The Importance of a Surgicalist Talent Management Strategy

As a provider of surgicalist programs, SAMGI (Surgical Affiliates Management Group, Inc.) builds cohesive teams of high-performing, board-certified surgeons and advanced practice providers (APPs) that provide surgical care to hospitals from rural emergency and elective practices through busy Level II trauma centers. That makes it critical that we genuinely understand how to attract, identify, develop, engage, retain and deploy surgeons and advanced practitioners into a dedicated hospital setting.

Without giving away proprietary secrets, at the core of SAMGI’s methodologies is a talent management strategy that focuses on relationships and learning what is important to each surgeon and APP we meet. This helps align our business objectives and strategies with the talent necessary to support those of our client hospitals and create value for all parties. 

In providing our surgicalist programs to hospitals across the country, SAMGI implements planning methodologies to determine each program’s current and future surgeon and APP needs. We analyze supply and demand, current demographics, predictions for shortages or surpluses, and market and workplace trends for surgeons and APPs. Understanding these elements helps us focus on and prioritize our activities that include: 

  •                     Talent acquisition
  •                     Building talent pools
  •                     Succession planning
  •                     Leadership development
  •                     Career management
  •                     Lifelong learning
  •                     Deployment
  •                     Engagement
  •                     Retention

Monitoring our talent management activities is important to our understanding of what is working to attract, retain, and control the costs associated with talent processes.

In addition, we approach our talent management strategy with a blend of inclusive and exclusive approaches. This allows us to work with our surgeons and client hospitals to reach and acquire surgeons and APPs from the widest possible talent pools. Integral to this method is how SAMGI leadership partners with hospital leadership to ensure the active involvement of all stakeholders. This allows us to prioritize the different stages from talent acquisition through retention.

We use proprietary tools that help us research surgeon and APP candidates and their backgrounds who have ties to specific geographies and locations. This is essential to filling positions with the right candidates. For example, for openings in a rural location requiring a surgeon or APP to live in that town/city, we seek and identify professionals who can relate to that lifestyle and who will become long-term, valued partners with their client hospital.   

We also work with some hospitals wishing to find surgeons and APPs who can drive or fly to their locations, work for one or two weeks, and then return. This successful model supports surgeons and APPs who want the surgicalist work/life balance but are unable to relocate.  

It all boils down to our talent management team determining the best strategy for each client and location and using our unique tools and techniques—our “secret sauce”—to acquire the best candidates for partnerships between surgeons, hospitals, and SAMGI. It’s a proven methodology refined over 25 years that allows our client hospitals to provide consistent, high-quality care to the patients in their communities.  

 

Author:

Tammy D. Hager, MBA, CPRP, FABC
Executive Director of Recruitment and Privileging