continue to grow and establish ourselves as “The Association and The Professional” for all things provider and physician recruitment.
As the year starts to wind down, and the seasons change, I naturally find myself in a state of reflection. Even more so this year, knowing that my time as President of the Board of Directors will soon come to an end. But before that happens, we have several critical months ahead of us where the Board will dive into our strategic plan for the next 3-5 years. Last week we brought our AAPPR Team, Board and Affiliate Leaders together in Salt Lake City to discuss the future, but it also gave us a chance to share with excitement all that is already happening with the Association! And we have much to be proud of!
Firstly, AAPPR Membership surpassed 2,000 members for the first time this year! We expanded CPRP eligibility and saw our new and legacy certifications climb to almost 700 – and growing! The AAPPR Benchmark report has been viewed and purchased this year (in just 2 months since publication) by almost 30% more organizations than the entirety of 2021! And AAPPR Membership retention has risen to 88% and includes over 500 new members. That just blows my mind – and it tells me that the strategic vision of the Board, and the implementation and management of Carey Goryl and her team has us on the right track.
I am also excited to share that this year we have engaged the support of a Media Relations firm, Franco, to further position the Association and our members as THE thought leaders in the space of Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Recruitment, Onboarding and Retention. Positioning our CEO, Carey Goryl, as the voice of the association was intentionally done to expand our ability to engage in new conversations across C-Suite leaders, healthcare media and the public. The AAPPR Benchmarking report was picked up by Beckers, The Advisory Board, Modern Healthcare, and at least 94 other news sources! We have Board members speaking at Becker’s Healthcare Conference in 2023, and several more sessions in the works! AAPPR and our leaders are also being featured in interviews with multiple leading healthcare publications.
The share of voice of AAPPR in the media when it comes to the work that all of you do is continuing to grow – and we are excited to see what the next year will bring!
There are so many more accomplishments, initiatives, and visions that we have seen come to life this year that I would need several months to cover it all. At the end of the day, I am incredibly proud of this Association – of a Board of Directors who isn’t afraid to shake things up, challenge what has always been and take us into the next phase of our profession; of a CEO and leader that enthusiastically is on this journey with us and never hesitates to push us to think bigger and better; and of our members who tirelessly, day in and day out, do what you do so exceptionally and so passionately that it almost brings me to tears.
Buckle up, my friends – 2023 is only going to get better! More white papers, expanded media presence and a continued drive towards bringing each of you the solutions that you need to do your best work and make the greatest impact in your communities. Not to mention our Annual AAPPR Conference in Austin featuring Keynote speakers Risha Grant and Valerie Alexander! Registration is open!
Take time to reflect yourselves this winter season – on all that you do, and all that you have accomplished. Enjoy your loved ones, your traditions and celebrate yourselves. You deserve it. Because you are, quite frankly, remarkable.
Doesn’t it seem like everything today is attached to some form of number? From stock market indices, labor workforce data, inflation rates…even mid-term election results, numbers can be found everywhere! Even running my computer as I type this post is based on numbers and highly complex computational algorithms.
Yet for all their worth, numbers are numbers, and they still need analysis and interpretation. Be it digits, graphs, charts, or color-coded figures, every number begs to shape a story and to become the very backbone of an author’s interpretation – an interpretation that may just lead to insightful information or perhaps, purposeful action to achieve a desired outcome.
From quarterly business reviews, forward-looking statements, budgets, to monthly operating reviews to the C-Suite and senior leaders, your prowess and keen intellect in the physician and provider space possesses the ability to use data to manifest a story. A story designed to inspire, strike motivation, optimize, innovate and shape the future of our nation’s health care delivery.
In fact, being a data-guided author makes you a more influential and confident leader to shape a unique story arc showcasing resilience, determination, and several hero moments only a good author can bring to life.
As an association, AAPPR remains committed to ensuring you have the toolkits and instruments needed to create a compelling story that makes you an invaluable asset to your leaders and this industry. Have you compared your organization’s metrics to even just one of the data points on the recent 2022 Benchmark report? How will your story provide you and your efforts a hero moment to becoming a premier destination employer?
Before 2022 ends, take the opportunity to tell the full story, be a talented author, be an industry leader, better you and your organization’s success in hiring exceptional physician and provider talent, and more importantly leave a happy ending with many of your readers smiling.
The End.
Have you ever seen the show, Undercover Boss? I remember how fascinating the first few episodes were (until it got cheesy!), and how interesting it was to look behind the curtain of different professions. I always enjoy hearing about the experiences of AAPPR members, so I was very excited when, this summer, I had the opportunity to shadow Patti Crabtree, CPRP, a Sr. Physician and Advanced Provider Recruiter at Indiana University Health for the day. It wasn’t quite Undercover Boss, but it was just as interesting to see how a #typicalday played out for one recruitment team.
I received my itinerary the week before and ubered to their offices early on a Monday morning in August. The team is hybrid, but I was there on a staff meeting day, so most who were local were there. After making the rounds of introductions, we headed back to the desk to check email, #typicalday. Next was a series of meetings, both zoom and in person, #typicalday. We were supposed to do a phone screen, but at the last minute the candidate had to reschedule, #typicalday. Having lunch with the onsite team was great to learn about them and then pepper them with questions! From there more meetings to talk sourcing strategy on a 2 year + rural search and then checking in with a service line leader on the status of interviews. In between meetings we logged data in the ATS, #typicalday.
Some of you know already but my background is not in physician recruitment. After nearly 7 years with this association as CEO and on the Board, I know the content but had never experienced a day in the life. I can read about it, hear about it, but I wanted to experience it.
What I observed:
There are only so many ways to find a needle in the haystack. While there are many tried and true methods that will work for most physician searches, often enough it requires a more methodical approach to ensure you’re covering all of the haystack, with the right message, at the right time to capture that right person. You can’t give up. It is also important to celebrate when you do find that ideal candidate and see first-hand how your efforts have paid off.
The benefit of shadowing on a Monday is that folks like to talk about their weekend. It reminds us that we’re not robots on a job, but real people with real lives. Doug Lewis, Executive Director, does a great job in building his team and I really enjoyed watching the team engage with each other, being human. Its important to practice that to bring that human connection to candidates and new hires throughout the recruitment process.
It still seems that it is difficult for colleagues who don’t do recruitment to honor the nuances in physician and provider recruitment. It seems underestimated and so recruitment teams must continue to internally explain their value at every opportunity they have. Recruitment truly is a team sport that takes the commitment of a whole organization, and as team captain, recruitment professionals have a crucial role to play in ensuring the team is aligned and at their best.
A huge thank you to Patti, Doug and the entire team at IU Health for letting me follow them around and see a #typicalday. Congrats to Patti on her upcoming retirement!
As we roll through the dog days of summer, we hope that our AAPPR members have had a chance to unplug and use some of their coveted vacation time. The Board of Directors at AAPPR, purposely pauses many meetings, during July and August, to allow board members and staff to prioritize time-off. With the intent that we can truly unplug, put that “out of office” message up, and not feel obligated to respond during our time away from the office.
We always talk about physician and provider well-being, but it is important to remember that we can get burnt out in our roles too. It can often feel like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. This can make it hard to justify time away from the office and we can get complacent by telling ourselves we’ll do it later. How many of you have 50 to 100+ hours of paid time off, sitting in your accrual bank right now? That later is now.
The work will always be there, and you may lose that hard earned vacation time if you don’t use it. And you should absolutely be using it!
It has taken me a long time to become comfortable, unapologetically, with prioritizing time away from the office. If I don’t take that time to refill my cup, carve out time for things I enjoy, and spend uninterrupted time with friends and family, I wouldn’t be able to do my best work or put my best self forward to candidates or colleagues. It helps keep me grounded and able to give more when I am back at work.
As we embark on a busy fall conference and recruitment season, I want to remind everyone there is still time to recharge! We look forward to seeing you out there in a few weeks. In the meantime, use that vacation time unapologetically, make some memories and spend your time on things that bring you joy. I’ve learned the work will always be there, and the only person who can prioritize my health and well-being is me. Now, where is my hammock for that mid-afternoon nap?
As we begin to settle into the new demands of physician recruiting after a worldwide pandemic, the majority of Physician Recruitment Talent teams have been gifted with high demands to add Physicians and Advanced Practice Providers as soon as possible to the more challenging medical specialties. Organizations are finding they need to rebuild and replenish the workforce after the pandemic and get ahead of strategic plans developed without understanding the shortages of Physicians and other Providers forecasted by X specialty.
Our organizations are desperate for us to assist in solving the staffing and growth strategies they have planned quickly. It leaves us asking, “what can I do to fill the gap?” Typically, summer is a hectic time for physician recruitment teams, and we tend to revert to strategies that have been tried and true. Methods include email campaigns, marketing at related specialty conferences, career fairs, texting, social media, etc. Often as in-house recruiters, we decide to walk the road alone as long as possible before we cry out for mercy and engage the assistance of others. Yet, I believe we must abandon our thoughts of independence to achieve our big wins and embrace the true team model. That means we must consult, partner, and add resources in ways we previously considered taboo. Even in sports that are deemed solo efforts, a NASCAR Driver has a pit crew, the NFL has special teams that just kick, and golf has a caddie to advise on which club to use, the distance to the hole, and any unforeseen rugged terrain which could interrupt the ball finding the cup. If we think about it, there is always a consultant, coach, prep/service team, and other partners within most endeavors.
We need to engage in conversations with our internal stakeholders, Physician Leaders, and other key stakeholders to update interview timeframes and our processes, and reassess candidate profiling requests to refresh everyone’s expectations on timing, review any data, activities, and responses you have collected to reset the conversation.
Take a moment, to be honest. You need help! We must consider bringing other aligned partners (aka. search firms and other partners) into our conversations and strategic planning as soon as possible. Remember the goal, which has been stated so perfectly by PracticeLink, Recruit, Hire and Heal. All things aside, we need to move faster, expand applicant pools, and get our pipelines full to ensure the best outcomes.
And we need to use our best resource, Physicians. Physician referrals are some of the most solid and sure bet referrals. So we must encourage and work with our leadership to develop a Physician Referral program that provides financial incentive payments.
Remember, you are not alone in your race. Pause, breathe, start a conversation on AAPR’s chat, and use this wonderful community for support as we are all frenemies in the same race and have real empathy for the unique situations only found in our industry. Pace yourself, make a reasonable plan with reachable goals, and remain in the game.
As I watched Karine Jean-Pierre address the podium for the first time as the newly appointed White House Press Secretary, I couldn’t help but draw similar parallels between our experiences. I was acutely aware that she represented a few firsts appointed to the role – the first Black woman, born to immigrants, and a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. As I watched her, she acknowledged at that moment that she was standing on the shoulders of the generations of barrier-breaking people who came before her. It was inspiring.
When I began my journey with the AAPPR Board, I looked around the room at my first board meeting. I quickly learned that I was the first black woman to be appointed to the Board. At that moment, I knew it was my duty to challenge the board to expand diversity, equity, and inclusion not only in our leadership but also in our membership, because representation matters! And through the aligned commitment of the organization, I am proud to say that we now have the most diverse board that we have ever had, representing our membership in experiences and perspectives.
When the summer of 2020 hit, we were faced with the onset of a deadly pandemic which dramatically exposed the inequities of healthcare, frontline workers, and other essential workers risking their own safety to help others. We also witnessed the unfortunate deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others. Our communities were hurting, and knowing that our members are part of these communities, we couldn’t be silent.
Together we crafted our first statement as a Board on our commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion, but we didn’t stop there. Through difficult conversations and leaning into the uncomfortable, our commitment to normalizing the conversation and moving forward with action and education has continued. As our Board President, Emerson Moses, mentioned in the last Board Corner, our DEI micro-credential was launched at the conference in April. And the DEI Advisory Committee and the Board are continuing to push forward with initiatives in this space.
Now I present myself as the first black woman appointed as the Board’s President-Elect. Being the first comes with a sense of pride and a great responsibility that I don’t take lightly. It also comes with an understanding that we need all of YOU to help us do this work – to truly change inequity in health care across the board. Join me, our President Emerson Moses, our CEO Carey Goryl, and the AAPPR Board as we embrace diversity, become barrier-breaking individuals, and deepen our impact in healthcare.
Intentional Representation. It’s a phrase that some might say has become my new motto when it comes to AAPPR. I speak to it a lot during our Board meetings, and I had the opportunity to share what that means to me as Board President at our recent Annual Meeting of Membership in Chicago. I thought that I would share a bit of that address here:
“Our job in serving all of you is to ensure that we are consistently driving this association to bring you what you need and to elevate you as the industry experts in our space. To always have a lens on how our profession is changing and evolving – and to know the factors impacting that so that we can be strategic and futuristic as we continue to advance our field.
And for the Board to do that successfully, it must have intentional representation.
We are shaped by the experiences we have and the environments that surround us. The importance of seeing those experiences represented is the driving factor for us moving forward as well as our ability as an Association to support you where you need to be supported. That is why one of the most important roles I believe that I have as President is to ensure that we reflect each of you – the professionals in our industry who drive the work, the innovation and the mission.”
I also was proud to share several key accomplishments from the last year, the first being the publication of two White Papers representing our members as the voice of expertise in our space. The second is the completion and launch of the CPRP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion micro-credential – an educational curriculum that is the first of its kind in the field of talent attraction:
“Having participated in the training myself, I can tell you first hand that it is groundbreaking, thought-provoking, and inspiring.
The influence we have through our profession to change the direction of inequity in healthcare is remarkable. This credential was a vision that was powerful to see come to life. But it is only the first stop on this journey for AAPPR to be intentional and consistent in ensuring that all that we do is also looked at from a lens of Equity and Inclusion.”
With all of this in mind, I would be remiss if I did not ask something of you, our members: intentional engagement. We need the representation of your work and your experiences. The 2022 Benchmark Survey will close shortly and we know that the only way that the research will serve you is if it represents you and the work that you do. The changing landscape of our field is reflected in this data, and it is imperative that we have a pulse on it in order to offer you the solutions that you need.
We also need more diverse representation in our volunteers and committees – and we have opportunities in all areas. If you have always wanted to volunteer but haven’t yet reached out about options, now is the time. From Member Engagement to Education, your voice, your experiences, and your expertise matter. Learn more on the website. Because in diversity, we find innovation and success.
And as I said to close out my address in Chicago, and I say it again here with heartfelt gratitude, “thank you all for being members and for being the engaged and inspiring professionals and individuals that you are. It is YOU that makes us better. And it is an HONOR to serve you.”
We’re looking forward to seeing over 700 members and exhibitors in Chicago at this year’s AAPPR Annual Conference. So much has happened since we all gathered in 2019. If you recall, we just announced our new name and logo for AAPPR. New this year will be the debut of Physician and Provider Recruitment Professionals Week – the first of its kind to showcase all of our members. This is a recognition we will celebrate every year and soon get into the national calendar. Whether you’re joining us in Chicago or not, please tune in to AAPPR’s social channels to be a part of the fun and celebration. We’ll be giving special recognition to nearly 20 professionals, and we can’t wait! We wish we could celebrate with everyone, but we know travel and budgets are restricted, and many of you have finally rescheduled those planned trips from years ago. You can still sign up to receive recorded featured content from the conference and, at a minimum, save the date for next year’s conference in Austin, TX, on March 21-24, 2023. New next year, the conference will start on a Tuesday and end on a Friday! Plus, it ends the day before the SHM Conference, which will also be in Austin if you plan to exhibit there.
If you think you’ve been hearing more about taking care of yourself, you’re right. One indicator: according to Google Trends, the number of searches for “self-care” has more than doubled since 2015. As recruiters, we are expected to work long hours, answer calls at all times of day, and hit our metrics to be highly productive. As a board, we’ve talked about the constant pressure and stress and how it can lead to burnout, depression, and anxiety. We are not alone, and you are not alone. We are all less equipped to handle the stresses that come our way when we’re depleted physically and experience emotional exhaustion. But by taking some time out to engage in self-care, you can help manage your stress and reground yourself where productivity is once again maximized. According to Southern New Hampshire University, “engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy, and more.”
I constantly hear people neglect self-care because they don’t have the time. There is enough time in the day for self-care if you are aware of how you choose to spend your time. Prioritizing self-care is an active choice. How many hours do you spend on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube each day? Most smartphones have an app that tracks how long you spend on social media each day. Try checking the app every day for a week. You may be surprised to learn just how many hours each day you spend on social media. Or how about trading one hour of exercise or on a hobby for just one hour spent on social media?
Another self-care tip is to set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than usual. Reach for a notepad and pen instead of your phone when you get up. Write whatever comes into your mind. This will help reduce worries or stress and focus on your day ahead. No time for breakfast in the mornings? If your mornings are very hectic, prepare breakfast the night before so that you can still eat a healthy meal in the morning. Exercise not your thing? How about spending 30 minutes in a hot bath reading a book. Self-care is known to improve your mental and physical health.
Learning how to take time for yourself might be the hardest choice you’ll ever make. In the long run, it will be the best decision you make, allowing you to be your best self and achieve all those goals you’ve been waiting to tackle. Get started on taking care of yourself today.
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