LOOK FOR MISSION-FIT WHEN HIRING

Identifying the “right” individuals to hire can be challenging. Whether you're bringing on a new physician, resident, or staff member, you want to make sure the individual not only has the education, training, and skills needed but also is a good fit for your practice.

To improve the hiring process, approach it in a more holistic, mission-driven, and systematic way.¹ First, use your mission statement to identify important experiences and attributes you want the new hire to have (these will vary depending on the position). Then, use the 10–15 priority items you identify to compose a rubric for assessing candidates. Define levels of achievement/ability for each item and assign point values for weighting. For example, part of our residency program's mission is to develop the physician workforce in our state. We have found that residents from our state (versus out-of-state) are much more likely to remain in our state after residency completion. Therefore, when selecting residents, previous experience in our state is one of the attributes we value (no experience equals zero points, some experience scores one point, and extensive experience scores two points).

Once you've created the rubric, determine the most efficient way to procure the information (e.g., through the CV/application, a screening call, or an interview). You may want to assign one or two people to do this initial assessment. The rubric can also help you decide which interview questions to ask candidates.

Having a systematic way to review and evaluate applicants can decrease stress, improve efficiency, minimize bias, and help you assemble a mission-fit team.

COMPROMISE WITH PATIENTS WHO HAVE VACCINE HESITANCY

Persistent counseling occasionally fails to persuade vaccine-hesitant families to vaccinate according to the recommended immunization schedule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Some families have objections to specific vaccines but may be open to others. Therefore, instead of dismissing families from your practice for vaccine refusal (a practice that appears to be increasing), consider compromising to develop an individualized schedule that integrates their values, stated objections, and preferences with child-specific health considerations and public health priorities. Physicians who successfully do this may get families to accept more vaccines than they otherwise would.

To determine which vaccines to spend time and effort recommending, weigh factors such as the likelihood of serious/deadly illness, available treatment, which diseases are actively spreading in a community, the family's living situation, and whether the family has immunosuppressed members.

For example, a physician might prioritize DTaP (diphtheria-tetanus toxoids-acellular pertussis vaccine) because of the risk for serious childhood morbidity and mortality¹ and emphasize tetanus vaccination to children living in older homes. An adjusted schedule is not a scientifically valid substitute for the evidence-based CDC schedule, but compromising may build trust that leaves open the potential for full immunity in the future.

PRACTICE SIMPLE MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES BEFORE EACH PATIENT VISIT

Deliberate moments of mindfulness during your workday can help build better relationships with patients and improve your well-being. Here are four simple things to do every time you put your hand on the doorknob to enter a patient room:

1. Take a deep breath. This slows your heart rate and quiets the sympathetic nervous system.

2. Close your eyes. Briefly block out all distractions and center yourself to focus on the visit.

3. Think of something pleasant. Bring your mind to your happy place to keep your amygdala in check.

4. Greet the patient warmly. As you walk into the room, show the patient that your relationship is as important as the content of the conversation. A smile and greeting will diffuse tension and set you up for greater success in the visit.