Survey: PCPs Popular, but Few Hospitals Seek Solo Practitioners

Solo, independent medical practice is going the way of the horse and buggy: Few hospitals are seeking solo physicians to practice in their communities, and more than three out of five physician searches feature hospital employment, according to a report by a national recruiting company. However, the popularity of primary care physicians continues unabated.

Of the 2,710 nationwide physician recruiting assignments for hospitals, medical groups, and other health care organizations handled by the search firm Merritt Hawkins from April 1, 2011, to March 23, 2012, only 1% – a total of 28 – involved searches for solo physicians. In 2004, 22% of the firm’s recruiting assignments were for solo practitioners.

"The recruitment of physicians into solo practice settings has almost entirely abated," the study concluded. Meanwhile, searches involving hospital employment rose to 63%, compared with 56% in 2011 and only 11% in 2004, the study said.

In addition, salaries have almost entirely replaced the income guarantees traditionally used to recruit private practice physicians, Merritt Hawkins said. Only 7% of physician search assignments conducted in 2011 and 2012 featured income guarantees, down from 21% in 2006-2007 and 41% in 2003-2004, the firm said.

Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of search assignments conducted in 2011-2012 featured a salary with production bonus, and the majority of those bonuses are based on a Relative Value Units (RVU) formula, according to the study. However, a fast-growing number of production formulas – 35% of searches in 2011-2012 – featured quality-based metrics as opposed to RVU-based formulas.

Signing bonuses, relocation, and continuing medical education allowances continue to be standard in most physician recruitment incentive packages, the study said. In addition, about 5% of health care organizations are offering housing allowances to assist physicians in relocating.

Family physicians and general internists were Merritt Hawkins’ two most requested physician search assignments. Psychiatrists were third on the "most requested" list, hospitalists were fourth, and general surgeons were fifth, the study found.

"Pediatrics, a recruiting afterthought for many years, has risen steadily up the list of the firm’s most requested search assignments and was the ninth most requested assignment this year," the researchers wrote. In 2005-2006, pediatrics was not in the top 20, the report added.

Family practitioners, pediatricians, and psychiatrists were offered average salaries of $189,000 in 2011-2012, internists were expected to earn $203,000, hospitalists’ average salary was $221,000, and general surgeons were offered $343,000, according to the study. Orthopedic surgeons and invasive cardiologists could expect to earn the highest average salaries: $519,000 and $512,000, respectively.

Solo, independent medical practice is going the way of the horse and buggy: Few hospitals are seeking solo physicians to practice in their communities, and more than three out of five physician searches feature hospital employment, according to a report by a national recruiting company. However, the popularity of primary care physicians continues unabated.

Of the 2,710 nationwide physician recruiting assignments for hospitals, medical groups, and other health care organizations handled by the search firm Merritt Hawkins from April 1, 2011, to March 23, 2012, only 1% – a total of 28 – involved searches for solo physicians. In 2004, 22% of the firm’s recruiting assignments were for solo practitioners.

"The recruitment of physicians into solo practice settings has almost entirely abated," the study concluded. Meanwhile, searches involving hospital employment rose to 63%, compared with 56% in 2011 and only 11% in 2004, the study said.

In addition, salaries have almost entirely replaced the income guarantees traditionally used to recruit private practice physicians, Merritt Hawkins said. Only 7% of physician search assignments conducted in 2011 and 2012 featured income guarantees, down from 21% in 2006-2007 and 41% in 2003-2004, the firm said.

Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of search assignments conducted in 2011-2012 featured a salary with production bonus, and the majority of those bonuses are based on a Relative Value Units (RVU) formula, according to the study. However, a fast-growing number of production formulas – 35% of searches in 2011-2012 – featured quality-based metrics as opposed to RVU-based formulas.

Signing bonuses, relocation, and continuing medical education allowances continue to be standard in most physician recruitment incentive packages, the study said. In addition, about 5% of health care organizations are offering housing allowances to assist physicians in relocating.

Family physicians and general internists were Merritt Hawkins’ two most requested physician search assignments. Psychiatrists were third on the "most requested" list, hospitalists were fourth, and general surgeons were fifth, the study found.

"Pediatrics, a recruiting afterthought for many years, has risen steadily up the list of the firm’s most requested search assignments and was the ninth most requested assignment this year," the researchers wrote. In 2005-2006, pediatrics was not in the top 20, the report added.

Family practitioners, pediatricians, and psychiatrists were offered average salaries of $189,000 in 2011-2012, internists were expected to earn $203,000, hospitalists’ average salary was $221,000, and general surgeons were offered $343,000, according to the study. Orthopedic surgeons and invasive cardiologists could expect to earn the highest average salaries: $519,000 and $512,000, respectively.

Solo, independent medical practice is going the way of the horse and buggy: Few hospitals are seeking solo physicians to practice in their communities, and more than three out of five physician searches feature hospital employment, according to a report by a national recruiting company. However, the popularity of primary care physicians continues unabated.

Of the 2,710 nationwide physician recruiting assignments for hospitals, medical groups, and other health care organizations handled by the search firm Merritt Hawkins from April 1, 2011, to March 23, 2012, only 1% – a total of 28 – involved searches for solo physicians. In 2004, 22% of the firm’s recruiting assignments were for solo practitioners.

"The recruitment of physicians into solo practice settings has almost entirely abated," the study concluded. Meanwhile, searches involving hospital employment rose to 63%, compared with 56% in 2011 and only 11% in 2004, the study said.

In addition, salaries have almost entirely replaced the income guarantees traditionally used to recruit private practice physicians, Merritt Hawkins said. Only 7% of physician search assignments conducted in 2011 and 2012 featured income guarantees, down from 21% in 2006-2007 and 41% in 2003-2004, the firm said.

Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of search assignments conducted in 2011-2012 featured a salary with production bonus, and the majority of those bonuses are based on a Relative Value Units (RVU) formula, according to the study. However, a fast-growing number of production formulas – 35% of searches in 2011-2012 – featured quality-based metrics as opposed to RVU-based formulas.

Signing bonuses, relocation, and continuing medical education allowances continue to be standard in most physician recruitment incentive packages, the study said. In addition, about 5% of health care organizations are offering housing allowances to assist physicians in relocating.

Family physicians and general internists were Merritt Hawkins’ two most requested physician search assignments. Psychiatrists were third on the "most requested" list, hospitalists were fourth, and general surgeons were fifth, the study found.

"Pediatrics, a recruiting afterthought for many years, has risen steadily up the list of the firm’s most requested search assignments and was the ninth most requested assignment this year," the researchers wrote. In 2005-2006, pediatrics was not in the top 20, the report added.

Family practitioners, pediatricians, and psychiatrists were offered average salaries of $189,000 in 2011-2012, internists were expected to earn $203,000, hospitalists’ average salary was $221,000, and general surgeons were offered $343,000, according to the study. Orthopedic surgeons and invasive cardiologists could expect to earn the highest average salaries: $519,000 and $512,000, respectively.