Relocation Expenses - pay completely for move, sell of house, buy of new house

Emphasize / advertise crime rates, local school performances

On site child care, carpool program, participation in research opportunities

Pay for performance program

Emphasize duties at a larger organization that would not have to be done by front line staff in a rural hospital

I agree with Robin. The organization has to offer relocation allowances and special amenities to even stir up interest. I currently work for an organization that is truly the best place to raise a family and still have affordable coastal living. The only problem is that I am located between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville, FL. We truly have to be creative to attract candidates to investigate employment with us. The positive side to this is most of the candidates we get are more seasoned and are looking for a place to settle down.

Additional incentives would be student loan repayment programs and specialized training for new graduates that would not have these opportunities in a larger medical facility.

For physicians, income guarantees are often used in rural areas. The particular specialty should be identified as a HPSA (Healthcare Professional Shortage Area). Also, employment is an option as is pay for call.

Incentives based on tenure in location

agreements to recruit additional MD talent (but that require current staff to participate)

early establishiment of leadership opportunitites on Board/MEC etc

Finally, engage the community leadership - host receptions, meet Chamber of Commerce members, involve bankers/lending institutions/politicians

Nursing recruitment can include opportunity for increased challenge, advancement opportunity, employee benefits including sign on bonus for specialty areas like OR, ICU; on site child care and post graduate education reimbursement.

Selling your community is key in recruiting physicians. You also want to be able to establish relationships with the physicians (**and their family**) so that they feel comfortable speaking with you on all aspects for relocation and recruitment. I find that you can offer the world to a doc but if they do not have faith and trust in you then ultimately they will not commit.

Some of the strongest incentives for recruitment and retention are in the realm of work structure and management support. Having worked with hospitals ranging in size from 6 beds to 600 beds, and those hold true in all. In many respects, the smaller organizations can be a big draw, especially for those individuals that like variety in their work: Larger hospitals tend to have more specialists that focus in specific areas and patient care units that treat narrower patient populations, whereas an individual in a smaller hospital is likely to encounter a wider variety of tasks. Naturally, if research and dealing with extremely complext patient populations are the enticement, then the larger facilities are almost certainly going to win.

I would suggest partnering with a School of Nursing to do a rotation at your hospital. This is a good way for students to get to know your environment and feel comfortable with your quality systems. Smaller hospitals have much to offer in the way of a friendly work environment and a culture of caring. Some people would prefer to work in this type of environment over a larger healthcare system.

Developing strategies to "grow your own health care professionals can help". By provinding a professional path for your current employee base will increase the number of professional staff needed for your organization. Some of the specifics include tuition reimbursement and allowing clinical rotations in your facility.