Every day, physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants wear an incredible number of hats. While taking care of patients is always a primary focus, there are so many other duties that take time and attention away from the important work of healing. It seems like every day there is a new technology or form that must be filled out. 

The mountains of administrative paperwork continue to grow and oftentimes, the tasks have little to no impact on caring for patients. Nevertheless, each responsibility must be tackled, even though there’s a high cost in time and energy involved. 

Clinical workforce partners can help. A partner takes some of the administrative and non-clinical weight off a doctor’s or NP/PA’s shoulders, empowering them to do what matters most – take care of patients. 

If you are a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician’s assistant in this situation, perhaps it’s time to work with a partner who can help. 

But how do you pick the right one? Primarily, you want an organization that feels like a family, always has your back, and treats you as a valuable part of the team.  

In your search, check to make sure any potential partners are a good fit for you when it comes to priorities, expertise, and support. 

Aligned Priorities 

For the partnership to work, you and the clinical career partner need to agree on what’s most important. Prospective partners should align with you on topics such as:  

Patient-Centered 

Your patients’ welfare is most important to you. You want to partner with a firm who shares that emphasis.  

Work-Life Balance 

An aligned practice management partner will prioritize work-life balance through predictable scheduling and shift parity.  

Commitment to Quality 

A commitment to providing exceptional patient care and outcomes is a given. Your partner must reflect that in their processes, plans, and approaches.  

Culture of Learning 

A worthwhile partner will promote a culture of learning that makes your education continuous, accessible, and relevant.  

Expert Guidance and Protection 

As a clinician, you want clinicians at the helm when it comes to clinical decisions, but you also want to make sure that there is auxiliary support, legal expertise, and operations professionals in place for you to trust. 

Best Practice Approach 

Pick a clinical practice management partner who takes an evidence-based approach to reduce variability and see positive results for patients and clinicians. 

Malpractice Insurance 

Ensure the management firm has excellent malpractice insurance coverage. Check for low malpractice case numbers to assure yourself of a quality commitment. 

Career Development 

The clinical management partner will provide leadership opportunities, offer mentoring programs, and invest in your personal and professional career growth.  

Multi-Specialty  

One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to clinical specialties and it’s good to have options. An organization that has multi-specialty opportunities not only increases your open career paths, but also better understands how different specialties need to work together to be more effective. 

Transition Assistance 

The right management partner will help you find a new position and provide transition assistance to a new location and new specialty, if desired. They thrive on innovation and discover new ways to practice that include remote, in-person, and hybrid modalities. 

Administrative Support 

Look for a clinical management partner who will support you administratively. That includes assistance with technology, licensing, scheduling, and documentation.  

Easy-to-Use Technology  

You want a partner who offers technology that supports your practice rather than interferes with it — technology that makes your life and job easier, helps improve your performance, and enhances team communication to provide better patient care.  

Licensing 

It’s easy to lose track of background details regarding licensure, certification, and necessary renewals. Finding a clinical staffing partner who tracks that will help ensure you renew when it’s time and never let licenses and certifications expire.  

Scheduling Expertise 

An excellent clinical management partner understands your needs and will work to give you a predictable schedule. Their experienced leadership appreciates scheduling challenges and knows what it’s like to be under or overstaffed.  

Documentation 

Proper documentation of patient interactions is vital. A clinical management partner worth considering will help enhance documentation accuracy, making it intuitive and simple, to reduce unnecessary revisions and ensure you receive reimbursement for all the care you deliver.  

Take Time to Find the Right Match 

In the end, you want to partner with a clinical careers company that respects and values your expertise and experience, no matter what direction your career takes.  

If all this sounds like a tall order, it is. That’s why you need to keep your options open. Consider whether partnering with a clinical management company is the right step in your career. If you decide it’s in your best interest, do your research, get advice from colleagues, and take whatever time is necessary to find the perfect fit.