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How to Encourage Recent Graduates to Join Your FQHC

Graduating talent is particularly important in the healthcare field, with the shortage of physicians, nurses, and other clinical and administrative workers approaching critical mass in the next five years or so. The problem is expected to be particularly acute in rural communities who already struggle to attract and retain healthcare teams. FQHCs provide healthcare services to these underserved communities where the volume of cultural, economic, educational, and professional opportunities are less than their more urban counterparts. However, FQHCs can compete by adopting a few strategies to attract the new graduate. This blog will share those tips.

Adopting Effective Recruiting Strategies for your FQHC

When it comes to attracting fresh talent, FQHCs can find it difficult to compete against larger or more urban hospitals and healthcare systems. These organizations can typically afford to pay more in locations that may be more desirable particularly to a younger newly graduating audience.

But FQHCs can counteract these trends by building a talent pipeline to develop and maintain relationships with students before they graduate. They can do this by offering internships or other training opportunities to students. They can also speak to classes and mentor students in their early years. Developing training programs for primary care residents, nurses, and other medical students can help build the reputation of your FQHC.

According to debt.org, more than 76% of all medical school graduates have loans totaling $189,000. 47% of healthcare graduates have loans that average $200,000. 13% owe an average of $300,000. This illustrates an important selling point for FQHCs; the federal incentive loan repayment programs available to students that come to work in their organization. Currently, this includes:

FQHCs can and should work closely with high-quality recruiting firms to help build their network of qualified candidates. Choose a highly respected firm like UHC Solutions, who understands that the importance of building rapport with students is as important as dispelling any misconceptions of FQHCs and the rural communities they serve.

The benefits of working at an FQHC go beyond wiping out debt from medical school. There is a lower cost of living in rural communities. When coupled with the reduction in medical school debt, the paycheck from these organizations stretches farther for the average graduate, especially when compared to more urban settings. These communities are lovely to settle down in; there is typically less crime and better access to national parks or other natural settings and for those looking for a fast-paced lifestyle, there are plenty of reputable FQHCs in the typical urban environment.

Then there is the simple but poignant fact that working in an FQHC has an element of giving back to the people that need it most. Working in an FQHC gets clinical teams back to the true meaning of healthcare, to serve and care for communities.

Talk with UHC Solutions about how we can help your FQHC attract more talent to your team.

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