A physician vacancy creates pressure to move quickly. Before launching the search, leadership should answer another question: Is the practice prepared to support the physician it needs?
A 2025 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine examined 970 physicians across 15 organizations. Working with an incompletely staffed team more than one-quarter of the time was associated with greater odds of burnout and intentions to reduce clinical hours or leave the organization. The study identified associations, not causation, but its findings make staffing an important consideration in workforce planning. Read the study by Rotenstein and colleagues.
ClearHire's perspective is straightforward: the conditions surrounding a position belong in the recruitment assessment.
Before presenting an opportunity, examine:
- Clinical support: Who handles rooming, documentation support, referrals, and patient follow-up?
- Productivity expectations: What patient demand, staffing, space, and scheduling assumptions support the target?
- Compensation: Which earnings are guaranteed, and which depend on conditions the physician cannot independently control?
- Practice history: Why is the position open, and what can previous departures teach the organization?
Consider a hypothetical practice that expects immediate growth while operating with an incomplete support team. Recruiting an excellent physician addresses the vacancy. Leadership still needs a plan for the constraints affecting that physician's work.
Our healthcare administration background informs how we examine these relationships. The goal is to present an opportunity whose expectations make sense for the physician and the enterprise.
Planning a search? Start with the practice behind the position.
