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Re-Recruit New Physicians
with CEO Audrey Meyers, Valley Health System, Ridgewood NJ |
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Presenter at Studer Group's What's Right in Health Care Conference |
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here's a reason that Valley Health System in Ridgewood, NJ has the third
highest physician satisfaction in the entire Press Ganey database. Leaders |
demonstrate an unrelenting commitment to physician satisfaction. (Valley, which has a medical staff of 700, is also a 2007 Studer Group Fire Starter award winner.) |
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“When asked the likelihood of recommending our facility to friends and family, we’re in the 99th percentile,” says CEO Audrey Meyers. “Quality of care is ranked by physicians at the same level. I think that’s telling.”
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How Valley Makes It Easy for New Physicians
In addition to an active physician satisfaction team and recognition for long-time members of the medical staff, Valley works to actively engage new physicians by building loyalty early through continuous communication. Here are just a few ways leaders at Valley make it easy for physicians to practice at the health system:
- A formal orientation. Audrey Meyers opens a two hour formal orientation for new physicians with a focus on mission, vision and values and gives each attendee a detailed resource guide for new physicians, which includes information on everything from medical records and risk management to legal affairs and special projects. The event also includes presentations by selected senior leaders (e.g. CNO, vice presidents, information technology.) Bev Miller, director of physician relations, follows up with in-person individual visits to each new physician.
- Welcome calls to new physicians. New physicians connect with key leaders early. In addition, each new physician receives a personal welcome phone call from a member of the executive staff. (Calls are hardwired. Each month, the executive team divides up a list of new physicians to make the calls and documents that calls were made.)
- Key information is easy to find. “You’d be surprised how much physicians appreciate having a current phone list,” says Miller, director of physician relations. When she meets with new physicians, she provides a copy of the leadership directory (“your guide to contacting Administration”) that includes a photo, email address, telephone number and office location of 21 Valley leaders as well as a list of frequently called phone numbers. She tells physicians that “Audrey Meyers wants you to know the leaders are here in case you need anything.” A resource guide on outpatient services and support groups helps physicians understand key resources available to their patients.
- Doctor-to-Doctor meetings facilitate collaboration. Miller ensures that general medicine practitioners meet the specialists who are available to them. “There may be a new Ob-Gyn who hasn’t yet had an opportunity to meet a maternal fetal medicine physician,” she explains. “So I ensure that happens.”
- ‘Meet and Greets’ create opportunity for ongoing engaged dialogue. Quarterly, Meyers meets with eight to 10 physicians who have been at Valley at least one year to learn what’s going well and what needs improvement. (See sidebar to download a list of 7 key questions Audrey asks.) She also sends a congratulatory note to each physician on his or her first year with Valley.
“Because we spend so much time communicating with physicians, they all know they can pick up the phone if there’s an issue and someone will respond within 48 hours,” adds Miller. “This responsiveness has astounded some of our new physicians who haven’t experienced it in other organizations.”
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Audrey Meyers, FACHE is president and CEO of the Valley Hospital and Valley Health System. She began her career at Valley as a planning associate 28 years ago. She currently serves as a member of the Nominating Committee for the Metro Council of the American Hospital Association among other industry leadership affiliations. |
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7 Questions to Ask at Meet and Greets |
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Valley CEO Audrey Meyers asks questions that provoke meaningful discussion. Download Audrey’s questions here. |
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