Fernando V

  • Role description: Clinical recruiter with over 6 years of experience specifically focused on recruiting Medical Professionals (MPs) and doctors in primary care and internal medicine.

  • Current position: Lead Recruiter at Ultimate Health Services, which is California's largest nonprofit federally qualified health center.

  • Service areas: Provides clinical care in Los Angeles and Orange County, with services including:

    • Primary care

    • Women's health

    • Pediatric care

    • Geriatric care

    • Mental health

    • Dental health

    • Pharmacy services

  • Recruitment focus: Non-licensed personnel within the clinic, including positions such as:

    • Clinic directors

    • AVP (Assistant Vice President)

    • Office managers

    • Dental assistants

    • Administrative assistants

    • Corporate roles

Transition from Clinical to Non-Clinical Recruitment

  • Shift in roles: Discussion on the transition from recruiting clinical roles to non-clinical positions.

  • Recruitment challenges: Key challenges faced while recruiting both types of roles include:

    • Understanding specific requests from medical directors (e.g., finding a Spanish-speaking family medicine doctor with specific experience).

    • Need for strong interpersonal skills to establish connections with medical professionals.

    • Balancing director expectations with the realities of candidate availability and salary constraints.

Personal Experience and Career Development

  • Enjoyment of challenges: Enjoys the challenge of finding hard-to-fill roles and appreciates being pushed to meet tough demands.

  • Career progression: Earned a Master's in Healthcare Administration; seeking advancement and greater responsibilities in roles.

    • Current role involves more leadership and business considerations beyond recruiting.

Recruitment Insights

  • Team objectives: Current objectives for recruiting staff include hiring a Head of Clinical Recruiting to support a growing team of Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and others across the U.S.

  • Company growth strategy: Plans involve aggressive scaling, aiming for 8-10 full-time and 10-15 per diem MPs in multiple regions (e.g., East Coast: NY, NJ, CT; Midwest: IL, OH, MI; West Coast: Northern and Southern CA, OR, WA).

Recruitment Strategies and Methodologies

  • Clinical recruitment experience:

    • Developed key connections with residency programs (e.g., USC), starting from the candidates' first year.

    • Importance of nurturing relationships over a period of years to facilitate recruitment.

  • Volume metrics:

    • Average hiring output includes:

    • 3-4 NPs monthly.

    • 1-2 physicians monthly.

  • Time to fill roles: Typical timeframe from requisition to hiring can vary based on the role, with full-cycle recruitment discussed for both clinical and non-clinical positions.

Technology and Tools in Recruitment

  • Key tools include:

    • Excel for managing databases and sourcing candidates effectively.

    • Use of programs that facilitate mass communication (e.g., sending text messages to a large database).

  • Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) experience:

    • Familiar with Taleo and Workday; adaptability to new ATS as needed.

Data Sourcing for Candidate Recruitment

  • Subscriptions to databases were used to access clinician data, such as:

    • Doximity (similar to Indeed for doctors).

    • Potential other services available for clinician information retrieval.

  • Use of open-source tools such as LinkedIn for outreach and recruiting.

Growth and Development in Recruitment Roles

  • Future recruitment needs: Anticipates needing to double the NP recruitment team in the next 2-3 years to support onboarding and credentialing processes effectively.

  • Desired outcomes include:

    • Building a waiting list of interested NPs for potential future hiring, establishing a robust pipeline for filling roles quickly.

Conclusion and Next Steps in Recruitment

  • Discussion about the possibility of consultant roles for specific recruiting projects, enhancing flexibility in hiring.

  • Emphasis on the importance of professional growth and potential future career opportunities in leadership and recruitment.

  • Closing remarks focused on sharing insights and understanding company needs to ensure alignment with organizational goals.