The survey of 62 AMGA member groups showed that physician turnover rate increased to 6.1 percent in 2010, over 5.9 percent in 2009. The turnover rate was 6.1 percent in 2008 and 6.7 percent in 2006, according to the report.
Smaller physician groups were more affected by turnover than their larger peers; groups of 3-50 physicians had a turnover rate of 12.6 percent in 2010, while groups with more than 500 physicians had a turnover rate of 5.5 percent.
Practices that can offer flexible scheduling to their physicians may find it easier to attract and retain providers, according to the report. The 2010 Physician Retention Survey showed that younger female physicians and older male physicians are more likely to want a non-traditional schedule, with fewer days per week or work-from-home arrangements, than other providers.
Gregory Stovall, MD, senior vice president of medical affairs at Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas, says to understand the importance of work flexibility, practices should view retention as a life cycle. “The values and needs change as the physician goes through their career,” he says. “Ideally, you’d like them in the organization for their entire career.”
According to the report, 29 percent of female physicians worked part-time in 2005; the number was up to 36 percent in 2010. Only seven percent of male physicians worked part-time in 2005, compared to 13 percent in 2010. And the ranks of young female and older male physicians are swelling: “The two fastest-growing physician workforce segments are younger female physicians … and older male physicians approaching retirement,” says Lori Schutte, MBA, president of Cejka Search.
Read the American Medical News report on physician turnover.
Related Articles on Provider Turnover:
6 Ways to Decrease Physician Turnover
Hospitals See Higher RN Turnover Than Physician Offices
The Top 10 Challenges Facing Healthcare Workers
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