Starting a Physician and APP Mentorship Program – Virtually!

Physician Onboarding in the New Better: Starting a Mentorship Program – Virtually!

We have NOT let the COVID-19 pandemic stop our progress in the quest to create an extraordinary onboarding experience for the new physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs) of Reid Health, an independent, Midwest hospital system.

Previously, we shared how we turned up their creative juices to develop a new physician and APP Onboarding, Navigation and Mentorship Program. We orchestrated Zoom calls with over 70 stakeholders from various departments across the system who play a role in recruitment and retention. Together, we identified over 120 action items to streamline their onboarding process and created a Master Checklist. This tool enables all stakeholders to communicate efficiently and ensure a seamless experience for all new clinicians.

Next step? Launching our Mentorship Program!

Our Mentorship Program is proven to increase long-term retention of physicians and APPs. These experienced team members help new ones navigate the new hospital system and ensure they are happy, engaged, and busy throughout their first year.

Keeping the safety of all involved, it was not possible to hold the usual networking dinner to roll out the program, train the participants, and introduce mentees to their mentors. So, did we cancel the event? NO! We instituted our NEW BETTER model and successfully matched 40 new physicians and APPs with 80 total provider participants in a virtual event designed to infuse high energy, camaraderie, and fun.

We did our homework, collecting photos, bios, hobbies, and interests of the mentors and mentees. They enjoyed the surprise of learning their match LIVE on Zoom and the chance to share a quick wave and a smile!

Bonus: Everyone on the call learned more about their colleagues. This provided more information about whom to refer to across the system and a jump start for the new members’ first days in the clinic!

The lead mentor and other participants expressed their appreciation for the value of the Mentorship Program and launching it in an engaging and informative way.

“The entire program was very well done!”
Jennifer Bales, MD
Chief of Staff
Chair of Physician Engagement and Resilience Committee, Reid Health

“That was so fun! I felt like I was watching a dating show of the Reid Clinicians. Great job on the presentation!”
Erica Kretchman, DO
Endocrinologist, Reid Endocrinology

“The Mentorship Program Launch meeting via Zoom was a HUGE success! We had almost 80 people at the kick-off. Kim Grant, Dr. Mudge-Riley, and Tammy Tiller-Hewitt are the BEST!”
Amy Powell
Director of Recruitment and Retention
Reid Health

Take a look at some of the video highlights of the mentorship launch. And, reach out to us for additional NEW BETTER ways to deliver a customized and impactful Onboarding, Navigation, and Mentorship Program – without stepping a foot on your campus!

If you are looking for more solutions to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit our COVID-19 Relaunch and Recovery Resource Center.