When the National Association of Physician Recruiters (NAPR) was founded in 1984, there were 15 members. Since then, membership has grown steadily, averaging 16% per year with the exception of 1997 to 1999 when membership temporarily declined. Since 1985, NAPR has grown from 36 members to 276 as of December 2000.
Today, the NAPR has 276 members. Membership is broken into four categories: Active, Individual, Vendor, and Associate member. The Active membership category, with a variety of services that comes along with it, is the largest membership category and consists of physician search firms and healthcare providers, including hospitals, clinics, and contract services physician groups. Associate membership is a limited membership for an employee of an existing active member who wants to be kept abreast of educational events and industry news.
The cost of membership is currently $225/year for an Individual membership, $405/year for Vendor membership, $15.00 for Associate membership, and $375/year and up for Active membership. For active members, dues are based upon the number of recruiters working in their company: $375 for 1-3 recruiters, $570 for 4-10 recruiters, $940 for 11-20 recruiters, and $1,240/year for 21+ recruiters.
When asked why membership has grown so successfully in recent years, Rich Cornell, Chairman of the Membership Committee and Vice President of the NAPR, explains: “First, there is a real need for information and education in the physician search field, and the NAPR is working to fulfill this need.
We also have a fantastic membership committee, which is dedicated to the growth and expansion of the association. We all understand the value of the association and its Code of Ethics. The educational programming through national meetings and our ‘Fall Fly-ins’ are a big hit. The national convention is a 2-1/2 day meeting featuring nationally recognized speakers, training sessions geared to everyone from the beginner to senior management, and extensive networking opportunities. The one-day Fly-In seminars offer in-depth discussions on a limited number of topics.
One of our really exciting membership services is our co-op mailing program – large mailers to select groups of physicians. These mailers are proving to be a successful method for finding superb physicians who are seeking new jobs. Another great way to advertise our job openings and locate new candidates is through our ever-growing NAPR World Job Bank located on the Internet. With all of these perks as well as the networking between firms, you can’t find a better way to keep abreast of trends in our industry!”
When asked why a physician recruiter or firm would decide against joining the NAPR, Rich explained that they might not be aware of the NAPR and it’s benefits, or may not understand that the NAPR includes all of the industry groups, such as: locum tenens agencies, in-house recruiters, contract management firms and fee-for-service search firms. Rich invites prospective members to call any current member for more information. The membership directory is online (www.napr.org). Prospective members may also attend the national conference (Vancouver, B.C., June) to have the opportunity to network with the current membership before making the decision to join.
Here are some comments from current members:
“The Code of Ethics is probably one of the greatest benefits my company receives from being a NAPR member. It adds credibility to both my clients and candidates. The specialty mailers have also been extremely beneficial to my business.” – Ellen Politi, President, Medical Staffing Associates, Inc., McLean, VA
“General information from the website, such as survey results, keep me up-to-date on happenings with the whole recruitment process. Website help with posting opportunities we have available and searching through CVs online through the NAPR World Job Bank, information seminars – these are all some of the advantages of NAPR membership.” – Cindy Gunderson, Physician Recruiter, Mercy Health System, Janesville, WI.
“NAPR brings a network of colleagues that otherwise may be difficult to develop relationships with. This network is invaluable. With any situation or problem I encounter, I always know someone in the industry that may have had a similar situation. I find these colleagues to be very open to sharing their experiences and advice.” – Jamey Morgan, President, Concorde Physician Search, Milwaukee, WI.
For more information about member benefits or becoming a member of the NAPR, contact the NAPR office (407) 774-7880 or visit the NAPR website at www.napr.org.
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The National Association of Physician Recruiters, headquartered near Orlando, FL was founded in 1984, for the purpose of creating a national organization through which professional physician recruiters could work together to maintain standards of excellence within the industry and ensure the highest degree of quality in recruitment services. Today, the NAPR represents over 250 members, including recruitment firms, in-house staff physician recruiters, as well as contract staffing and management, trying to make a difference in the physician recruiting industry.
Terry Lane is a freelance writer and web producer based in Lancaster, PA