"Many [new hires] said they wished they’d had the information when they first started because it would have made their lives much easier, and allowed them to focus more on their patients rather than administrative issues." - Dr Erin Martin (Left to right: Dr. Erin Martin, Dr. Lauren Feldoff )

Physician onboarding champions with lived experiences lead the process

The University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC) and Prince George Medical Staff Physician Association have launched a joint onboarding project with Northern Health as part of a broader initiative to better support new physician hires.

Family physician Dr. Lauren Feldhoff and general surgeon Dr. Erin Martin have worked together as Physician Onboarding Champions to develop and implement a robust onboarding process.

As relatively new hires, both had fresh experiences and combined perspectives as a GP and a Specialist to add valuable perspectives to the process.

Feedback from new hires informs comprehensive onboarding guide 

Drs Feldhoff and Martin analyzed current supports, and set out to refresh a comprehensive onboarding package.

They held focus groups with newly hired physicians to review a draft and further address issues. Concerns raised outside the scope were brought to Department Heads for further exploration. 

The final 90-page package includes critical information, steps and links to:

• licensing/credentialing
• day-to-day practice tips and resources
• navigating organization of UHNBC specialities and services organization for interprofessional team work, charting and billing
• opening a practice (find space, hire staff, etc.)
• living in the community  

Their work also led to recommendations for additional onboarding supports:

• Holding an orientation week before physicians start their clinical obligations to spend time with IT and other relevant departments.
• Having some physicians dedicated to meeting new staff during orientation week to answer questions and get to know each other.
• Ensuring all administrative issues such as credentialling/licensing, parking passes, hospital swipe cards, etc. are in place.
   

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