Bringing a new physician to your private pediatric practice can be exciting. Still, it also requires careful planning and execution to ensure a smooth onboarding process for staff and patients. To help you stay organized and welcome your new team member, here's a comprehensive checklist to guide you through the essential steps.
How to select the physician that’s right for your practice
While it’s important to acknowledge that hiring staff and pediatricians is difficult for many practices, it’s still crucial to find the person that is the best fit for your clinical team. As you seek help to expand your practice, balance patient loads, or add new specialties or services, consider the following before typing up the offer letter.
Shared values. What is your practice’s vision? What matters most to you in your practice of medicine and providing care for children and families? Whether it is top-notch clinical care, access to behavioral and mental health services, or a spirit of innovation and imagination, the person that matches the qualities you most value is often the best candidate. While skills can be learned, values are harder to influence.
Addition of services or specialities. If a provider has specialities or qualifications you don’t yet offer at your practice, hiring them could be a source of new patient care and revenue for your practice. Examples of additional specialties include social workers to coordinate health and family care, lactation specialists to support new parents, sports medicine for young athletes, and many more. The best candidate will fit the needs of your community, and nobody knows the community like the local pediatrician.
Understanding the candidate's goals. Is the position you wish to fill locum tenens? Are you looking for a future partner, or a physician to take over the practice based on your succession planning? Understanding the candidate’s career goals and being candid about your own can help determine a great fit. Candidates may be seeking a short-term position or they may be looking for their ‘forever’ practice. Which candidate is right for you?
Hiring a New Provider Checklist
When you have determined the best candidate for your practice – the one that fits your values, shares your vision, and promises to add to your practice culture – it’s time to take a look at the logistics of adding a new provider to your practice. Some of these tasks, like credentialing, take several months, and should be completed as soon as possible to allow time to complete.
Documentation and Hiring Paperwork. Key information you’ll need from your new physician includes:
- National Provider Identifier (NPI) number
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration
- Hiring paperwork, including employment agreements, W-4 forms, and I-9 documentation
- Partnership agreements (if applicable)
Credentialing Tasks. This can take three to six months. Plan ahead!
- Enroll the new physician in your medical group's contracts
- Complete the credentialing process for any required hospitals or healthcare facilities
- Ensure the new physician is properly credentialed with your practice’s insurers
Payroll, Malpractice, Insurance, and Administrative Tasks
- Set up the new physician in your payroll system
- Provide information about your practice's benefits, time-off policies, and other relevant HR policies.
- Assist the new physician in obtaining the necessary malpractice insurance coverage.
- Sign individual insurance contracts
Electronic Health Record (EHR) Integration
- Coordinate with your EHR vendor to create a login for the new physician. With PCC, this is as easy as emailing Support or your Client Advocate!
- Ensure the new physician has the appropriate permissions and access levels within the EHR system.
- Schedule EHR training to familiarize the new physician with your practice's workflows and documentation requirements.
- e-Prescribing set up, such as ID proofing and creating an EPCS account.
Marketing and Practice Integration
- Provide the new physician's photo, biography, and other relevant information for your practice's website and social media channels.
- Introduce the new physician to the rest of the clinical team and staff.
- Provide support for adding any patients that may follow the new physician from another practice, such as compiling new patient “packets” or informational videos on where to find your practice, parking, office hours, and other important information.
- Encourage the new physician to participate in practice marketing efforts, such as community outreach events, to get to know your unique community!
By following this checklist, you can ensure that your new physician is fully prepared to join your private pediatric practice and provide exceptional care to your patients. Finding the right person to suit your practice can be an experience of trial and error, but when it’s successful, it creates a camaraderie and positive culture unlike any other.
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