Hospitals & physicians. The new relationship.

Gone are the days when the hospital with the best physicians' lounge got the best doctors in town. Today's competition is far more sophisticated, and you might argue, more critical for hospitals' survival. Physicians evaluate not only the hospital itself, but its management, services, equipment, competitive position, financial incentives and even the town itself before making a decision where to practice. From the hospital's point of view, making the right impression on the right physician can be a life-or-death matter. Nearly 80 percent of all hospitals in the United States are actively recruiting physicians. And you can bet that 100 percent are trying to retain the physicians they already have. Especially difficult for rural hospitals are recent statistics showing that fewer than 10 percent of doctors who grew up in small towns return home to practice. How can you compete against these odds, especially if your hospital, city or town might have a few drawbacks? Those most successful in recruiting and retaining physicians share the same attitude--ask not what a physician can do for your hospital but rather what your hospital (and particularly your community) can do for a physician.