Avera Queen of Peace Hospital, Mitchell, SD
Health care facilities need physicians It is becoming a challenge in rural areas of South Dakota to bring in qualified and well-trained physicians.
South Dakota ost states, including South Dakota, have programs through their Departments of Health and the individual health care systems to encourage physicians to relocate here,” states Scott Zieske, Director of Physician Recruitment/Governmental Affairs for Regional Health based in Rapid City, SD. The Regional Health System uses state recruitment incentives, including student loan repayment and other programs that they participate in, along with their own incentives, to entice physicians to come to western South Dakota. Zieske states that it is “absolutely true” that physicians are retiring at a rate that outpaces recruitment, adding that it will be a nightmare with baby-boom physicians retiring at virtually the same time. “There is a predicted shortage of physicians in some areas and we are already feeling that shortage,” he says. The Director of Physician Recruitment for Avera Queen of Peace Hospital in Mitchell, SD agrees with Zieske’s assessment. “Today, there is definitely a physician shortage out there,” says Rise Waldera, Director of Physician Recruitment for Avera Queen of Peace Hospital. “When they come to interview in Mitchell they like the lifestyle, excellent schools, and low crime. Getting them to the interview is the issue. When they get here they like what they see.” Mitchell’s Avera Queen of Peace Hospital serves an estimated 26,000 population for primary care and an extended market area up to 100,000 people. There are now 45 physicians on staff. In 1990 that number was 26. Since then, the health care facility has increased its services that include ENT Specialists (Ear, Nose, and Throat,) as well as anesthesiology, medical oncology and hematology, radiation oncology, and occupational health medicine. Avera Queen of Peace Hospital has gone from one orthopedic surgeon to what amounts to 2 1/2 FTEs and from one radiologist to four. The Avera Health System, in which Avera Queen of Peace Hospital is part of, has more than 100 openings for physicians throughout the system. There are seven in-house recruiters that are working to fill those positions. Waldera adds that the generation that is coming out of school now wants a balance between family and career. “They don’t want to be tied down to their practice,” she says. Currently, the health care facility is looking for additional family practitioners, internal medicine specialists, ophthalmologists, urologist, dermatologists, OB/GYN, and pediatrician. “It is hard to find someone that is a specialist to come in and have to take call as often as every other weekend,” Waldera states. “That is a detriment for recruitment.” A lot of residents stay in Sioux Falls, SD, because of the call schedule. However, Waldera points out that Mitchell boasts a number of attributes, especially a modern hospital with excellent facilities, staff, and the latest technology. In addition, only three years ago, physicians were independent from the hospital. Now, more physicians are being employed by the hospital, which is helping with recruitment. “Physicians don’t want to deal with the business aspect. They just want to practice medicine,” Waldera states. Waldera sees health care recruitment being more difficult in the next 10 years, in part because more physicians will be retiring. “It will difficult finding the physicians who want a rural community and are willing to take more call,” she says. Zieske says the question is a tough one. “I’m not an expert in terms of the huge changes to health care that
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SDPB
October 2011
Rise Waldera Director of Physician Recruitment Avera Queen of Peace Hospital
may come down the pike,” he states. “It is very concerning from the standpoint of physician supply and demand to see that we are already in that shortage and it looks to be getting worse before it gets better. That amounts to longer wait times to see a physician and more patients per physician. That is going to affect delivery of health care in both rural and urban areas.” Regional Health includes Rapid City Regional Hospital, which will soon be a 417-bed hospital with 20 additional rooms under construction. It also includes several rural hospitals in and around the Black Hills and separate clinics serving western South Dakota, northeastern Wyoming, and northwestern Nebraska. The service area is an estimated 150 mile radius. Then there is the challenge of more openings than candidates that are available. “The pendulum in health care swings back and forth,” Zieske explains. “Sometimes there is shortage in specialty positions, other times primary care has a shortage. Now we’re swinging back to primary care as the shortage.” To help with that challenge, Regional Health System has a Family Medicine Residency Program affiliated with the University of South Dakota’s Medical School and owned by the Rapid City Regional Hospital and Regional Health. The program allows for six new residents per year, but fluctuates that criterion. In 2011-2012, there will be 20 physicians in the program. “We’re trying to grow our own,” Zieske explains. “Another thing we’re trying to do is to be in contact with medical students before choosing residency and trying to acquaint them through clinical rotations. There is a much better chance to keep them in our service area when they experience first-hand training here.” Despite the challenges, Regional Health has seen its two best recruitment years in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, 16 physicians were hired, while in 2011, 20 were hired. “Good physicians attract other good physicians,” Zieske says. “If you are in a stable environment and community, you tend to stay there.” SDPB Alan Van Ormer - avanormer@prairiebizmag.com
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South Dakota
Did you Know… between 2000 and 2010 the Sioux Falls MSA increased in employment from 114,600 workers in 2000 to 161,300 workers in 2010 – a 11.5 percent increase. Source: Sioux Falls MSA Statistics Fact Sheet
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SDPB
October 2011
South Dakota Tourism Conference 2012 date set All members of South Dakota’s visitor industry are encouraged to attend the South Dakota Governor’s Conference on Tourism. he 2012 conference will be held January 1819, at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center in Pierre. The event is organized by the South Dakota Department of Tourism. “The conference’s number one priority is to provide South Dakota’s visitor industry with the necessary tools to help drive the economy and to provide a venue for expert-led educational sessions,” says Jim Hagen, Secretary of the Department of Tourism. “It is also a great opportunity for us to celebrate the success of the industry and to look
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toward the future.” The conference will provide industry members with opportunities to examine best practices, network with peers, and evaluate new methods to succeed in coming years. Experts are brought in from across the country with specialties in a variety of topics including customer service training and social media and marketing trends. In addition to expert-led sessions, there will be a banquet on Thursday evening featuring Governor Dennis Daugaard presenting the annual tourism awards. SDPB