Same-Day Surgery Manager: Renew relationships with those who left you
Renew relationships with those who left you
By Stephen W. Earnhart, MS
CEO
Earnhart & Associates
Austin, TX
Who hasn't had a significant surgeon leave your facility for greener pastures? What about that staff member whom you spend so much time with, who you develop into a world-class employee who seemed to master every task, only to see him or her lured or driven away to a competitor?
All of us in the industry have accumulated losses like these over the years. We whined and mentally cursed them, but we also felt sorry for our losses and experienced a deep sense of betrayal by their departure. Time, glorious time, normally has softened those losses. But has it really? Many of us wish we could get those key employees or surgeons back (where they belong) into our facilities after they (learned their lesson) realize that the grass is not always greener (or it is only growing over a septic system) and they want to (come crawling back) rejoin the team from whence they left. Pride often prevents their return. Some of them feel as if they might have burned a bridge when they left.
The market is as tight as I have ever seen for attracting new staff and surgeons. There are so many options available to both groups that you really need to get innovative to remain competitive. Here are some suggestions on getting back that surgeon who left you:
- Make a list of surgeons and staff that have left your facility over the past five years.
- Put a negative (-) mark beside those who you danced in the street when they left. Put a plus (+) sign in front of the ones you were sorry to see go and wished you had back.
- Take the "+" list and jot down the reason (or what they told you was the reason) they left. Get others on your staff to get their input, as you might not have all the facts.
- Send each of the "+" list a card (to their home address) telling them that you and the staff miss them. If the reason they left has been resolved or eliminated, state that as well. For example: "Dear Dr. Brown. Several of us were sitting around the other day and reminiscing about how much fun we used to have when you did your cases here. We know that you were upset that we couldn't give you the block schedule that you had requested several years ago, but we have since expanded our facility and can now accommodate your requests. I would like to call you in a few days to discuss this with you. Thanks again for all the great times we had at ______ (facility)."
- Wait a few days after you think the physicians have received their letters, and then call. Ask them to come back and do just one case so the staff have an opportunity to see them again and for them to see the improvements you have made.
- Now do the same for staff members that have left. It is essentially the same format except that you might want to explain your new pay scale, flex hours, the fact that the supervisor who worked with them has retired, etc. In other words, often even minor changes can attract staff back to you. Many times when someone has left a job, they realize they made a mistake and would like to return to their old job but are embarrassed to do so. Give them an opening by contacting them first. You might be pleasantly surprised by their response. If you try this response, contact us to let us know how it works.
(Earnhart & Associates is an ambulatory surgery consulting firm specializing in all aspects of surgery center development and management. Contact Earnhart at 1000 Westbank Drive, Suite 5B, Austin, TX 78746. E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.earnhart.com.)
Who hasn't had a significant surgeon leave your facility for greener pastures? What about that staff member whom you spend so much time with, who you develop into a world-class employee who seemed to master every task, only to see him or her lured or driven away to a competitor?Subscribe Now for Access
You have reached your article limit for the month. We hope you found our articles both enjoyable and insightful. For information on new subscriptions, product trials, alternative billing arrangements or group and site discounts please call 800-688-2421. We look forward to having you as a long-term member of the Relias Media community.