Staffing, even for surgeons, has been in deep flux during the pandemic and has only intensified after. The Great Resignation, and flocking to traveling, you know?
When I go to the hospital to drop off Cookie Thursday is a Thing weekly, I see unfamiliar faces. Everywhere.
I try to introduce myself to all new faces.
Today I am going to write about surgeons. New surgeons specifically.
There is also a new surgeon in practically every service line.
A couple of years ago I wrote a memo that I thought was going to be given to every new surgeon. It was all about call hours, and how to get in touch with the call nurse, and how to schedule cases, and what expectations could be had. I updated it when they started the call position.
Yeah, I was wrong.
I have no idea what is the distribution of the memo. Do the doctors’ offices get it and they are responsible for handing it out to new surgeons? Does it get distributed by the medical staff office? I’m going to answer my own question and say no, there are too many hospitals for them to keep up with it.
What usually happens, is that it is word of mouth by their partners, with me batting cleanup as I hand out the pager number to new surgeons who don’t know the process. I also explain how the process works at this hospital. I cover any expectations they can have, and manage the ones that are not realistic.
Like expecting the team to be at the hospital and ready in 10 minutes, no matter how far they live. Not going to happen, doc, the team has 30 minutes to be at the hospital. We will try, but miracles are not accomplished every day.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 