Healthcare Industry News from Cejka Search

Physician Recruitment Firm Promotes Business Development Leaders for Continued Success

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:01:19 PDT

Cejka Search promotes Brian McCartie and Jessica Prince to new leadership roles

Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years, announces the promotion of Brian McCartie to Vice President, Business Development and Jessica Prince to Regional Sales Director.

Brian McCartie - Vice President, Business Development

Joining Cejka Search in 1998, McCartie has extensive expertise and knowledge of the physician recruitment industry. In his new role, McCartie will direct Cejka Search’s business development team with his strong leadership skills and experience in working with some of the most influential and well-known organizations and medical groups in the country. He will continue to provide a vital link between field sales and regional sales managers as they work together to identify and develop flexible client solutions and services.

Jessica Prince - Regional Sales Director

As an integral part of the business development team, Prince has been responsible for closely collaborating with regional sales managers. Having demonstrated significant success in providing customer value and service, Prince will be stepping into a leadership role that involves more opportunities for developing and maintaining customer relationships while ensuring excellent customer service.

About Cejka Search

Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For further information, contact Nancy Burns, Manager of Industry Research and Publications, 314-726-1603.

Forums Highlight Key Topics in Healthcare and Leadership Talent Development

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 07:43:18 PDT

Cejka Search Experts Present Clinical IT Career Development, Research and Trends in Physician Leadership and Retention Strategies, and Young Physician Recruitment

St. Louis, April 5, 2009 - Upcoming and recent industry forums featured Cejka Search, a national physician and healthcare executive search firm, in partnership with industry knowledge leaders. The forums include: the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference, the National Association of Physician Recruiters (NAPR) Annual Convention, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) Annual Conference, Physician Executive Career Workshop, and TEPR (Towards the Electronic Patient Record) Annual Conference. To view select content available in the Cejka Search Healthcare Executive Library, visit www.CejkaSearch.com.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference

Cejka Search is proud to be a gold sponsor of HIMSS. Bonnie Siegel, Vice President, Executive Search Division of Cejka Search, along with Brenda Herrmann, Senior Specialist, Perot Systems and Kathleen Kimmel, Vice President, McKesson Corporation, will present "The Savvy Clinician's Guide to IT Career Success" on April 6, 2009. Siegel will provide career development and coaching for clinical IT professionals.

The National Association of Physician Recruiters (NAPR) Annual Convention

Brian McCartie, Vice President, Business Development, will present key results, findings and recommendations from the 2008 Physician Retention Survey "Meeting the Physician Retention Challenge"on April 16, 2009.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting

David Cornett, Regional Vice President, Physician Search Division, presented "The Changing Landscape of the Physician Workforce" to the Association of Dermatology Administrators and Managers on March 6, 2009. Cornett discussed strategies enabling hospitals and health systems to effectively recruit and retain physicians in a time of shortage.

American Medical Group Association Annual Conference

Cejka Search, a silver sponsor of the American Medical Group Association, presented the following featured speakers at the AMGA annual conference on March 2 and 3, 2009.

David Cornett, Regional Vice President, Physician Search Division, and J. Gregory Stovall, MD and Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs and Director of Organization Development of Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics presented "Physician leadership: Cultivating Fertile Ground." They discussed strategies for optimizing the organizational return on investment in leadership training and development of the next generation of physician leaders.

Brian McCartie, Vice President, Business Development, and Joseph Scopelliti, MD and President of Guthrie Clinic presented practical applications for key research findings in "Meeting the Physician Retention Challenge – Highlights of the Cejka Search and AMGA 2008 Physician Retention Survey."

Carol Westfall, former President, Cejka Search, and Joseph Golbus, MD and President of NorthShore University HealthSystem Medical Group, presented "Attracting and keeping young physicians: How the rules have changed" which examined trends in recruiting young physicians - how best to reach them and how best to position the organization as an employer of choice.

Physician Executive Career Workshop

Lois Dister, Vice President, Executive Search Division and Bonnie Siegel, Vice President, Executive Search Division, both of Cejka Search, and Jennifer Grebenschikoff, Vice President of Physician Executive Management Center, participated in a panel discussion at the Physician Executive Career Workshop held at the University of Texas at Dallas on February 6, 2009. They presented an overview of the roles and responsibilities and career paths open to physician executives.

Annual TEPR (Towards the Electronic Patient Record) Conference

Bonnie Siegel, Vice President, Executive Search, participated in a panel discussion entitled "Viewpoints on Career Success in Clinical IT" with Dr. Robert Bart, CMO, Cerner Corporation, Dr. Gerard Burns, CMIO, MedStar Health Inc., and Pamela Griffith, RN and Director, Applications, University of CA Irvine Healthcare, on February 4, 2009. Siegel discussed strategies for clinician IT career development.

About Cejka Search

Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com, or contact Nancy Burns (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.

The Economy Plus Flexibility Keep Physicians in Practice

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:18:41 PDT

St. Louis (April 15, 2009) - One silver lining to the current economic crisis is that physicians appear to be putting off retirement, for now. However, with the physician shortage intensifying and an eye toward the future, medical groups are sharpening their competitive edge in finding and keeping physicians through flexibility, incentives and retention initiatives.

These and other findings as reported in the 2008 Physician Retention Survey from the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) and Cejka Search, demonstrate that medical groups across America are getting better at anticipating their turnover rates and actively addressing the causes of turnover.

Top findings include:

Survey respondents reported a 6.1% turnover rate in 2008, compared to 6.7% from the 2006 Retention Survey
Turnover was 5.9% among full-time male physicians and 6.6% among female physicians
Fit and family were top reasons for turnover: 50% cited "poor cultural fit with the practice" and 32% indicated "relocation to be closer to family" as the most frequently mentioned reasons for leaving the practice voluntarily
Nearly two-thirds (62%) believed physicians are delaying retirement due to the economy

Flexibility can keep physicians working

Nearly half (48%) agreed that part-time options encourage physicians to stay while meeting family or personal needs, and 49% found that part-time options enable physicians to delay retirement
Almost three-quarters (73%) of respondents offer pre-retirement physicians reduced hours, 56% allow for no call responsibility and 20% allow for specialization with certain patient groups

Incentives aid physician retention in the critical, early years of practice

Of those physicians leaving the practice, 46% of physicians separate within the first three years. However, incentives such as educational loan forgiveness and retention bonuses can reduce that to 33% and 29%, respectively

Medical Groups are better at anticipating turnover...

67% of respondents found the rate of turnover in their practice was "close to expected" and 73% found their turnover rate was "acceptable," as compared with 2006 Retention Survey results where 58% said it was "acceptable"

...And actively addressing the causes of turnover

Two-thirds (66%) of respondents conduct regular physician job satisfaction surveys and use the data to: monitor trend information (67%), create action plans (58%) and provide feedback for departmental use (52%)
Almost as many (65%) assign a mentor to new physicians, and of these, nearly all (96%) were likely to continue
Nearly half (48%) of respondents employ a defined retention program, and of these, 61% have a formalized program with written plans, goals and strategies

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants (advanced practitioners) have a significant role

The majority of primary care physicians (85%), surgical specialists (84%) and medical specialists (80%) are receptive to working with advanced practitioners
When it comes to sharing call with physicians, 43% of respondents reported physician assistants share call and 33% cited nurse practitioners share call
Nearly all (96%) respondents said their medical group will either maintain (50%) or increase (46%) the proportion of advanced practitioners to physicians in their organizations

The 2008 survey is available to non-survey-participating AMGA members for $150 for the electronic version and $175 for the printed edition. The non-member cost is $300 and $350, respectively.

For more information and to purchase a copy of the survey in print or electronic format, visit: http://www.PhysicianRetentionSurvey.com.

Methodology
The Cejka Search and AMGA 2008 Physician Retention Survey was distributed electronically via email to the entire 342 medical group membership of the AMGA from October to December 2008. All 50 survey responses were compiled, representing a 14.6% survey response rate. These responding groups collectively represent a population of 9,985 physicians.

About American Medical Group Association (AMGA)
The AMGA represents medical groups and organized systems of care, including some of the nation’s largest, most prestigious integrated healthcare delivery systems. More than 95,000 physicians practice in AMGA member organizations, providing healthcare services for approximately 95 million patients (more than one in four Americans). Headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, AMGA is the strategic partner for these organizations, providing a comprehensive package of benefits, including political advocacy, educational and networking programs, publications, benchmarking data services, and financial and operations assistance.

For more information, visit www.amga.org.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search, http://www.cejkasearch.com, is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a diversified leader in healthcare staffing services.

For more information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com, contact Melanie Bernds (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340, or Nancy Burns (Cejka Search), 314-236-4461.

New President of Cejka Search Appointed

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:00:00 PDT

BOCA RATON, Fla. - April 1, 2009 - Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) announced today that Lori Schutte has been appointed as President of its Cejka Search subsidiary effective today. Schutte has served as Vice President of Client Services of Cejka Search since 2004. She succeeds Carol Westfall who previously announced her retirement in September 2008.

"Lori has played a significant management role in both our Physician and Executive Search business units. Her leadership qualities and results-oriented style have been and will continue to be key drivers for the growth and success of the Search Division," said Joseph A. Boshart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. "Lori has also earned the confidence of our corporate leaders, Cejka Search’s senior management team, our staff and our clients. Carol, Lori and others have worked together to create a seamless transition. I have every expectation that Cejka Search, under Lori's leadership, will continue to build on the years of success we have enjoyed under Carol's outstanding stewardship of this business," Mr. Boshart added.

Schutte joined Cejka Search in 2004 as Vice President of Client Services and brings more than 20 years of healthcare and operational experience, including development and implementation of strategic plans, team building, client relationship management and program development. Prior to joining Cejka Search, Schutte was Vice President of Mid-America Transplant Services in St. Louis. During her 15-year tenure there, she managed the development and implementation of organ and tissue donation systems within a hospital setting and is a recognized leader in the organ procurement community. Schutte holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Louis University.

St. Louis-based Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum.

Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. is a diversified leader in healthcare staffing services. The Company offers a comprehensive suite of staffing and outsourcing services to the healthcare market, which together include being a leading national provider of nurse and allied staffing services and multi-specialty physician staffing services; a provider of clinical trials services to global pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers; and a provider of other human capital management services focused on healthcare. The Company has more than 5,000 contracts with hospitals and healthcare facilities, pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers, and other healthcare organizations. Copies of this and other news releases as well as additional information about Cross Country Healthcare can be obtained online at www.crosscountryhealthcare.com.
Shareholders and prospective investors can also register at the corporate website to automatically receive the Company's press releases, SEC filings and other notices by e-mail.

In addition to historical information, this press release contains statements relating to our future results (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events. Words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "suggests", "seeks", "will" and variations of such words and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, the following: our ability to attract and retain qualified nurses, physicians and other healthcare personnel, costs and availability of short-term housing for our travel nurses and physicians, demand for the healthcare services we provide, both nationally and in the regions in which we operate, the functioning of our information systems, the effect of existing or future government regulation and federal and state legislative and enforcement initiatives on our business, our clients’ ability to pay us for our services, our ability to successfully implement our acquisition and development strategies, the effect of liabilities and other claims asserted against us, the effect of competition in the markets we serve, our ability to successfully defend the Company, its subsidiaries, and its officers and directors on the merits of any lawsuit or determine its potential liability, if any, and other factors set forth in Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, and our other Securities and Exchange Commission filings made during 2009.
Although we believe that these statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we cannot guarantee future results and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management’s opinions only as of the date of this press release. There can be no assurance that (i) we have correctly measured or identified all of the factors affecting our business or the extent of these factors’ likely impact, (ii) the available information with respect to these factors on which such analysis is based is complete or accurate, (iii) such analysis is correct or (iv) our strategy, which is based in part on this analysis, will be successful. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements. All references to "we," "us," "our," or "Cross Country" in this press release mean Cross Country Healthcare, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates.

For further information, please contact:
Howard A. Goldman
Director/Investor & Corporate Relations
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc.
Phone: 877.686.9779
Email: hgoldman@crosscountry.com

or
Nancy Burns
Manager of Industry Research & Publications
Cejka Search
Phone: 314.726.1603
Email: nburns@cejkasearch.com

Cejka Search Appoints Lori Schutte as President

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:00:00 PDT

St. Louis (April 1, 2009) - Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and executive search organization, has selected Lori Schutte, formerly the company's Vice President of Client Services, as President effective April 1, 2009. She succeeds Carol Westfall who announced her retirement in September 2008 after 23 years with the company.

Schutte will be responsible for strategic planning and leadership of all business activities and brings extensive healthcare and operational experience to the organization, including development and implementation of strategic plans, team building, client relationship management and program development.

"Lori has played a significant management role in both our Physician and Executive Search business units. Her leadership qualities and results-oriented style have been and will continue to be key drivers for the growth and success of the Search Division," said Joseph A. Boshart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. the parent company of Cejka Search.

"Lori has also earned the confidence of our corporate leaders, Cejka Search's senior management team, our staff and our clients. Carol, Lori and others have worked together to create a seamless transition. I have every expectation that Cejka Search, under Lori's leadership, will continue to build on the years of success we have enjoyed under Carol's outstanding stewardship of the business," Mr. Boshart added.

Schutte joined Cejka Search in 2004 as Vice President of Client Services and has been instrumental to the company's success by providing strategic direction, guaranteeing internal performance and quality standards, and exceeding client expectations. Prior to joining Cejka Search, Schutte was Vice President of Mid-America Transplant Services in St. Louis. During her 15-year tenure, she managed the development and implementation of organ and tissue donation systems within a hospital setting and is a recognized leader in the organ procurement community.

Schutte holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the John M. Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Saint Louis University.

About Cejka Search

Cejka Search (http://www.cejkasearch.com) is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For further information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com or contact Nancy Burns, Manager of Industry Research & Publications, 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Ranked as One of the Largest Healthcare Executive Firms in the Nation

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 12:42:09 PDT

The Executive Search Division of Cejka Search was recognized as one of the 30 largest healthcare executive firms in the United States for placements made for senior-level (senior VP and above) healthcare executive in 2008.

Download the PDF (73 KB)

Physician and Healthcare Executive Staffing Organization Builds Business Development Team

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 14:26:47 PST

Cejka Search welcomes Rob Henges and promotes David Palmisano and Vivian M. Luce

St. Louis (January 2008) - Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years, announces enhancements to their Business Development department. Rob Henges joins Cejka Search as Regional Marketing Manager, while David Palmisano and Vivian M. Luce are promoted to Regional Sales Manager and Regional Marketing Manager, respectively.

Rob Henges

Regional Marketing Manager – Physicians, Healthcare Executives, and Advanced Practitioners

Henges joins the Cejka Search sales team with more than eight years of healthcare experience. His understanding about the ever-changing healthcare market and the challenges facing healthcare providers enables him to offer innovative client solutions for the recruitment of physicians and healthcare executives, as well as physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified registered nurse anesthetists. He will be responsible for developing and maintaining business relationships and ensuring excellent customer service.

Prior to joining Cejka Search, Henges was employed by SSM Health Care as a Regional Marketing Specialist. He previously held positions at the healthcare recruitment firm of Merritt, Hawkins and Associates, where he worked for seven years.

Henges earned a Bachelor of Arts, a concentration in Marketing and Communications from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

David Palmisano

Regional Sales Manager – Physicians and Healthcare Executives

Palmisano has been with Cejka Search for seven years, continuing to build upon his more than 20 years of multi-faceted healthcare experience where he has taken on a variety of leadership roles in hospital administration, business development, healthcare recruitment and retention, physician group operations, physician relations, health plan/managed care network management, as well as healthcare marketing and public relations.

In his new role, Palmisano will enhance Cejka Search’s Business Development team with his strong leadership skills in placing hospital physicians and executives for some of the most influential and well-known organizations and medical groups in the country. As a Regional Sales Manager, Palmisano will develop individual, multi-search, contract managed and outsourcing clients and assist with target marketing. He will be accountable for achieving Cejka Search sales revenue goals.

Palmisano holds a Bachelor degree from Southern Illinois University’s College of Human Resources, and is currently completing his Master of Arts in Health Services Management at Webster University.

Vivian M. Luce

Regional Marketing Manager – Physicians and Healthcare Executives

Luce has been with Cejka Search for 16 years and brings a breadth and depth of healthcare expertise to her role. She has worked with organizations throughout the United States including large integrated delivery systems, group practices and academic medical centers. Her background includes medical staff planning, recruitment, retention, contract negotiation, group practice integration and mergers and acquisitions.

Luce's responsibilities will include the business development of new client sales. She will manage assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum while collaborating closely with other business development managers and personnel.

Luce holds an MBA with a concentration in Medical Group Management from the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis, Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Dakota.

About Cejka Search

Cejka Search (http://www.cejkasearch.com) is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com, contact Melanie Bernds (Black Twig Communications) at 314-255-2340 or Nancy Burns (Cejka Search) at 314-236-4461.

Leading Healthcare Web Site, CejkaSearch.com, Gains National Recognition

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:01:29 PST

National physician and healthcare executive search firm receives multiple Web Site awards in 2008

In 2008, Cejka Search, a national healthcare executive and physician search firm, received several national interactive award recognitions for its use of design and technology on its web site, cejkasearch.com. Accolades include leading award-industry names such as the Web Marketing Association and the Annual American Business Awards. Named as one of the top Web sites in the country for the healthcare industry, cejkasearch.com is well known for its effectiveness to recruit top healthcare executives as well as tough-to-find physician talent.

Named as one of the top Web sites in the country for the healthcare industry, CejkaSearch.com is well known for its effectiveness to recruit top healthcare executives as well as tough-to-find physician talent. "The outreach to a tech-savvy generation of healthcare talent is imperative for today's recruitment landscape," said Allan Cacanindin, Director of Interactive Marketing of Cejka Search. "Our focus and use of interactive technologies provides our clients with a significant advantage to engage and recruit the nation's top physicians and healthcare executives. Meanwhile, visitors to www.cejkasearch.com, enjoy the benefit of easily perusing nationwide opportunities and quickly accessing a library of career advice, including the latest physician and healthcare executive compensation figures."

In November, The Web Award Competition, which names the best Web sites in 96 industries, awarded Cejka Search a 2008 Web Award. Sponsored by the Web Marketing Association, the Web Award Competition is in its 12th year and is known for setting the standard of excellence for all Web site development. Professionals from around the world visited and judged the nominated Web sites according to seven different criteria, including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting and ease of use.

Cejka Search was also recognized in June as a finalist of the Sixth Annual American Business Awards in the category of Best Overall Design for www.cejkasearch.com. The Annual American Business Award is the only national, all-encompassing award program honoring great performances in business. More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in every industry were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories.

"As a leader in technology communication, Cejka Search is proud to be among the top Web sites recognized in these competitions," said Carol Westfall, President of Cejka Search. "We strive to maintain this level of excellence for our clients, and will continue to improve and expand our Web site with the latest technologies available".

Cejka Search's interactive objectives include:
- Ensuring on-line healthcare and client experiences are efficient, enjoyable, functional and better than those experienced at other competitor job board sites;

- Acting as the interactive benchmark for the physician and healthcare recruitment industry using the latest Web 2.0 technology (RSS feeds, podcasts, webcasts, and social networking techniques);

- Promoting a strong brand presence within the major search engines, and;

- Consistently positioning itself within the healthcare recruitment market segment.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search, www.cejkasearch.com, is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information, contact Melanie Bernds (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340, or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search In The News

Cejka Search Expands Executive Search Division

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:58:24 PST

Michael Dunford Joins Cejka Search as Senior Vice President to Lead the Executive Search Division
St. Louis, November 12, 2008

Cejka Search, a nationally recognized healthcare executive and physician search firm providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years, announced that Michael Dunford has joined the company as Senior Vice President of the Executive Search Division.

With more than 30 years of executive search and consulting background, Dunford’s experience includes recruiting senior-level positions for client organizations in a broad range of industries, including healthcare. He has led search teams within healthcare systems, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies and has completed both national and international search assignments for organizations such as Catholic Health East, Abbott, TAP Pharmaceutical Products, Inc., and Lexis/Nexis.

Dunford is active in the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) and was recognized in The Career Makers as one of the leading executive recruiters in the country.

Michael’s breadth and depth of leadership experience in the search and consulting industry will provide an additional enhancement to our growing executive search division, said Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search. His stellar reputation for business development, search firm growth and providing a high-quality, high-touch search experience for both clients and candidates is a perfect match for our culture. Our team is excited to have Michael on board and leading our future growth plan.

Prior to joining Cejka Search, Michael served as the Managing Member of Michael Dunford Associates, LLC, a retained executive search firm. He served as Managing Director at Korn/Ferry International for 10 years, and also was a consultant and partner with the search firm Lamalie Associates for 10 years.

Dunford received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Stout State University in Menomonie, Wisconsin. Dunford also served as an officer in the United States Navy.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com, contact Michelle Kuehler (Black Twig Communications) at 314-255-2340 or Mary Scholz Barber (Cejka Search) at 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Experts to Address Healthcare Industry Forums

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:20:54 PDT

Leadership Strategies, Career Trends and the Physician Shortage Among Key Topics

St. Louis, October 8, 2008 - Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, announced a series of speaking and sponsorship engagements, featuring several of its healthcare industry experts. The forums include: The Beth Israel Medical Center presentation to Cardiology Fellows/Residents; The 2008 HealthLeaders Media Top Leadership Teams in Healthcare Annual Conference; Southwind Institute for Senior Health System Executives; American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) Fall Institute; and the St. Louis Metropolitan Hospital Council.
Beth Israel Medical Center
Brian McCartie, Vice President, Business Development, will speak to Cardiology Fellows/Residents about the challenges and opportunities of practicing in this growing specialty, on Oct. 14, 2008 at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York.
HealthLeaders Media Annual Conference

Cejka Search is a sponsor of the 2008 HealthLeaders Media Top Leadership Teams in Healthcare Conference on Oct. 16-17, 2008 in Chicago. The annual conference is a focused, strategic forum of healthcare leaders who will share their challenges, successes and pioneering approaches.
Southwind Institute for Senior Health System Executives

McCartie will take part in two events at the Southwind Institute for Senior Health System Executives, Nov. 6 -7, 2008, in Nashville. The institute will focus on the theme, "Optimizing the Value of Your Employed Physician Strategy." McCartie will participate in a round-table discussion of physician recruitment strategies and co-present on the topic, "Medical Staff Planning Meets New Alignment Imperatives." Cejka Search is a sponsor of the Southwind Institute.
American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) Fall Institute

Bonnie Siegel, Vice President, Executive Search Division, will participate in the recruiter panel of experts at the ACPE Fall Institute’s "Leadership and Management Training for Physician Executives." The institute will be held Nov. 9-14, 2008 in Tucson, Ariz.
St. Louis Metropolitan Hospital Council

David Cornett, Regional Vice President, Physician Search Division, will participate in a panel presentation for area hospitals hosted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Hospital Council (a local office of the Missouri Hospital Association) on the topic of physician supply and demand, Nov. 11, 2008, in St. Louis. Cornett will discuss strategies that enable hospitals and health systems to effectively recruit and retain physicians in a time of shortage.
About Cejka Search

Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com, contact Melanie Bernds (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340, or Mary Scholz Barber (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.
Return to In The News

President of Cejka Search to Retire in 2009

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:54:06 PDT

BOCA RATON, FL - Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq:CCRN) announced today that Carol D. Westfall, President of its Cejka Search subsidiary and an executive officer of the Company, will retire in March 2009.

St. Louis-based Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum.

"On behalf of the Company and everyone at Cejka Search, I want to thank Carol for her leadership and many contributions during her 22 years of service, including the past eight years at the helm as President. During that time, she guided the Search Division to a doubling of revenue and built a growth-oriented culture based on the mutual success of our clients, candidates and employees," said Joseph A. Boshart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. "In developing a strong leadership team and top recruiting talent, Carol has helped to elevate Cejka Search's status, influence and reputation to a national level, which we expect to continue during and after this transition."

Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. is a leading provider of nurse and allied staffing services in the United States, a national provider of multi-specialty locum tenens (temporary physician staffing) services, a provider of clinical trials services to global pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers, as well as a provider of other human capital management services focused on healthcare. The Company has approximately 5,000 contracts with hospital, healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers, and other healthcare organizations. Copies of this and other news releases as well as additional information about Cross Country Healthcare can be obtained online at www.crosscountryhealthcare.com. Shareholders and prospective investors can also register at the corporate website to automatically receive the Company's press releases, SEC filings and other notices by e-mail.

In addition to historical information, this press release contains statements relating to our future results (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), and are subject to the "safe harbor" created by those sections. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events. Words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "suggests", "seeks", "will" and variations of such words and similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results and performance to be materially different from any future results or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, without limitation, the following: our ability to attract and retain qualified nurses and other healthcare personnel, costs and availability of short-term leases for our travel nurses, demand for the healthcare services we provide, both nationally and in the regions in which we operate, the functioning of our information systems, the effect of existing or future government regulation and federal and state legislative and enforcement initiatives on our business, our clients' ability to pay us for our services, our ability to successfully implement our acquisition and development strategies, the effect of liabilities and other claims asserted against us, the effect of competition in the markets we serve, our ability to successfully defend the Company, its subsidiaries, and its officers and directors on the merits of any lawsuit or determine its potential liability, if any, and other factors set forth in Item 1A. "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form10-K for the year ended December31, 2007, and our other Securities and Exchange Commission filings made during 2008.

Although we believe that these statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we cannot guarantee future results and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect management's opinions only as of the date of this press release. There can be no assurance that (i)we have correctly measured or identified all of the factors affecting our business or the extent of these factors' likely impact, (ii)the available information with respect to these factors on which such analysis is based is complete or accurate, (iii)such analysis is correct or (iv)our strategy, which is based in part on this analysis, will be successful. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements. All references to "we," "us," "our," or "Cross Country" in this press release mean Cross Country Healthcare, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates.

SOURCE: Cross Country Healthcare, Inc.
Cross Country Healthcare, Inc., Boca Raton
Howard A. Goldman, Director/Investor & Corporate Relations
877-686-9779

hgoldman@crosscountry.com

Cejka Search Named Finalist for 2008 American Business Awards

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:11:30 PDT

Healthcare and physician search firm finalist in Overall Design category

The Sixth Annual American Business Awards, the only national, all-encompassing awards program honoring great performances in business, named Cejka Search as a finalist in the category of Best Overall Design for its web site, cejkasearch.com. More than 2,600 entries from companies of all sizes and in every industry were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories.

Nationwide business professionals were responsible for choosing Cejka Search during preliminary judging in April and May. The finalist certificate award was announced June 12 at the awards banquet in New York, New York.

The outreach to a tech-savvy generation of healthcare talent is imperative for today’s recruitment landscape, said Allan Cacanindin, Director of Interactive Marketing of Cejka Search. Our focus and utilization of interactive technologies provides our clients with a significant advantage to engage and recruit the nation’s top physicians and healthcare executives. Meanwhile, visitors to cejkasearch.com, enjoy the benefit of easily perusing nationwide opportunities and quickly accessing a library of career advice, including the latest physician and healthcare executive compensation figures.

Cejka Search’s interactive objectives include:
- Ensuring on-line healthcare candidate and client experiences are efficient, enjoyable, functional and better than those experienced at other competitor job board sites;
- Acting as the interactive benchmark for the physician and healthcare recruitment industry using the latest Web 2.0 technology (RSS feeds, podcasts, webcasts, and social networking techniques).
- Promoting a strong brand presence within the major search engines, and;
- Consistently positioning itself within the healthcare recruitment market segment.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search, http://www.cejkasearch.com, is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information, contact Melanie Bernds (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340, or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Consultant Receives NAPR President’s Award

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:38 PDT

Pat Doyle-Grace Recognized and Awarded for service by NAPR

Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, announced that Pat Doyle-Grace, Certified Personnel Consultant and Physician Recruiter Consultant of Cejka Search, received the President’s Award from the National Association of Physician Recruiters (NAPR) at its Annual Convention in Memphis, Tenn. on May 1.

"We are very proud and honored that Pat received the NAPR President’s Award," said Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search. "Pat was recognized for her unselfish devotion and exemplary performance in attaining the goals and objectives of NAPR."

NAPR was established for the purpose of crafting national organizations through which professional physician recruiters could work together to maintain standards of excellence within the industry and ensure the highest degree of quality in recruitment services.

"I am grateful to receive the President’s Award from the prestigious organization, NAPR," said Doyle-Grace. "As vice chairman of the convention and co-chairman and instructor of the School of Healthcare Recruiting, I have been able to embrace NAPR’s mission of high quality recruitment services."

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com, contact Jessi Meredith (Black Twig Communications) at 314-255-2340 or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search) at 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Expands Executive Search Division

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:00:00 PDT

Bonnie Siegel Joins Cejka Search as Vice President in the Executive Search Division

Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years, has announced that Bonnie Siegel has joined the company as Vice President in the Executive Search division.

Siegel has more than 28 years of experience in healthcare information technology executive search, consulting and market research. Siegel specializes in the recruitment of clinical information technology leadership for major healthcare institutions throughout the country. She is recognized for taking a consultative approach in partnering with her clients to successfully meet key clinical information technology talent needs.

Siegel presents at national association conferences frequently and has been published and quoted in industry publications. She is a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, the American Medical Informatics Association, the Alliance for Nursing Informatics, the American Nursing Informatics Association and CARING, a nursing informatics organization advancing the delivery of quality healthcare through informatics. Siegel is the proud recipient of the 2007 CARING article of the year award.

Prior to joining Cejka Search, Siegel was Vice President and Executive Search Consultant at a national executive search firm specializing in healthcare information technology search. Her experience also includes a senior leadership position at a national healthcare consulting firm specializing in healthcare technology market research, healthcare information systems consulting and compensation surveys.

Siegel earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com, contact Jessi Meredith (Black Twig Communications) at 314-255-2340 or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search) at 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Announces New Memberships with Leading Healthcare Organizations

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:20:50 PDT

Cejka Search joins American Hospital Association and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society

Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, announce memberships with American Hospital Association (AHA) and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The memberships’ enriched information will enhance Cejka Search’s capabilities as a leader in physician search in the healthcare industry.

AHA is a national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. Becoming an AHA Associate Member provides Cejka Search with unique opportunities to build better business relationships with hospital clients. AHA’s membership is a source of information on healthcare issues and trends for Cejka Search. Cejka Search will have access to critical information, insight and inside perspectives to the evolving challenges of the hospital field.

HIMSS is a healthcare membership organization exclusively focused on providing leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Cejka Search’s gold level Corporate Membership with HIMSS will increase their education on the latest industry trends and market developments, as well as connecting with clients, peers and industry leaders. The membership will also allow Cejka Search to influence public policy and bring insight to national health concerns.

The AHA and HIMSS membership resources of healthcare technology and assistance with tracking public policy will ensure Cejka Search’s goal to be the leading provider of healthcare staffing services. Cejka Search will continue to grow its presence in the industry with these memberships, as both organizations provide access for additional speaking opportunities at numerous conferences and industry activities.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information, contact Melanie Bernds (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340, or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Expands to Focus on Key Niches

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:51:56 PDT

Two New VPs Bring Expertise in Healthcare Information Technology and Healthcare Foundation Executive Recruitment
St. Louis, June 25, 2008

According to U.S News and World Report, the healthcare industry should continue to grow overall this year. With this growth, the need for experienced healthcare executives also is expected to increase. As a result, Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years, has strategically expanded its leadership team to focus on two growing niches.

Bonnie Siegel and Scott Bates have been named vice presidents of healthcare information technology and healthcare foundations, respectively, in Cejka Search's healthcare executive search practice.

"Bonnie and Scott have both proven themselves as experts in specialized fields and enable us to deliver to our clients a significant competitive advantage in hiring top talent in these growing niches," said Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search. "Along with our seasoned leaders and experienced search team, they will help continue to further propel our executive search division forward."

The U.S News and World Report also stated that healthcare informatics is one of the ten "ahead of the curve" fields. This point was further enforced on Capitol Hill where Dr. William Hersh, professor and chairman of the Department of Medical Informatics at Oregon Health and Science University, reported that the nation's healthcare system will need 40,000 additional IT employees based on recent study data from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Analytics.

Similarly, healthcare foundations are growing in importance. A recent benchmarking study published by the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy cites a direct correlation between fund raising effectiveness and investment in foundation staff. Consequently, many healthcare organizations are increasing budgets and adding senior-level staff to compete for scarce donor dollars.

There continues to be strong demand for strategic leaders to meet the increasing challenge facing healthcare organizations to deliver quality care and financial strength," Westfall said. “We are committed to supporting our clients' success with our well-rounded team of highly experienced consultants who create a high-touch client experience while successfully completing the search."

According to the Association of Executive Search Consultants' annual outlook survey, released in January 2008, the executive search industry should continue to grow throughout the year. The survey specifically predicted healthcare to be among the strongest sectors for executive search companies in 2008.

Modern Healthcare ranks Cejka Search among the top five healthcare executive search firms nationwide. The Cejka Search Executive Search division staff has grown by 20 percent since the company's late 2007 move to new headquarters with expanded offices, technology and amenities.

As vice presidents, Siegel and Bates bring extensive experience and leadership to the executive search team.

Siegel has more than 29 years of experience in healthcare information technology executive search, consulting and market research. Prior to joining Cejka Search, Siegel was vice president and executive search consultant at Hersher Associates, Ltd., a national healthcare executive search firm specializing in healthcare information technology search. Her experience also includes a senior leadership position at a national healthcare IT consulting firm. Siegel is an expert at recruitment of all executive IT levels including: CIOs, VPITs, deputy CIOs, clinical IT and informatics professionals and director-level IT positions.

Focusing on healthcare foundations, Bates served in management, executive search and consulting roles in nonprofit fundraising and development in the Chicago area for much of his early career. He recently served as executive director of the St. John's Mercy Medical Center Foundation in St. Louis. With more than 12 years of national executive search experience, Bates has also successfully managed search committees and the recruitment of CEOs, CFOs and many key director-level positions.

Both Siegel and Bates are esteemed experts in their respective fields. Siegel frequently presents at national association conferences and has been published and quoted in industry publications. Bates has published articles and spoken widely on issues such as succession planning, executive career development and the unique process and challenges of recruiting philanthropy professionals.

Siegel earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill. and Bates earned a Bachelor of Science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information visit http://www.cejkasearch.com, contact Jessi Meredith (Black Twig Communications) at 314-255-2340 or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search) at 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Continues to Build Executive Search Division

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:04:35 PDT

Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years, has announced that Scott Bates has joined the company as Vice President in the Executive Search division. Bates is the most recent executive search consultant to join Cejka Search, which has doubled its team of senior consultants and associates since last year.

With more than 12 years of national executive search experience, Bates is a seasoned executive search consultant whose experience includes successfully managing search committees and the recruitment of CEOs (Chief Executive Officers), CFOs (Chief Financial Officers) and many key director level positions.

In addition to his work in the executive search industry, Bates recently served as executive director of the St. John’s Mercy Hospital Foundation in St. Louis. He served in management and consulting roles in nonprofit fundraising and development in the Chicago area for much of his early career.

Bates has published articles and spoken widely on issues such as succession planning, executive career development and the unique process and challenges of recruiting philanthropy professionals.

Bates earned a Bachelor of Science from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information visit www.cejkasearch.com, contact Jessi Meredith (Black Twig Communications) at 314-255-2340 or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search) at 314-726-1603.

From Healthleaders Magazine: Building a Bigger C-Suite

Mon, 19 May 2008 13:27:08 PDT

As featured in HealthLeaders Magazine
Thanks to the proliferation of new senior-level titles in healthcare, the executive suite at many organizations takes up a whole floor. In addition to traditional positions like chief executive officer and chief financial officer, many C-suites now include slots for human resources, strategy, quality - even "knowledge"...Download the PDF (106KB)

Cejka Search Promotes Allan Cacanindin to Director of Interactive Marketing

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:55:05 PDT

St. Louis, April 28, 2008 - Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, recently promoted Allan Cacanindin to director of interactive marketing. In this role, his responsibilities include the conceptualization, production, execution and analysis tracking of all interactive marketing initiatives for Cejka Search.

Cacanindin also has oversight of web site design, user-interface and the web 2.0 technologies on www.cejkasearch.com, which garner industry-wide and peer-to-peer recognition. Allan’s leadership will help drive and secure the Cejka Search brand online, said Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search. I am confident that Allan’s strategic interactive marketing skills will provide Cejka Search’s clients with a competitive advantage to recruit top healthcare talent.

Cacanindin earned his Bachelor of Arts from St. Louis University and has done post-graduate coursework at the Washington University School of Medicine. He serves on the in-house search engine marketers committee at the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO). In addition, he is a student of Franklin Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and a recipient of the Cejka Search Leadership and Star Awards for professional excellence.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information, contact Jessi Meredith (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340 or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Promotes Pam Kinsella to Senior Search Consultant

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:53:43 PDT

St. Louis, April, 2008 - Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, recently promoted Pam Kinsella to senior search consultant in the Physician Search division. Kinsella’s responsibilities include ensuring the successful development and placement of physician candidate on behalf of leading healthcare organizations across the country.

With a strong commitment to her clients’ needs, Pam has earned a reputation as a search consultant who takes a true partnership approach in every search, said Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search. As a senior search consultant, Pam will identify and assess physician candidates across all facets of clinical healthcare recruitment for hospitals, health systems, group practices and academic institutions.

Prior to joining Cejka Search, Kinsella was a sales manager for a medical products distributor in the greater Boston area, Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information, contact Jessi Meredith (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340 or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.

Part-Time Practice Trends Intensify Physician Shortage According to AMGA and Cejka Search 2007 Physician Retention Survey

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:00:00 PDT

St. Louis, March 10, 2008 - The imbalance in the supply and demand for physicians will continue to intensify as the U.S. population continues to grow faster than the physician workforce. Added pressure will come with the increasing number of physicians practicing medicine on a part-time basis, as reported the 2007 Retention Survey from the American Medical Group Association (AMGA) and Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search organization.

In the recently released AMGA/Cejka Search survey, responding groups reported an increase in the percentage of physicians practicing part-time from 13 percent in 2005 to 19 percent in 2007.

Males increased from 5 percent to 7 percent; females increased from 8 percent to 12 percent. The age group with the greatest number of physicians practicing part-time is between 35 and 39; the gender split among part-time physicians in that age group is 15 percent male and 85 percent female.

"Retirement and graduation rates tell only part of the story. Our survey took a closer look inside medical groups, and the result appears to be a rise in the number of physicians, among both genders, practicing part-time," said Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search. "When recruiting to retain young physicians, organizations need to be aware that these candidates place significant weight on their ability to balance time in practice with other interests and commitments. As physicians approach retirement, they also are looking for ways to achieve balance."

"The trends reported by AMGA members are accompanied by their insights about how they are implementing retention strategies," said Donald W. Fisher, Ph.D., AMGA's president and chief executive officer. "They also report clinical models that utilize hospitalists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to continue to improve access and quality care for their patients in a time of shortage."

"It is important to attract and keep physicians by fostering a culture where communication is open, expectations are clear and mentoring is provided," said Joseph Scopelliti, M.D., president of The Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, Penn., who jointly presented the survey findings with Westfall at the AMGA annual conference.

Since 1980, the US population has increased more than 33 percent, while the number of new doctors graduating from medical school has stayed constant, creating shortages in primary care and other specialties. The changing profile of the typical American medical group will be influenced to a great extent by the retirement of predominantly male, Baby Boomer physicians and the emergence of the Millennial generation workforce, which is equally comprised of male and female physicians.

Key Findings

Of the physicians practicing part-time, 83 percent practice more than half of a workweek and 45 percent practice at least three-quarters of a workweek.
"Family responsibilities" was the reason given by 69 percent of female physicians and 11 percent of male physicians who practiced part-time. The predominant reasons given by males were "unrelated professional or personal pursuits" (31 percent) and "preparing for retirement" (29 percent).
Of respondents, 86 percent reported that they hired hospitalists or engaged with a hospitalist organization in the past year. The likelihood of the group doing so increased with the size of the group and if it was owned by a hospital or an integrated delivery system.
The use of physician assistants and nurse practitioners was reported by 79 percent of respondents and was most predominant among medium-sized groups and those owned by integrated delivery systems.
Ninety-five percent of respondents believe that mentoring increases retention and 56 percent assign a mentor to newly recruited physicians.
Groups who assign mentors are strongly committed to mentoring as a retention strategy, with 83 percent somewhat or very likely to continue the mentor program and 79 percent somewhat or very likely to expand it.
The use of mentors is expected to become more widespread, with 62 percent of respondents who reported that they do not assign mentors reporting that they are somewhat or very likely to start.
"This survey brings the experience and insights of leading medical groups throughout the country together," said Westfall. "Using these industry trends and proven strategies, healthcare leaders can make informed decisions that will prepare their organizations to overcome the challenges ahead."

Methodology

The Cejka Search and AMGA 2006 Physician Retention Survey was distributed in December 2007 to 300 AMGA member medical groups. All survey responses (43) were compiled for this survey (a 15 percent response rate). These 43 responding groups collectively represent a population comprised of 14,705 physicians of whom 2,604 (19 percent) were practicing part-time, as defined by the responding group.

To obtain a copy of the Cejka Search and AMGA 2007 Physician Retention Survey, please visit www.cejkasearch.com.

About American Medical Group Association

AMGA advocates for multispecialty medical groups and other organized systems of care and for the patients served by these systems by continuously striving to improve patient care through innovation, information sharing, benchmarking, the creation of sound public policy, and leadership development. AMGA's vision is to make multispecialty medical groups and other organized systems of care the preferred delivery system for coordinated, patient-centered, efficient, quality medical care in America.

Members of AMGA partner with an organization comprised of the best and brightest in health care, the most innovative leaders from the premier integrated systems dedicated to delivering the highest quality care to their patients. The medical group members of AMGA deliver health care to more than 50 million patients in the United States and play active roles in raising the standard of care in their communities and nationwide.

AMGA members are on the vanguard of treatment and disease management and offer coordinated care that enhances the quality of life for their patient populations and advances health care and medical science. AMGA is a conduit to information, networking, education, and operational tools and a champion for medical groups in the national arena.

For more information, visit www.amga.org.

About Cejka Search

Cejka Search, www.cejkasearch.com, is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information, contact Jessi Meredith (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340, ext. 109, or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Presents Physician Retention Survey and Receives AMGA Distinguished Corporate Partner Award at AMGA 2008 Annual Conference

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:00 PST

St. Louis, March 5, 2008 - Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, announced that Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search, will deliver a presentation and accept an award at the upcoming AMGA 2008 Annual Conference: Learning from the Best in Orlando, Florida.

Westfall will present the Cejka Search and AMGA 2007 Physician Retention Survey with Joseph Scopelliti, MD, who will share his insights and experience as president of Guthrie Clinic in Sayre, Penn. The presentation will take place on Saturday, March 8 at 2:00 p.m. That evening, Westfall will accept the AMGA Distinguished Corporate Partner Award on behalf of Cejka Search at the AMGA Banquet.

"The goal of this 2007 supplemental survey is to isolate leading trends and retention strategies identified in past surveys and deliver new insights about how they are affecting practices across the U.S.," said Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search. "We hope that this survey will provide a one-stop source for key statistical benchmarks, along with greater knowledge to support efforts to successfully recruit and retain physicians in a time of shortage."

The presentation will highlight findings from the survey, which provides key statistical benchmarks and the respondents’ insights to support the efforts of medical groups to successfully recruit and retain physicians in a time of shortage.

Cejka Search is also being honored with the AMGA Distinguished Corporate Partner Award. The award is in recognition of the many contributions Cejka Search has made to AMGA on behalf of its membership and on behalf of advancing quality medical care in America.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

For more information, contact Jessi Meredith (Black Twig Communications), 314-255-2340, or Gretchen Harman (Cejka Search), 314-726-1603.

Cejka Search Experts Present Latest Developments in Physician Retention and CEO Leadership Skills

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:00:00 PST

St. Louis, February 6, 2008 - Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, recently announced that several of its leaders will deliver two featured industry presentations: Top Physician Retention Strategies Audio Conference and the American College of Healthcare Executives 2008 Congress on Healthcare Leadership.

Audio Conference: Retention Strategies to Keep Top Physicians
Brian McCartie, Vice President, Business Development, Cejka Search and Kevin Donovan, FACHE, FACMPE, Vice President, Physician and Ambulatory Services, Elliot Health System, will share their industry expertise during the HealthLeaders Media audio conference titled, "Retention Strategies to Keep Top Physicians." The audio conference will take place on February 12 from 1-2 p.m. EST.

The audio conference will provide details about market forces that are making retention more important, effective physician retention strategies and tips, along with ideas to create a culture that encourages physician retention. Also, the audio conference will address turnover and retention issues, including how to create a formalized retention plan.

Participants can sign up with HealthLeaders Media for $259 per site, which allows access for one phone line and an unlimited number of listeners. For those who are unable to participate live, the audio conference will also be available on CD or audio archive at the same price. More information is available at http://www.hcmarketplace.com.

ACHE 2008 Congress on Healthcare Leadership
Deedra Hartung, Vice President, Practice Leader, Cejka Search and Nancy Etzelmiller, Vice President, Human Resource Business Practices, Catholic Health Initiatives, will serve as faculty for the seminar "Search for Tomorrow: Identifying the Top Skills for Today's CEO" at the conference on March 12 and 13 in Chicago, IL.

This presentation will explain the new criteria against which boards and search committees evaluate CEO candidates. Hartung and Etzelmiller will also identify and articulate 10 top skills and qualities that CEOs should have -- or should seek to develop -- that will enhance their future executive candidacy. More details are available at http://www.ache.org.

About Cejka Search
Cejka Search is a nationally recognized executive and physician search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation's best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

Best Practices for Physician Retention

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:00:00 PST

St. Louis, January 21, 2008 - Join Brian McCartie, Vice President, Business Development at Cejka Search, and Kevin Donovan, Vice President of Physician and Ambulatory Services at Elliot Health System, during a 60-minute audio conference discussing the top-line forces shaping the topic of physician retention and turnover.

Tuesday, February 12, 2008:

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (Eastern)
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. (Central)
11:00 - 12:00 p.m. (Standard)
10:00 - 11:00 a.m. (Pacific)

You will develop a plan to address turnover and retention issues and at the same time, you'll discover effective physician retention strategies and tips creating a culture that provides your physicians a reason to stay.

Sign-up to attend

Cejka Search Awarded Silver eHealthcare Leadership Distinction for Best Overall Web Site

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 08:00:00 PST

St. Louis, December 19, 2007 - With more than 1,100 entries in 16 categories, eHealthcare Strategy & Trends awarded Cejka Search, a national healthcare executive and physician search firm, its 2007 Silver Distinction Leadership Award for Best Overall Web Site. The award distinguishes the health care industry's very best web sites, particularly highlighting the Internet’s role in achieving an organization's business objectives. Cejka Search was only one of eight winners selected in its category.

"Cejkasearch.com uses leading and emerging web technologies to connect employers with quality candidates in the healthcare marketplace," said Carol Westfall, president of Cejka Search. "Our web site is a forum for sharing our knowledge about the latest trends in compensation, retention and recruitment."

Cejka Search's award-winning web site can be accessed at www.cejkasearch.com. More than 100 healthcare and Internet experts evaluated each entry’s web site. They judged the sites on Internet excellence and how they compared to other entries within their size and type classification. eHealthcare will also post the winners on its web site, www.healthcarestrategy.com.

About Cejka Search

Cejka Search is a nationally recognized physician and executive search organization providing services exclusively to the healthcare industry for more than 25 years. Partnering with organizations in pursuit of the nation’s best healthcare talent, Cejka Search completes assignments across all levels of the healthcare continuum. Cejka Search is a Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq: CCRN) company, a leading provider of healthcare staffing services in the United States.

Cejka Search Experts Participate in Leading Industry Online Events

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 08:00:00 PST

Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, recently announced that two of its leading physician recruitment experts will participate in upcoming online industry events:

American Urological Association Webinar

Brian McCartie, Vice President, Business Development of Cejka Search, will speak in the AUA’s webinar titled, "Physician Recruitment -- Contracting and Selection Strategies" on Tuesday, December 11 from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST.

The webinar highlights the key elements of selecting the right recruit and negotiating a contract that meets both the needs of the practice and the new physician. McCartie discusses the increasing demand for urologists and how to meet the challenges of recruiting physicians in a time of shortage. Register for this webinar at registration@auanet.org or call (800)-908-9414.

Medical Economics/Urology Times

Advanstar Communications will host a podcast featuring David Cornett, regional vice president of Cejka Search on Saturday, December 15, titled, "Successful Practice Essentials: Best Places to Practice."

In the podcast, Cornett describes some of the best places in the United States for physicians to practice medicine and highlights the advantages that make these cities and regions appealing to physicians. Listen to the podcast at http://www.memag.com/radio or http://www.urologytimes.com/radio.

How Can Physicians' Job Satisfaction Be Improved?

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:00:00 PST

As seen in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Section M1, Wednesday, November 28, 2007)

In any marketplace, when demand is high and the supply is low, resources must be conserved and cultivated to ensure their availability to future generations. The practice of medicine is no different. The aging population has a doubling-effect: increasing the demand for medical care while reducing the supply of physicians who are retiring in record numbers.

Keeping physicians productive and satisfied in their medical practices, while attracting young people to the profession, has become a top priority for the health care industry.

The American Medical Group Association has extensively studied the interaction between physician satisfaction, recruitment and retention. Compensation issues are assumed to be the primary causes of dissatisfaction, and certainly reimbursement and malpractice insurance costs lead the list of concerns. However, in our joint physician retention survey with AMGA, we found that "poor cultural fit" with the medical group is the primary cause of turnover.

In the same survey, we discovered that medical groups who assign a mentor to newly recruited physicians reported a measurable improvement in retention. Medical groups shared other strategies for improving retention, such as engaging the spouse and significant other in recruitment and orientation, setting clear expectations for compensation and performance, and offering flexible work schedules.

The underlying message is that physicians are people. Their professional satisfaction is dependent on creating relationships and cultivating a work environment that addresses their needs for "fit and family."

In such an environment, the medical staff can work together to achieve important goals such as clinical quality, patient satisfaction, professional development, fair compensation and recruitment of new physicians to ensure continued delivery of care to future generations of patients.

Physician Recruitment - Contracting and Selection Strategies

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:00:00 PST

Join Brian McCartie, Vice President, Business Development, for a webinar with the American Urological Association on the topic of physician recruitment, December 11, 2007, at 8:00pm - 9:30pm EST.
The demand for urologists continues to increase while the supply of available urologists remains relatively stable. As a result, attracting a qualified physician to a medical practice is becoming more and more difficult.
This webinar is designed to impart knowledge acquired from physician recruitment experts on the key elements of selecting the right recruit and negotiating a contract that meets both the needs of the practice and the new physician.

Overview of the 2007 Cejka Search and ACPE Physician Executive Compensation Survey

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PDT

Join Carol Westfall, President of Cejka Search, as she provides an overview of this year's 2007 Physician Executive Compensation Survey at the American College of Physician Executives Fall Institute in Tucson, AZ, on November 13, 2007.

Developing Tomorrow's Physician Leaders: Helpful Advice On Engaging the New Crop of MDs

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PDT

As heard on healthleadersmedia.com:

Carol Westfall, President of Cejka Search, provides a short audio interview summarizing her presentation at the Medical Group Management Association's 2007 Annual Conference.

2007 Physician Executive Compensation Survey to be Released Tuesday, November 13: Pre-order Your Copy Now!

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:00:00 PDT

Reserve your copy of the 2007 Physician Executive Compensation Survey today! The survey examines several categories including compensation by organization type, group size, time allocated to administrative duties, geographic area, organization location, scope of operations, revenue, years of experience, scope of responsibilities, executive bonus percent, medical specialty, and post-graduate business degrees.

Recruiting and Retaining Gen X Physicians: What You Need to Know

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT

Join David Cornett, Regional Vice President, at the American Medical Group Association Regional Meeting in Portland, OR (Nov. 2, 2007). You'll learn the tools and techniques for recruiting Gen X physicians to your practice.

Cejka Search Experts Present Latest Developments in Physician and Healthcare Employment at Leading Industry Conferences

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT

Cejka Search, a nationally recognized physician and healthcare executive search firm, recently announced that several of its leaders will be delivering featured presentations at three upcoming industry conferences:

The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) 2007 Annual Conference

American College of Physician Executives (ACPE) Fall Institute

American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) 2008 Congress on Healthcare Leadership.

Newly Released Physician Compensation Figures

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:00:00 PDT

Cejka Search releases updated physician compensation figures from the AMGA 2007 Medical Group Compensation and Financial Survey.

Cejka Search Moves Headquarters

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 09:00:00 PDT

Our new address is:

Cejka Search
4 CityPlace Drive
Suite 300
St. Louis, MO 63141

Vivian Luce Elected as New Chair of Board of Directors for the American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 09:00:00 PDT

The American Red Cross St. Louis Area Chapter announces that Vivian M. Luce has been elected to serve a two-year term as Chair of the Board of Directors.