CentraCare-Monticello public boardmembers got a glimpse into the difficulties of doctor recruitment when they held their “annual meeting,” a two-hour session last Thursday evening.
The wheels of a successful hospital operation are always well-greased with a goodly share of doctors to admit patients. That scenario is well-strained as the hospital district struggles to maintain its doctors in the face of retirement and competition from other districts facing the same problem.
Cassie Tinius, recruitment director from CentraCare-St. Cloud corporate offices, addressed the issue for a half-hour with the board, saying there are no easy answers to getting doctors on board.
She announced the Big Lake clinic will bring aboard a new doctor in December, but the CentraCare-Monticello Clinic, having recently lost Dr. Ezzat Moussa to retirement, is now down to a single practioneer - Dr. Matt Jordan - and two nurse assistants.
A year ago, the clinic had four admitting doctors.
Hospital CEO Mary Ellen Wells suggested five new doctors would be needed to serve the community and hospital well.
Tinius, who has done physician recruitment for 20 years, reminded the board incoming doctors are in short supply and have their pick of locations, many of which are in metropolitan areas.
That is where many of them have set roots as they have done their medical training at metropolitan hospitals.
“Metropolitan,” in this case, means hospitals within the highway beltline outlining the cities.
And Monticello-Big Lake, in that definition, remains “outstate,” though not in the dire location predicament of several “out-state” districts.
Dr. Craig Broman, CentraCare-St. Cloud president for regional hospitals, said doctor recruitment is the key to growth of the organization, and CentraCare has done that in the past year, adding 36 physicians to its various hospitals, while losing 12, some to retirement.
“We’ve had a good year,” he said, though the “good year” didn’t include the local district.
Location of hospitals and specialty of the doctors looking for work sites are the two key ingredients determining where they locate, the CentraCare people said.
“It is very competitive,” Broman said.
The numbers, Tinius reported, are not on the side of outstate hospitals.
“Sixteen percent of our practioneers are age 65 and older,” she said. “Forty-five percent of Minnesota physicians are over 50. By the year 2020, that will be 58%.”
And recruiters are everywhere, they reported. Seventy-percent of (hospital) organizations have looked for a family medicine physician in 2013.
The situation caused significant discussion among the public board members at the hospital.
Silver Creek Twp. delegate Brian Doyle expressed his concern “at the lack of information.”
“There is a dire need,” assessed Shelly Johnson, Monticello city delegate and board chairman.
Dawson Retires
Becker Twp. delegate since 1996, Bob Dawson, was recognized for his service to the board. He will step down at the end of the year.
Assuming his Becker seat will be Mark Swanson, who won election unopposed in the November election.
Re-elected to another four year seat was Richard Helms, Big Lake Twp., and Candy Benoit, Monticello Twp. Doyle won re-election to a two-year seat from Silver Creek.
A coin flip by Johnson determined the winner of the race from Otsego City. Mark Hill, the winner, and Rob VanDenBerg each received four write-in votes to lead the pack from a field of 77 electors.
Finance Report
Nancy Friesen, recognized as the staffer having the most years in service to the district - over 40 - walked the board through several finance and audit reports.
The finances now belong to CentraCare-St. Cloud since they purchased the hospital and its operations a little over a year ago.
And the district property owners, according to terms of their purchase, will no longer pay property taxes. That became effective this year.
The board will meet only annually as part of the terms of the district’s sale of the hospital. CentraCare officials will do the regular board work.
The public board’s next meeting will be Nov. 19, 2015.
