Physician Workforce Planning
Having a carefully considered plan in place for the development of your medical staff is essential to your organization’s success. This planning process has become increasingly complex, as strategic, regulatory, financial, and political issues must be simultaneously considered. With well over 100 workforce planning projects since 2007, ECG has unmatched depth of experience across all specialties. Our services include:
- Community needs analysis.
- Medical staff development plan preparation.
- Physician recruitment priorities, action plans, and placement alternatives development.
ECG has developed methodologies that meet your business and financial planning needs while fully conforming to ever expanding regulatory requirements. We serve as a trusted adviser and sophisticated analytic resource based on the specific needs and nuances of your organization.
Selected Projects
Assessing physician demand within an integrated academic/community-based health system. Expand Minimize
ECG was engaged to assist a multihospital, academically affiliated health system in preparing a physician resource plan to help guide physician alignment efforts throughout the enterprise. After evaluating current physician resources and future needs for the population served by the health system, ECG created a plan to provide guidance for the health system’s future investment in physician staff development and recruitment for both single specialty and multispecialty clinical services.
Conducting recruitment support analyses for a national hospital chain. Expand Minimize
ECG was retained by one of the nation’s largest hospital systems to provide analyses of community need to support hospital recruiting initiatives for their hospital facilities across the U.S., and we prepared more than 100 community need studies focused on specific specialties. As a result, ECG helped the health system ensure regulatory compliance for their numerous recruiting arrangements throughout the enterprise.
Planning physician faculty funding levels at a major urban children’s hospital. Expand Minimize
ECG was retained to develop strategies to enhance the preeminence of pediatric programs at a major urban children’s hospital through expanded clinical service delivery and pediatric-related research activities. This project resulted in a documented strategic plan for the recruitment and funding of an appropriately sized pediatric medical and surgical faculty and guidelines for the provision of financial support to faculty members.
Configuring optimal provider staffing for a children’s hospital. Expand Minimize
ECG was engaged to assist a children’s hospital to determine how to optimally configure faculty, resident, and physician extender staffing to best meet the teaching and clinical needs of its residency and clinical programs. Major activities included estimating demand for graduating physicians in the market area; assessing the current deployment of pediatric residents by service area; developing alternative residency rotations and clinical coverage to optimize educational and clinical experience; and assessing the financial implications of all proposed changes. Based on our findings, we recommended that the hospital modify the staffing configuration of selected services, minimizing the need to increase the size of its residency program. ECG’s recommendations were approved and successfully implemented.
Conducting medical staff planning for a small community hospital. Expand Minimize
ECG was contracted by a small acute-care hospital to perform a physician needs assessment tailored to the unique needs of the community. Our specific tasks included assisting in determining the appropriate mix and number of physicians necessary to meet the medical needs of the population served by the hospital, and suggesting potential additional practice development and support initiatives with a high likelihood for success in the defined service area.
