As the anesthesia staffing crisis persists across healthcare settings, ASC and perioperative leaders are putting more emphasis on investing in members of the anesthesia care team to maintain a high standard of care quality and keep facilities running smoothly.
Aaron Kalin, DO, medical director and chair of anesthesiology at Adventist Health + Rideout in Marysville, Calif., recently joined Becker’s to discuss his strategies for finding and keeping the best and brightest in anesthesia.
Editor’s note: This response has been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What is your strategy for attracting and retaining top anesthesia talent?
Dr. Aaron Kalin: My organizational non-negotiables regarding strategy for attracting and retaining top anesthesia talent are as follows:
Attracting
- Extremely competitive compensation for MDs and CRNAs. The [Medical Group Management Association] and [Anesthesia Medical Group Association] data sets are incredibly dated and do not reflect the current market demand.
- Sign-on/promissory note for a three-year commitment. Meaning, if you complete the three years, no payback. Otherwise, 25/35/40 amortization.
- Provide hybrid contract options blending employed and independent contractor (1099) roles. You must be adaptable on call vs. daytime services.
- Need to guarantee full-day compensation even for lighter caseloads to appeal to those prioritizing work-life balance.
- Offer non-restrictive call. Meaning, folks don’t need to sleep in the hospital. I lease a house about five to 10 minutes off campus for the call providers.
- Display contract steadiness and stability. I’ve held the exclusive anesthesia contract for eight-plus years.
- Zero noncompete covenants.
Retaining
- Build a collaborative atmosphere with open communication, involvement in decision-making, and regular check-ins to combat burnout. Provide access to mental health resources, stress management programs, and wellness initiatives to support long-term well-being.
- Create leadership pathways at all levels and mentorship programs to encourage career progression and loyalty.
- Conduct annual compensation reviews to align with benchmarks. Monitor clinician satisfaction through feedback loops, every six months.
- Display contract steadiness and stability. I’ve held the exclusive anesthesia contract for eight-plus years. Folks don’t worry about the contract changing hands.
By aligning these strategies above, I have been extremely effective at mitigating locum utilization and keeping turnover extraordinarily low.
