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Health Systems, Recruitment Firms Turn to Social Media to Recruit Physicians
In an effort to attract physicians for typically hard-to-fill specialties, several health systems and physician recruitment firms are turning to social media tools, Health Leaders reports. According to a 2008 New England Journal of Medicine survey, 71 percent of physician respondents used the Internet to search for job openings. To appeal to that population following failed efforts to recruit gastroenterologists through print advertisements in various medical journals and direct mailings, Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System joined with a local marketing company to create a social media physician marketing campaign that included establishing a Facebook page with photos, recruitment event information and links to the health system's Web site. Since teaming with the marketing firm, the health system has hired three gastroenterologists, with one hire coming directly from the system's Facebook page. Meanwhile, Nashville-based physician recruiting firm Seaboard Health Care Search is leveraging Twitter for its recruitment campaign. In addition to recruitment information, the firm's Twitter feed includes top medical news and other interest topics. Although still in its early stages, the Twitter campaign is already receiving a favorable response from physicians, with subscribers clicking on the various links and even sharing it with others (Aiello, Health Leaders, 9/23/09).