Tips for How to Approach the Physician Onboarding Process

Physician onboarding involves more than just completing paperwork and ensuring compliance with regulations. It requires planning, education, and communication to create a successful experience for the facility and the physician. This step-by-step guide includes best practices and essential checklists for your facility’s onboarding plan.

Why Is the Physician Onboarding Process Important?

Onboarding is the final step before a new physician becomes a full-time employee, and your investment in hiring them pays off. An effective process ensures that who you recruited is fully integrated into the facility and ready to provide quality care. It also helps ensure a smooth transition from recruitment to full-time employment so that new physicians can quickly become productive members of your team.

The healthcare industry has recognized the value of investing in effective onboarding processes for physicians, but many organizations have missed the mark. Creating a simple, streamlined approach is much more complicated than it sounds, especially when you factor in competing priorities such as merger and acquisition activities, facility compliance and accreditation requirements, changing job roles for coordinators, and other factors that impact hiring processes.

Implementing an effective onboarding program makes sense for your organization because it increases the chances of successful hires, reduces turnover, and creates an environment where physicians are engaged in their work and feel welcome at your facility.

Onboarding a physician is only the beginning. For a physician to have a long and fruitful career, they need the tools and resources to build a lasting financial foundation. Physician’s Resource Services offers consultative services to help medical professionals structure and implement insurance, tax preparation, and financial planning strategies.

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Healthcare Onboarding Best Practices for Developing an Actionable Plan

The first step in creating an effective physician onboarding plan is to develop a comprehensive checklist of tasks that must be completed before the physician begins their first day on the job. This should include pre-employment activities, such as paperwork processing and orientation sessions, and post-employment activities, like introductions to staff and colleagues and setting up office space.

It’s essential to remember the needs of both the facility and the new hire. Consider what information needs to be communicated, what forms must be completed, who should be contacted for introductions or orientations, and what resources are available for professional development opportunities. A well-thought-out onboarding plan ensures a smooth transition and gives new hires confidence that they’ve found a safe and supportive environment to practice their craft.

What Should You Include in Your Physician Onboarding Checklist?

There’s a lot of ground to cover, but here are some essential items that should be included in your checklist:

Paperwork Processing

Collect copies of professional licenses and certifications, complete insurance forms, gather demographic information, and sign confidentiality forms.

Orientation and Introductions

Acclimate new hires to the culture of your facility by introducing them to key staff members and other physicians, taking a facility tour, and learning about policies and procedures.

Set Up Communications

So that the new hire can stay in touch with key staff members, give them assets like a dedicated email address, access to secure messaging tools, or access to telephone systems that enable physicians to connect with staff from anywhere.

Office Space Setup

New physicians need to be provided with the essential tools they’ll need to practice medicine at your facility. Arrange office space and set up computers, phones, medical supplies, and other necessities. Ensure the workspace is comfortable, spacious, and organized for maximum efficiency.

Training Resources

Make sure the new hires have the means to learn the processes and procedures of your facility. Cover safety protocols, medical coding and billing guidelines, infection control procedures, and other vital systems.

Welcome Packet

Compile orientation materials, policy and procedure information, contact information for colleagues and mentors, and a list of medical codes applicable to your facility so that new hires have everything they need for their first days at the ready.

Professional Development Resources

Grant access to online courses, seminars, mentorship programs, and other clinical education initiatives. This helps the new physician become accustomed to the facility’s culture and establishes them as trusted team members.

Continuing Medical Education

Facilities should provide new physicians access to Continuing medical education (CME) courses and resources so that everyone can stay up-to-date on their field’s latest treatments, technologies, and best practices.

Organizational Culture

New physicians should experience the facility’s culture as soon as they’re hired. Introduce them to key stakeholders, provide information on corporate policies, and outline expectations for their role. Doing so should encourage them to feel confident and comfortable in their new position.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics need to be explained to new physicians. Cover what’s expected of them regarding patient volume, quality of care, and other standards. Setting these expectations from day one ensures that physicians understand their performance requirements and what they need to do to reach them.

Patient Flow & Scheduling

Physicians the flow and scheduling procedures of the facility, as well as any additional staff members or support services. This includes the roles of nurses, receptionists, and other team members.

Administrative Expectations

During onboarding, you should communicate administrative processes such as medical records, coding practices, billing, and compliance regulations to new physicians so they understand their roles in the systems.

Partner With Physician’s Resource Services for Onboarding Guidance Tailored to Your Needs

Physician onboarding is vital for any healthcare facility, as it sets the tone for a successful working relationship with new hires. At Physician’s Resource Services, we’re here to help you create an effective onboarding plan tailored to your unique needs. We understand the importance of getting new physicians up and running quickly and efficiently. Our team of professionals is highly experienced in developing customized physician onboarding programs that meet your facility’s requirements.

Ready to define your onboarding process? Reach out today.

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