Is There A Doctor In The House? ARHS Plans To Recruit More Pyhsicians To Area Appalachian Regional Healthcare System President Richard Sparks makes a presentation during a media luncheon last Wednesday at Watauga Medical Center. Photo by Jason Reagan By Frank Ruggiero Diagnosis: More doctors. Appalachian Regional Healthcare System announced its strategy to recruit more physicians to the area at a media luncheon last Wednesday. “One of the things we identified a couple years ago as we were planning originally for the system was that physician recruitment was very, very important,” system president Richard Sparks said. “In some ways, we probably didn’t have enough physicians and wanted to move into some subspecialties.” The current medical staffs at Watauga Medical Center and Cannon Memorial Hospital were beginning to age and retire, Sparks said, leading the system to recognize the need for an aggressive effort to recruit and move forward. As such, physician recruitment became one of the system’s top priorities. Rather than competing for new physicians in the region, the system is now competing nationally and with metropolitan areas, creating a scenario entirely different than that of three years ago. However, the system found just the right prescription. Chief operating officer John Barrett said the system assembled a medical staff-needs assessment, which examined the current staff and made need-based projections for the next five to 10 years. The assessment evaluated retiring physicians and demographics in communities. “We put together a really ambitious development plan that called for 36 physicians over a 36-month period,” Barrett said. “We’ve had some really strong success in our recruiting efforts.” For this fiscal year, the system brought on a nephrologist, an orthopedist, two hospitalists, an ER physician, a radiologist, an oncologist and a family practice physician for Cannon Memorial. For fiscal year 2007, Barrett expects, by summer, two orthopedists, a rheumatologist, an OB/GYN, a pediatrician, four family practice physicians (two at Watauga Medical Center and two at Cannon) and two internists. “We will introduce six primary care physicians to the High Country between now and next fall,” Barrett said. Two New Groups Barrett also announced the creation of two system-based medical groups – Appalachian Regional Medical Associates (ARMA) and Appalachian Regional Surgical Associates (ARSA). “As we bring new physicians to the High Country, many are asking about an employment option,” he said. “Some are very successful and just want to be relieved of the business demands of operating a small business, and the other are folks struggling with the demands for small business.” ARMA, though, would manage the business aspect of a medical practice, leaving the physicians to focus on medicine. “We’ll take over operation for the clinic, and they’ll go back to being physicians and taking care of the patients,” Barrett said. He said physicians are interested in participating in such programs. Meanwhile, the system continues to recruit for medical oncology, but Barrett said this proves to be a difficult type of recruitment, as there are only about 5,500 oncologists in the country and about 5,500 hospitals in the country. “There are hospitals even smaller than Watauga that are looking at getting into cancer treatment … for oncology, that’s a nationwide search,” he said. “We’re looking at folks from as far away as Texas and Florida.” Also this summer, the hospital will engage in recruitment of a cardiologist, endocrinologist and a pulmonologist. Barrett said ARSA works similarly to ARMA, both employing local physicians who “find it an appealing way to really get back to their roots as to why they became physicians.” Plus, the groups reduce human resources costs and consolidate health insurance costs, thereby lowering rates, he added. The program will standardize hiring practices and benefits, while assuring seamlessness with hospital information technology systems, which increases the efficiencies of practices, Barrett said. If a patient visits an ARMA office, that doctor will have access to every file the health care system has on the patient. Barrett said Phase I is expected to go live this summer, involving approximately 15 physicians in multiple specialties and entailing the implementation of a fully-integrated electronic medical record into ARMA practices. For the patient, the change will be transparent, Sparks said. “By and large, it will be just as it is today,” he continued. “You’ll see the same people – receptionist, nursing staff, physicians.” Physicians currently in practice in Boone or Linville will also maintain their practice’s name, Sparks added. “For the patient seeking care, it’ll be transparent, and that’s the way we want it. What ARMA does is behind-the-scenes activity.”