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Healthcare's Helping Hands

Doug Donald — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:53:00 +0000

In troubled spots throughout the world – including Syria, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo – some of North America’s finest healthcare workers are choosing business over pleasure when travelling overseas.

These individuals come face-to-face with the worst that humanity – and Mother Nature – can inflict upon its own.

Many, including Guelph (Ontario) surgeon Barbara LeBlanc, volunteer their talents to help the hurting through organizations like Doctors Without Borders.

LeBlanc recently returned from a month in Syria, where she served only 50 kilometers from fierce fighting. She and her team served civilians as well as fighters, often with limited supplies and access to medicine.

Doctors Without Borders operates several overseas clinics, including one that opened in Nairobi, Kenya just this week. The workers at these locations in some of the world’s poorest slums provide maternity and primary healthcare while helping patients manage chronic diseases like HIV, diabetes and hypertension.

Living In Emergency, a documentary portraying the experiences of those serving the organization, was among 15 documentaries shortlisted for Best Documentary Oscar at the 82nd Academy Awards.

Partners in Health is a related organization that specializes in preventative care in poor and underserved nations like Haiti, Burundi and Kazakhstan. The organization’s mission follows from the premise that primary health care should be available to anyone regardless of social or economic class.

Healthcare workers looking to volunteer have many options both domestic and abroad. Individuals with healthcare expertise are almost certainly needed somewhere in the world – including those with administrative, technology and psychiatry backgrounds.

Follow the links below to learn more about helping the poor and disadvantaged through the organizations cited in this post along with others that have similar missions:

Doctors Without Borders | Facebook | Twitter

Partners in Health | Facebook | Twitter

International Committee of the Red Cross | Facebook | Twitter

AmeriCares Medical Outreach | Facebook | Twitter

Peace Corps | Facebook | Twitter

*Image from Doctors Without Borders

Nurses Week in Review, Hidden Cost of Physician Recruitment, Your Profession Needs You -- ...

Kaitlin Olson — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:53:46 +0000

Last week was National Nurses Week, a week to honor the nursing community's commitment to bettering the lives of their patients. But that wasn't the only top healthcare news this week. Catch up with what happened this week on HeCN's Healthcare News Roundup.

HEALTHeCAREERS.com: Nursing Employment Fact Sheet

May 2nd, 2013 -- In honor of National Nurses Week, which took place May 6th-12th), HEALTHeCAREERS Network created a fact sheet on nursing employment statistics and trends. Get the 411 on nursing employment on HeCN.com! How did you celebrate National Nurses Week? Comment below and tell us how you were recognized or how you recognized a nurse near to you.

Merritt Hawkins: The Hidden Cost of Physician Recruitment: Interview Fatigue

May 10th, 2013 -- The job search process is exhausting -- not only for the seekers themselves, but also for those recruiting top talent. With the assumption that a candidate won't accept an offer, disinterested candidates and the domino effect, interviewers are showing signs of interview fatigue. Is interview fatigue a common occurrence for your office when recruiting a candidate?

AAPA: Your Profession Needs You

May 9th, 2013 -- Physician Assistants lead busy lives! So when it comes to taking a leadership role as a physician assistant, many are hesitant to take on extra responsibilities and pressure. AAPA contributor, David Bunnell took to AAPA's blog to encourage PAs to take the next step in their PA career.

Locum Tenens Physicians, Family Medicine as a Career Path, 5 Things Learned in PA School -- ...

Kaitlin Olson — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:16:00 +0000

Happy Monday, HEALTHeCAREERS fans, below is the latest healthcare news!

Staff Care AMN -- Locum Tenens Physicians -- Healthcare "Pinch Hitters"

April 30th, 2013 -- Temporary doctors are continuing to play an important role in today's healthcare market. With more hospitals, medical groups and other healthcare facilities using locum tenens, Staff Care took look at temporary physician trends. From temporary docs becoming an important part of permanent staffing to the growing amount of temporary NPs and PAs, the survey reviewed a few interesting trends in healthcare staffing. What are you experiencing near you?

KevinMD: Why family medicine was the best choice for me

May 1st, 2013 -- Entering a specialty is an important decision that each doctor must make at some point in their career -- but a decision many will struggle with. Guest blogger, Anoop Raman recently shared his personal experienced with choosing his path in family medicine. From philosophical to practical reasons, Raman's experience provided interesting insight into family medicine. If you're a doctor, how did you choose your specialty? What factors should aspiring doctors consider when entering a program?

American Academy of Physician Assistants: Top 5 Things I've Learned in Physician Assistant School So Far

April 16th, 2013 -- If you're a physician assistant, you most likely can recall your first days as a PA -- and the anticipation and nerves that came with it. From flexibility to the basics, PA student, Chase Hungerford shared his list of the top five things he's learned in PA school so far. what advice would you give to an aspiring PA?

Lights, Camera, Action: How to Prepare for a Video Interview

Guest Blogger — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:57:00 +0000

By: Gina Truhe, EOS Medical Group

Have you had the chance to have a video-based healthcare interview yet? Chances are, that if you haven’t yet, you will soon! Recruiters are opting for this method of interview for the first or second round of meetings more frequently. And with good reason, it gives us a chance to meet one another without having to travel long distances or greatly alter daily plans.

I’ve found this to be especially helpful for candidates who are still completing their training. Rather than taking a couple of days away from your rotations or residency, you can take an hour to meet “face to face” with a potential employer. I’ve used Skype and FaceTime, though there are certainly other choices and even a few recruitment-specific options you may be asked to use.

There are some right ways and some wrong ways to go about this type of interview, here are a few suggestions to make you come across as best as you can.

Dress for the occasion
It’s important to dress for your video interview as you would for one in person. That means suit jacket and tie for men and an appropriate dress shirt for women! Most likely you’ll be seated, so it’s the top ½ that counts!

Turn the lights on!
Be sure to have a light on in front of you (this will illuminate your face). If you aren’t lit from the front and only have light behind you, you’ll end up in a shadow and the interviewer won’t be able to read your facial expressions.

Set the stage
Don’t forget to take a look at things from the other person’s perspective. If you’re not sitting in front of a solid wall, take time to clean the space behind you. Chances are you’re in your home or office and your interviewer is getting a more personal look into your life than if you were in the same room. You don’t want them to see piles of papers or your laundry stacked behind you!

Can you hear me now?
You will want to check your audio set up before starting the meeting. Make sure that your computer’s microphone is in front of you and that you’re sitting close enough to be heard. Speak clearly, articulate and enunciate well. Also, be sure to have the sound on your speakers up high enough so you can hear without any problems.

Make eye contact
I know that this may seem a bit difficult while interviewing via video, but it is possible and really important! When you are speaking, look directly into the camera. Most likely, the person you are speaking with will be looking at the screen and it will feel to them like you’re looking at one another. If you are looking at the screen while speaking, then all they’ll see are your eyelids.

Eliminate distractions
Before starting your video interview, make sure to eliminate all possible distractions. Choose a room where you can close the door and be alone. Turn off cell phone ringers and alarms; don’t bring the dog, cat or bird into the room (and ask someone to watch the kids too). You will want to give the interview your full attention so try making that as easy as possible.

Remember, this should not be unlike any other interview that you have. So, be prepared, professional, ready with questions and of course, have fun!

About the Author:

Gina Truhe is a guest blogger on the HeCN Blog. As a recruiter from EOS Medical Group, Gina focuses on physician recruitment.

HeCN Releases Q1 2013 Healthcare Jobs Snapshot , 14 Best Jobs for Women, 7 Stats on Physician ...

Kaitlin Olson — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:48:00 +0000

Here's the latest healthcare news!

HEALTHeCAREERS.com: HEALTHeCAREERS Network Releases Q1 2013 Healthcare Jobs Snapshot

April 24th, 2013 -- HeCN, the only single-source healthcare recruiting solution for proviers and job seekers, released its 2013 Healthcare Jobs Snapshot. Overall, healthcare increase with pharmacy, administration / executive, healthcare IT and dietetics / nutrition. “It’s exciting to see such powerful increases outside of just the physician category, which currently makes up 44 percent of the Networks jobs.” Get the full scoop by downloading the report today!

Yahoo Shine: The 14 Best Jobs for Women

April 19th, 2013 -- Sure reputation manager and digital strategists may have topped the list for the 14 Best Jobs for Women by Yahoo Shine, but Physician Assistants, Health Care Technology Manager, Physical Therapist and Physicians also topped the list based on earning potential and overall statisfaction. See which other professions topped the list on Yahoo Shine!

Becker's Hospital Review; 7 New Statistics on Physician On-Call Pay

April 26th, 2013 -- "On-call rates for physicians vary depending on specialty, and surgical specialists usually receive on-call pay that is eight times higher than primary care physicians, according to a recent compensation survey from MGMA." With the lowest reported median for daily on-call compensation at $75, the study reviewed seven interesting statistics on physician on-call compensation based on the report.

Don't forget to browse even more healthcare news, trends and career advice on HeCN!

Look Who's Hiring in Healthcare -- Allina Health, National Medical Services, Einstein ...

Kaitlin Olson — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:24:52 +0000

The NFL draft took place in New York's Radio city Music Hall this week. As linemen, one quarterback and five trades occurred, we watched as the big stories of the NFL unfolded. While you may not get drafted into the NFL, you have the opportunity to make your next big career change. Below are five top healthcare employers recruiting healthcare professionals on HeCN.com right now.

Not what you're looking for? Visit HeCN, register as a job seeker, register for job alerts and search healthcare positions near you.

Einstein Healthcare Network
Location of Positions: Pennsylvania
Types of Positions: Administration / Executive, Allied Health, Healthcare IT, Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Radiologic Technologist / Medical Imaging, Therapy

Allina Health
Location of Positions: Minnesota, Wisconsin
Types of Positions: Administration / Executive, Allied Health, Counseling and Social Services, Nursing, Physician / Surgeon, Therapy

National Medical Services
Location of Positions: Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Washington, Wisconsin
Types of Positions: Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant

Geisinger Health System
Location of Positions: Pennsylvania
Types of Positions: Academics Research, Counseling and Social Services, Healthcare IT, Nurse Practitioner, Nursing, Physician / Surgeon, Physician Assistant

Eastern Maine Medical
Location of Positions: Maine
Types of Positions: Nurse Practitioner, Physician / Surgeon, Physician Assistant

Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant? How to Choose Your Career Path

Guest Blogger — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:53:00 +0000

By Erin Tolbert for MidlevelU.com

The decision between becoming a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant is difficult. Which career will offer the most job opportunities? Which path provides the best education? As a nurse practitioner, I personally had to make this difficult decision. Here’s how I made my choice.

I always thought I wanted to be a physician. I enrolled in my undergraduate program as a premed student, majoring in biology. As graduation neared, I realized I was uncertain about my medical career. I wasn’t sure the long road to becoming a doctor was for me. So, I began to pursue the obvious alternatives, becoming a physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

I researched programs for both of these careers as well as the job market. I wanted to remain in my current city and found the job market to be favorable for both professions. While local schools offered both NP and PA programs, the university where I was currently enrolled offered a nurse practitioner program. This created a more seamless transition from my undergraduate education to my master’s degree. Ultimately, the NP vs. PA decision was not crucial to my career as both professions offer similar opportunities in my location. So, I picked the university I liked the best, which offered nurse practitioner programs.

This decision may not be so easy for everyone. Here are a few things you need to consider when deciding between the nurse practitioner or physician assistant career:

1. What are the legal constraints to each profession in the state where you want to practice?

In some states, nurse practitioners are allowed to practice independently while physician assistants are not. If you hope to own your own clinic, this means you should become a nurse practitioner. In other states, PA’s can prescribe medication while NP’s cannot. In these states, working as a physician assistant would offer you greater opportunity. Yes, laws can change but you should take them into account when making your decision.

2. Which universities offer NP and PA programs in your area? How do these programs differ?

If you want to study in a specific location, availability of nurse practitioner and physician assistant programs will dictate your decision making. If you have the option of attending either type of program or are willing to move or complete your program online, weigh the differences of each type of program. How long will the different programs take to complete? How much will they cost? It is also important to note that PA programs are notoriously competitive. It is more likely you will be accepted to a nurse practitioner program.

3. Is the job market more favorable for NP’s or PA’s in your state?

Although nurse practitioners and physician assistants have a similar scope of practice in most states, some areas of the country traditionally favor one profession over the other. In Seattle, where I am from, physician assistants seem to be most common. In the south where I currently reside, nurse practitioners are more prevalent. Take an informal survey of healthcare providers working in the area where you hope to practice. Determine which degree, NP or PA, will offer you the most job opportunities when you graduate.

Although choosing between the nurse practitioner or physician assistant profession is difficult, the good news is you can’t make a bad decision. The salaries and scopes of practice for these two groups of providers are overall very similar. Job markets for both NP’s and PA’s are projected to increase making either path a desirable choice.

Also Read:

10 Best Cities to be a Nurse Practitioner

3 Ways to Find the Best Nurse Practitioner Job in 2013

Attend the Indian Health Virtual Career Fair

Kaitlin Olson — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:38:57 +0000

Join Indian Health for their first ever virtual Career Fair! On April 25th, don't miss your chance to meet with recruiters, loan repayment specialists and scholarship analysts to learn more about Indian Health System.

In addition, "you will be able to collect information about the various job opportunities that IHS offers with recruiters standing by to answer any questions you may have through live, one-on-one chats." This unique career fair will expose you to the opportunities at Indian Health. Plus, if you're an American Indian/Alaska Native student, attend the IHS Career Fair and learn more about scholarship opportunities available that will help prepare you for a career in healthcare.

About Indian Health Service:

The Indian Health Service is an agency within the US Department of Health and Human Services. IHS provides health services to 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives "through a network of more than 45 hospitals and more than 230 clinics in 35 states across the United States." With multiple paths available, IHS offers generous vacation, sick leave, insurance and retirement packages and more. Learn more on HEALTHeCAREERS.com.

Getting the Most Out of Your NP Job Search, Female Doctors More Positive, Free the Nurses - ...

Kaitlin Olson — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:06:00 +0000

Happy Monday, HEALTHeCAREERS Fans! Below are the top healthcare stories from last week!

MidlevelU.com: Get the Most Out Of Your Nurse Practitioner Job Search with Online Job Boards

April 15th, 2013 -- In our last post on MidLevelU.com, we reviewed our top five tips for a NP job search. We're back on MidLevelU with our latest blog post that examines how you can get the most out of your nurse practitioner job search. Which online resource on HeCN do you most utilize?

Click it or Search it?

Guest Blogger — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:58:00 +0000

By: Ben Aurich, HEALTHeCAREERS.com

How do you look for a job? No, I don’t mean what websites you use, how you format your resume , or any of the countless other interpretations of that question that may have popped into your head. I mean how do you look for a job? When you head to a job board, such as HeCN, you are presented with two basic search paths: you can browse by using the links on the homepage and narrow down by the criteria that the website offers, or you can type a keyword or phrase into a search bar. Refining your search offers similar options; you can update a search bar, or interact with options usually found to the left of your results. For example, after browsing to a full listing of Nurse Practitioner jobs, you could limit your results to your location by either using the Locations menu on the left, or adding it to the search bar at the top.

Ultimately, however you get there, you expect the page of jobs you get back to be relevant to your search. Whether its ease or accuracy, there are many reasons you choose to search a website. For example, you might be a more experienced healthcare professional and find the convenience of searching by categories a huge benefit. Or you might be a new nurse and find keyword search helpful when getting a sense of what positions in nursing are available. No doubt there are benefits to both, but when you’re ready to locate your new career, how you search can be a personal preference.
So – do you Click It? Or do you Search It? Take our poll and see how you compare to others!

Option 1: Click It! – I like to do all my job searches using my mouse and the options presented to me on the site.
Option 2: Search It! – Customizing my search through keywords is where it’s at for me.
Option 3: Search, then Click – I like to start with keywords, but then refine my search with the options presented to me. Option 4: Other – Do you search differently? Leave us a comment about how you do it!

Don't forget to register as a job seeker and upload your resume to get the most out of our search on HEALTHeCAREERS.com!

Trends in Physician Recruiting

Gary Seaberg — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:20:35 +0000

The NAPR (National Association of Physician Recruiters) conference was held in Orlando last week (April 10-13) and it was an honor to participate on a round table discussion panel regarding physician recruiting. In large part, the focus was centered on current trends and best practices in physician recruiting. Special thanks to Shawn Kessler for his organizational skills to assemble the panel.

I'll share some of the insight gathered from the round table as well as other observations made during a week of listening to healthcare recruiting leaders from hospitals and staffing firms.

There continues to be high demand for physicians in most all practice environments....rural, urban, emergency and non traditional settings like retail medicine. The greatest demand continues to trend toward primary care with some of the 'ologies' in close pursuit.....i.e. neurology, urology, dermatology, cardiology and others.

Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are being heavily recruited to help 'fill the gap' due to the shortage of primary care physicians. On our own site, HEALTHeCAREERS.com, we are experiencing a surge in applications. Physician assistant applies are up 34% over the same period last year and Nurse Practitioner applications are up over 25%.

Physician/Surgeon applications on the Healthecareers.com site are up 53% over 1st quarter 2012. So, even with the increased demand for providers, the trend continues to more movement and activity in the marketplace.

One could reason that with increased access (i.e. mobile access), comes more activity. This is certainly a trend. More physicians than ever have smartphones or tablets and use them on a consistent basis. Younger generation providers are comfortable with technology and older generation providers are becoming equally comfortable with technology....and in many cases leading the pack. The increased utilization of Electronic Medical Records as well as a more common use of iPads in exam rooms indicates physicians/providers of all ages see the benefit of technology and how it can and is being used daily.

HEALTHeCAREERS.com sees 30% of site traffic currently coming from mobile devices. This is a trend that will continue to grow and flourish. With mobile access comes a shorter 'time to hire'. Over the next few years, you could be experiencing shorter turn around times for physician hiring. Too early to tell how much time will be trimmed off and it will certainly depend on specialty, practice environment, location and other considerations.

The most savvy recruiters will be able to reach this mobile audience, capitalize on it and make hires.

Expanding the pool of candidate prospects is also a noteworthy trend. Recruiters should consider all physicians/mid level providers as candidates.

A widely discussed and trending topic is reaching passive candidates. There are numerous ways to reach this valuable audience. On going branding of your product is one way. eNewsletters that contain information that is sought after and useful (eNewsletters should only go out to a subscriber base so as to avoid spamming). Forward to a friend, supporting educational opportunities sponsored through an association, conference attendance, CME and social media involvement are ways to reach out to all candidates. Being a resource, providing education and simply being there when needed is important.

I'm out of space for now.....but we'll continue this discussion in later blogs....and spend more time on best practices. In the meantime, let me know what you are seeing in the market. What trends have you experienced? What's working for you, what's not?

Sharing information is how we all get better at what we do.

*Image Courtesy of National Association of Physician Recruiters

VA Drive to Hire Mental Health Professionals, Health IT Leaders Face Hiring Woes, Healthcare ...

Kaitlin Olson — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:20:00 +0000

Here's the latest healthcare news!

VA Drive to Hire 1,600 Mental Health Professionals Hits Community Clinics' Supply

April 12th, 2013 -- "he Department of Veterans Affairs, trying to cope with a surge in psychological needs of veterans, has vowed to hire 1,600 additional mental health care professionals by the end of June, but some experts say the pool of qualified candidates is too small and the federal effort could jeopardize already-understaffed community health organizations." With over 1,089 additional staff members hired in March, the VA is optimistic about meeting their goal new staff members. Find your next mental health job and apply today!

Health IT Leaders Face Hiring Woes

April 12th, 2013 -- The need for healthcare IT professionals continues to grow! According to a Towers Watson survey that included responses from more than 100 healthcare providers and hospitals, "found that two-thirds) are having difficulties attracting experienced IT workers, and 38 percent are reporting retention concerns. What are you experiencing in your area?

Healthcare Hiring Continues to Increase

April 12th, 2013 -- The healthcare industry "added jobs again in March 2013, increasing employment by 23,400 positions." The Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the biggest gains were in ambulatory healthcare settings and at hospitals.

Start your search on HeCN.com today!

Healthcare IT Jobs | Therapy Jobs | Allied Health Jobs

Look Who's Hiring in Healthcare -- MD Anderson, YAI, B.E. Smith

Kaitlin Olson — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:43:14 +0000

Job growth in the healthcare has continued to grow! With a rise in positions in March and over 295,000 jobs in the past 12 months according to a recent Healthcare Finance News article, the opportunity in healthcare is great. Don't miss your chance grow your career. Take a look at just a few of the top employers hiring in healthcare right now.

Not what you're looking for? Visit HeCN, register as a job seeker, register for job alerts and search healthcare positions near you.

B.E. Smith
Location of Positions: Alabama, Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin
Types of Positions: Administration / Executive, Allied Health, Healthcare IT, Nursing, Pharmacy, Physician / Surgeon, Radiologic Technologist / Medical Imaging

YAI / Premier HealthCare
Location of Positions: New York
Types of Positions: Nurse Practitioner, Physician / Surgeon

MD Anderson Cancer Center
Location of Positions: Texas
Types of Positions: Academics / Research

Essentia Health
Location of Positions: Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin
Types of Positions: Administration / Executive, Physician / Surgeon

Army National Guard
Location of Positions: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin
Types of Positions: Nurse Practitioner, Physician / Surgeon, Physician Assistant, Administrative / Executive

Nurse Understaffing and Quality Care, What's in the Future for Primary Care, Eliminate Stress ...

Kaitlin Olson — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:02:00 +0000

Here's the latest healthcare news!

Healthcare Finance News: Nurse under staffing impacts quality of care, leads to increased infections

April 2, 2013 -- According to Healthcare Finance News, "Two recent studies on nurse under staffing and nurse fatigue have revealed that these two prominent issues negatively impact the quality of care delivery, patient and employee satisfaction and operational costs in hospitals." How has under staffing impacted where you work?

AM Healthcare: What's in the Future for the Primary Care Workforce? It's Complicated...

April 2, 2013 -- What's in the future for the primary care workforce? It may be more complicated than you think. AMN Healthcare's Marcia R. Faller, PhD, RN, chief clinical offer and senior vice president, offered her thoughts on the growing physician shortage and how it will effect healthcare professionals. What do you think is in the future for the primary care workforce? Weigh in below.

NBC News: 12 ways to eliminate stress at work

April 2, 2013 -- For many healthcare professionals, stress and work go hand-in-hand. But it doesn't have to always be that way. From deep breathing to act vs react, here are 12 ways you can eliminate stress at work. How do you lower stress at work?

Also Visit:

Physician / Surgeon Jobs | Nursing Jobs | Medical Imaging Jobs

INFOGRAPHIC: How to become a Nurse Practitioner

Kaitlin Olson — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:34:43 +0000

A career as a nurse practitioner offers the opportunity for great career growth and earning potential. And as we've covered many times on the HeCN blog, NPs play an important part in filling the growing healthcare shortage.

In 2010, Healthcare Communication News estimated there were "155,000 nurse practitioners in the U.S." Check out this infographic from Schools.com and learn how you can start your nurse practitioner career, the daily tasks of NPs and the growing opportunity for nurse practitioners in healthcare.

Don't forget to visit the Nurse Practitioner Resource Center on HEALTHeCAREERS.com and browse open positions near you!