NPs & PAs — top hiring priority for medical groups

Managed Care Outlook

MANAGED CARE April 2012. ©MediMedia USA

Teamwork will be the goal of care delivery systems in the near future, according to a survey of physician groups conducted by Cejka Search and the American Group Medical Association. The success of accountable care organizations (ACOs) and patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) promoted by the Affordable Care Act will depend on “the performance of effective teams,” says the “2011 Physician Retention Survey.”

However, the primary care shortage will mean medical groups will lean more on lower-level providers. There will be “more pressure on medical groups to use [nurse practitioners and physician assistants] to fill the gaps in patient care and compensate them appropriately,” Cejka and the AMGA said in a written statement.

Compared to five years ago, to what extent are nurse practitioners and physician assistants involved in your practice?

How will the involvement of NPs & PAs change in the next five years?

Hiring plans for primary care physicians & specialists

In the next 12 months, which medical specialty will be your top priority for recruitment?

Note: Data were collected between November 2011 and January 2012 from 80 medical groups, representing more than 14,000 physicians.

Source: “2011 Physician Retention Survey,” Cejka Search, and the American Medical Group Association.