Metro Health says recent growth spurs need for more physicians in Greater Grand Rapids

Metro Health says the demand for more primary care and specialty physicians in its healthcare system is on the rise due to an increase in the number of patients. In response, Metro Health has recently hired 20 doctors, is actively recruiting another 10 in the next six months and has job openings in administration and other areas throughout the healthcare system.

Metro Health's healthcare system includes primary care and specialist offices in an area from Rockford south to Wayland, and Hudsonville east to Cascade, says Kathy Lawson, director of physician services.

"The trend across the country is that physicians are finding it too difficult and costly to run their own independent offices, so they are joining healthcare systems," Lawson says. "We continue to hire primary care physicians and are hiring more and more specialists to meet our population's needs."

Metro Health has some 2,300 employees and 500 doctors on staff, says Ellen Bristol, director of communications. Another 65 doctors are completing residencies at Metro Health.

Right now, Metro is looking for doctors in the ortho and neuro sciences, internal medicine and family medicine.

Lawson says that, depending on the specialty, it can take from six months to two years to hire a physician.

"We're always looking at what we'll need in the future, plus looking at attrition, so we're always recruiting," she says. "Many of the physicians have ties to the area, whether they did their residency here or grew up here, and want to come back for family reasons. We also recruit internationally, because many physicians from other countries have trained here."

"Healthcare is a really exciting arena to work in," says Ellen Bristol, "because we offer jobs with all kinds of skill sets -- we're not just hiring physicians, but have openings in management, operations, clinical services, food services and other areas."

For more information on the jobs available, click here.

Source: Kathy Lawson, Ellen Bristol, Metro Health
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor