HEALTHCARE HIRING PERSPECTIVES BLOG

Author: Ben Amirault

The healthcare landscape is changing, and forward-thinking hospitals should seek innovative and collaborative candidates to add to their care teams.

The AHA recently published a white paper that contains recommendations from a group of nine physicians and nurse leaders about how hospitals and healthcare systems should design primary care delivery strategies to meet demands of the changing healthcare industry.

Their recommendations included a new primary care workforce model called the Accountability-Based Primary Care Workforce Model. The model is truly patient-centric, calling for a shift away from the paternalistic relationship between patient and provider in favor of collaboration. A visual representation of the model places the patient and family at the hub of a wheel from which other healthcare providers, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers, connect. Each of the team members works within their individual scope of practice to educate and engage patients in their care.

The idea of overhauling the primary care delivery system to focus on the patient is not a new concept. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched demonstration projects, such as the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative and The Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Advanced Primary Care Practice, which are examining the viability of the model. Furthermore, payment reform demonstration projects such as accountable care organizations and bundled payments are testing financial methods for incentivizing and encouraging collaborative medicine.

Hospitals and healthcare systems may want to consider this new care delivery model when recruiting and hiring new members of their care team. Team members will need a different set of experience and skills in order to be effective and efficient providers, including the following:

Familiarity and comfort with electronic health records (EHR) and other integrated health information technology. Communication is essential to a team’s success, and the care team is no exception. EHR allows care teams to share records, notes, and test results easily so each team member has a full view of the patient. Technology is also a useful tool for communicating with patients. More providers are realizing the benefits of using social media to promote healthy lifestyles and share relevant health news and information with their patients.

Experience providing care as part of a multidisciplinary care team. Being a team player isn’t always easy, especially for providers that have spent many years working autonomously. The best care team members will be willing to give up some of that autonomy for the greater good of the team. Providers must welcome and respect opinions from all team members, provided their views are within their scope of practice.

Bedside manner. With patients at the center of the care delivery model, care team members must be able to communicate well with patients and their family members. Patients are no longer going to be told what the care plan is. They will be part of the decision-making process. Providers who can effectively explain the patient’s options and make them feel comfortable and confident in their decisions will see the best results.

Identifying candidates with these skills will ensure hospitals and healthcare systems have the care team necessary to thrive in future.

Ben Amirault is a Content Marketing Editor at Barton Associates’ Peabody, MA headquarters. Ben covers healthcare news and trends for the Barton blog and also writes content for the company website and marketing materials.