American Medical News (01/30/12) Victoria Stagg Elliot

Hospitals increased their physician hiring last year and show no signs of slowing down such hiring activity this year. “We have a work force shortage,” says Alan Kaplan, MD, vice president with Iowa Health System and president of Iowa Health Physicians and Clinics, based in Des Moines. “We would look at any physician seeking employment. I’m not saying we would want to employ all specialties, but we would look at them.”

Consulting firm Sullivan, Cotter & Associates reports that approximately 75% of health care organizations they polled increased physician staffing levels in 2011, adding an average of 12 specialists and nine primary care physicians. The same percentage said they plan to hire more physicians and midlevel practitioners in 2012. The New England Journal of Medicine reported in 2011 that more than half of practicing physicians were employed by hospitals or integrated delivery systems.