Today, most healthcare employers in Nevada are finding themselves not only overwhelmed with open healthcare positions, but out of budget to recruit professionals to their organizations.
The state’s rapidly growing demand for healthcare professionals – who are in short supply nationwide – has led employers to align themselves with networks of employment Web sites due to effective results, as well as lower service costs compared to traditional staffing firms.
According to Doug Geinzer, president and founder of Las Vegas-based Recruiting Nevada, which operates a network of employment Web sites that attract professionals to Nevada, employers turning to Internet recruitment solution providers are finding healthcare employment options, job satisfaction, opportunities for growth and a high-quality work environment attract the best in the industry to the Silver State.
“There are significant growth opportunities for people living and working here in Nevada,” Geinzer said. “People and businesses moving to the state quickly realize how beneficial it is to work and do business here.”
In the case of Nevada’s more rural areas, such as Yerington, Mesquite and Gardnerville, which are home to some of the state’ fastest-expanding medical centers and hospitals, employers are banking on more than just finding a medical professional to fill an opening. They are focused on how their recruiting and marketing efforts are packaged. The primary focus – quality of life
“Quality of life is clearly one of the most important factors in successfully recruiting medical professionals, whether in rural or metropolitan areas,” said Geinzer, who works together with governmental and non-governmental agencies throughout Nevada to create recruitment packages attractive to prospective employees. “Slowly but surely, Nevada is becoming one of the most desirable states for medical professionals.”
And Geinzer’s efforts are positively impacting the state. According to a 2005 report by John Packham of the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Nevada increased its nurse-to-population ratio by 5 percent over the last five years – a substantial increase, especially since Nevada has opened more new hospitals and hospital expansions than any other state in the country. This increase helped Nevada surpass California, which currently has the lowest nurse-to-population ratio in the nation. The numbers are breathing new life into employers throughout the state.
Healthcare employers are focusing their efforts on California and finding success. Geinzer said Nevada offers medical professionals a significantly lower and more manageable cost of living than its next-door neighbor, as well as more opportunities for career advancement and the choice of working either in Nevada’s bustling cities or calmer, rural towns. “Whichever their preference – medical professionals relocating to the area have a choice, and Nevadans are benefiting from it,” Geinzer said.
Another factor in Nevada’s medical recruiting success is the assistance many healthcare employers are now offering, free of charge, to the trailing spouses of medical professionals. Hospitals and medical centers are now working together with families to find work for everyone in order to improve employee recruiting and retention.
“Attracting dual-income families and having the opportunities to place them both in a job around the same time is certainly a challenge,” said Geinzer, who also serves as chair of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce’s We Care committee, which uses technology to match trailing spouses with employers. “However, taking this extra step is helping our state recruit better professionals who can sustain themselves in our community for a long time to come.”
“Healthcare employers arming themselves with the best information and partners possible creates a ‘courtship’ that ends up in a quality health professional choosing your town,” Geinzer said. “And in today’s highly competitive recruiting environment, increasing professional recruitment efforts through a more robust network will only help to improve and grow our medical community for the future.”