How to Get Star Consultants to Choose Your Hospital
5 ways to get high revenue generating consultants to work in your hospital.
Revenue is what keeps any successful business going and it is no different for hospitals. The impressive infrastructure, state-of-the-art equipment, qualified administration & patient care staff or the best of customer care practices in the hospital industry generate revenue only when there are patients in the hospital.
Even in large metro cities with multiple branded hospital chains, a patient really chooses the doctor and not the hospital. For instance, a star gastroenterologist may have his part time practice in a lesser-known clinic rather than a large hospital equipped with all the facilities, and patients will still choose the lesser-known hospital for the doctor.
As we know there is more to a patient treatment plan than the consultation; it is the registration, lab tests, pharmacy, procedures and ultimately references and positive word of mouth. Each of these components generate revenue for the hospital. And the reason is primarily the doctor who gets them to choose your hospital in the first place.
So what can you do to get that star consultant to adorn the coat with your hospital’s nametag?
We list down 5 best measures that can help you attract the best of the best talent to your hospital:
1. Flexible Schedules
Since you need this star consultant to practice in your hospital, one of the first things that you might want to offer is flexible schedules. This helps the consultant agree to be a part of your hospital and not get into a mode of feeling that they don’t have enough control over their time. Having an efficient appointment and schedule management software will help streamline this process and optimize the time spent on managing doctors’ schedules.
2. Better Support Staff
Medical care is all teamwork. While the patient comes into the hospital because she wants to consult a particular doctor, they will come back again largely because of the support staff – the junior doctors, the nurses, the technicians and the housekeeping staff among others. And every consultant wants his patients to come back. Every consultant wants a team he can have confidence on. A team that will deliver as much in their absence as in their presence.
3. Better Decision Making Inputs
Today’s medical care is inclined towards evidence based medical decisions and the subsequent care. A good way for the hospital to become a preferred employer for the top consultants is by offering an infrastructure where the medical decision-making is evidence based, easily accessible and efficient. State-of-the-art medical equipment, EMR and automated workflows are a few add-ons that you should consider implementing if you haven’t already.
4. Better Compensation
The biggest motivator and driving force in the world of business is the compensation. Compensation is not just about the money but also about the value of the professional. Devising a profitable billing sharing arrangement will go a long way in the relationship between consultants and hospital.
5. Treat your consultants like your customers
As Stephen R. Covey states, “Always treat your employees exactly as you want them to treat your best customers.” For doctors, it is not just about the monetary benefits. Focus on the needs and requirements of your consultants and implement the best practices in your hospital. Provide your consultants with the right tools and technology that make their lives easier. Automate your hospital to make the workforce around doctors more efficient and let your consultants know that you are here to make their life more comfortable. This works in getting the hospital on other star consultant’s preferred employer list.
While the effectiveness of these measures may differ because of the dynamics of healthcare markets in different cities, each one of these is a sure shot gainer. It is on the hospital to devise a package that works the best for it. When word gets around, you will find more consultants interested in your hospital.
To understand how you can enhance patient care, increase revenues, improve productivity, optimize cost and make star consultants choose your hospital, click here.