The quality of a physician's onboarding experience can dictate whether they find satisfaction in their role, according to a recent report from the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment.
Operational leaders from Duarte, Calif.-based City of Hope, Houston-based University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and UC San Diego Health shared with Becker's how their organizations tackle the crucial process of physician onboarding.
Social onboarding at City of Hope
Vijay Trisal, MD, system chief clinical officer at City of Hope and a surgical oncologist, said he was not surprised at the findings of the AAPPR report.
"Most onboarding processes I've gone through felt like an assembly line," he said. "That type of environment doesn't foster comfort or connection. We want our doctors to feel comfortable because that's how an organization like City of Hope thrives."
Dr. Trisal implements what he calls "social onboarding," which he said is just as important as technical or clinical onboarding. Though City of Hope hospitals are spread across four states, physicians spend their first month employed by the health system at its California headquarters.
"They go through our clinics, learn our protocols and, most importantly,connect with the people," he said. "It's through these connections that we convey our mission, vision, values and behaviors."
At the end of the day, Dr. Trisal said the secret to successful onboarding comes down to the values of the organization.
"You can't change a whole organization just by improving the onboarding process," he said. "It has to be a reflection of who you are as an organization."
Connection through collaboration at MD Anderson
Anne Tsao, MD, vice president of academic affairs, professor of thoracic/head and neck medical oncology and director of the mesothelioma program at MD Anderson, said personal connections and emphasis on collaboration to achieve the organization's mission are key to physician onboarding.
"The purpose of our onboarding isn't just to give [physicians] logistics but to make sure they understand our mission, which is ultimately to cure cancer," she said. "We want to provide them with a well-rounded experience that immerses them in our mission, culture and values."
Though onboarding technically begins the moment a physician accepts their job offer and a faculty adviser is assigned to help navigate a move to Texas, in-person onboarding officially occurs over two weeks in a designated, collaborative workspace. During those two weeks, physicians work through the logistical and operational aspects of onboarding while also meeting with MD Anderson's community of academic research and educational leaders. Those meetings, Dr. Tsao said, are intended to inspire physicians on what they can achieve.
"Optimal outcomes require collaboration," she said. "What excites me most about this new system is making the network a key focus. I believe it will drive innovation, creativity and a shared value system across the organization."
Ambassador-led onboarding at UC San Diego
UC San Diego Health Associate COO Lydia Ikeda and executive assistant Amanda Thompson have just begun launching their system's new onboarding process with encouragement from the leadership team.
"Efforts like this don't succeed without leadership support, and we've had great engagement across all teams," Ms. Ikeda said.
In the past, each department would handle its own onboarding process; the system now uses a streamlined approach through an onboarding ambassador.
"This person holds the physician's hand through the process, letting them know what's ahead, what's done and what’s missing," Ms. Ikeda said. "They help new hires develop networks so they know where to go with questions. Though if all else fails, they can always return to their ambassador."
Though the new system is in its pilot phase, Ms. Thompson said UC San Diego Health already has seen a positive effect since implementing the ambassador role.
"We realized we needed to extend [it] beyond onboarding," she said. "They now check in throughout the first year to ensure the provider feels supported."
Lasting first impression
Though their perspectives are unique, these industry leaders each emphasized the importance onboarding has on physician satisfaction and overall organizational alignment. Their insights reflect broader trends in healthcare: the significance of collaboration, retention and fostering a strong, mission-driven culture from day one.
Dr. Tsao reflected on the necessity to look at onboarding beyond the benefit of a health system and to the physician integrating their life into that system.
"Everyone wants to get physicians on the wards and into the clinic as fast as possible, but first impressions are everything," Dr. Tsao said. "You can set the tone for an entire career based on how well someone integrates into the organization from the start."