Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The CEO’s of the HMA hospitals are directly responsible for all recruitment activities for their respective hospitals. The most efficient way to inquire about recruitment opportunities and to establish communication is to speak directly to the CEO of the local HMA hospital. HMA hospitals work with a variety of recruitment firms and will work with any recruiting firm with which a physician has an established relationship. Physicians who have general recruitment questions or who are interested in recruitment opportunitites, but don't have a specific geographic location in mind, are welcome to call the HMA corproate offices.

There are basically two distinct models that HMA hospitals use to relocate physicians to their communities; recruitment to private practice is, by far, the more popular and widely used of method of recruitment. Under this model, the local HMA hospital may provide a recruited physician with financial assistance, for a limited period of time, to help the recruited physician establish and maintain a private medical practice. One common form of financial assistance is a "cash Collections guarantee", whereby each month, usually for about 12 months, the HMA hospital pays the recruited physician the difference between the monthly guarantee amount (an amount agreed to in advance by the hospital and recruited physician, based upon many factors such as the community’s need for the recruited physician’s specialty, the recruited physician’s experience, and the average earnings for similarly situated physicians according to independent surveys) and the amount of revenue that the recruited physician actually collected during that month. Provided that the recruited physician maintains his or her private practice in the recruiting hospital’s community for at least three years, recruited physicians are typically not required to repay the hospital for any of the financial recruitment benefits, other than amounts that are specifically designated as loans and that are expressly subject to repayment. Other types of financial assistance may include commitment bonuses, practice-start up expenses payments, and other amounts. Employment is the alternative model. Employed physicians are usually paid a base salary for one year, and thereafter, are compensated based on their individual productivity.

All HMA hospitals engage independent companies specializing in physician needs assessments in order to recommended physician levels for each relevant specialty based on community demographic information, utilization, attrition analysis and standardized physician-to-population ratios. Before any HMA hospital agrees to recruit a physician of any specialty to its community, there has already been independent expert verification that the community has a need for a physician who practices that specialty. In HMA’s experience, physicians who relocate to and establish their practices in communities that have demonstrated demands for additional physicians increase the likelihood that their medical practices will be successful.

HMA hospitals want their recruited physicians to establish a medical practice in a manner that will best suit their own needs and the needs of the community. HMA hospitals generally regard established medical practices as ideal practice opportunities for new recruits, and will support recruited physicians’ efforts to find opportunities with established medical practices.

The medical services that each HMA hospitals offer may vary. Generally, however, each HMA hospital offers at least the following services: emergency departments, general surgical services, medical services and outpatient services (imaging, lab, etc.). Some, but not all, of the HMA hospitals also offer more specialized services, including obstetrics, open heart surgery, radiation oncology, neurosurgery, bariatric surgery, pediatrics, urology, rehabilitation services, and other services.

HMA subscribes to the highest standards of relative to the operation of its facilities. All HMA hospitals are accredited by the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

HMA hospitals seek to recruit only highly-qualified physicians, usually Board Certified or Board Eligible, who have demonstrated strong clinical competence. As importantly, HMA hospitals look for those physicians who are willing to work hard and make commitments to their communities, to their fellow physicians, and to their patientscommitment to a physician recruit.