Recruiter Finds Success Hiring Providers for His Hometown

When Christian Anderson chats with candidates about jobs at Sky Lakes Medical Center in Klamath Falls, Oregon, they often ask him if he lives there. No, he says, but I grew up there.

“They usually laugh at that point and say, ‘Ohhhh that makes sense,’” says Christian, a senior recruiter at Provider Solutions & Development (PS&D). “That’s when they get it – why I seem to know everything about what it’s like to live there.”

Christian was born at Sky Lakes Medical Center. It’s where he went for treatment for the many sports injuries he sustained from four years of football and baseball at Klamath Union High School. It’s also where his dad, uncles and cousins still go for doctors’ appointments and routine medical care.

This background has given him a unique vantage point, enabling him to paint a first-hand, accurate picture of the area and health system. It’s also why he’s so passionate about recruiting providers to work for the community-owned, award-winning hospital that serves more than 80,000 people across south-central Oregon and northern California.

Recruiting for Rural Primary Care Jobs

Since spring of 2023, when PS&D began its recruiting partnership with Sky Lakes, and December 2024, Christian and another recruiter have helped hire 15 physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, all in the Primary Care space.

In a rural community like Klamath Falls, an influx of providers like this makes a marked difference.

While about 20% of the U.S. population, or more than 50 million people, live in rural areas, only 9% of the nation’s physicians practice in rural communities, according to the National Library of Medicine. This leads to “medical deserts,” or large parts of the country where patients have inadequate access to healthcare. A National Rural Health Association study found that 77% of rural counties are considered medical deserts, because of a shortage of Primary Care providers.

At PS&D, we have a team dedicated to residency outreach for rural jobs, and about a quarter of our overall hires practice in rural locations.

There are compelling reasons providers choose to work in rural areas. According to our 2022 PS&D Rural Provider Perspectives report, the top three reasons doctors choose rural jobs are:

• 62% - Small-town lifestyle
• 41% - Ability to make an impact
• 38% - Close-knit work environment

Promoting Sky Lakes Medical Center

These reasons are some of the many Christian talks about with Sky Lakes candidates.

He tells them about endless summer days, when he and his two brothers and sister would head to the shallow waters of Klamath Lake – a lake so big they could always search out a spot where it was just them. They would skip rocks, or fish, or tear around on jet skis. The temperature was usually perfect, in the mid-80s.

He tells them about the three different mountains where they can go skiing, snowboarding or snowmobiling to their heart’s content. About rock climbing in nearby Bend, Oregon. About the sweet mountain-biking trails in the Sky Lakes Wilderness area.

He tells them about the patient population providers see at Sky Lakes: farmers, mill workers, ranchers, ordinary folks. People who work at the area’s biggest employers: window manufacturer Jeld-Wen, Wal-Mart, Deloitte, Home Depot, the U.S. Forest Service, UPS, the Air National Guard base and Klamath Falls School District.

He describes the high-acuity nature of Sky Lakes patients, many of whom have put off healthcare, and come in only when there’s something really bothering them. He tells the story of the second nurse practitioner he helped hire at Sky Lakes, who in her first few months, diagnosed a patient with bone cancer.

“I caught up with her when I was on-site for a visit,” Christian says. “She said she never thought a diagnosis like that would come across her panel. She was energized by the opportunities she saw to make a meaningful difference. Klamath Falls is a very unique place to practice medicine in that way.”

Christian is sure to let candidates know their daily patient load will be roughly 16 to 18, much lower than that of larger metro areas. Because call is shared across all of Primary Care, it’s limited.

When he’s searching for candidates, Christian looks for providers who gravitate toward an outdoorsy lifestyle. He looks for a desire to serve a rural population and an openness to becoming a recognized, integral community member.

Creating a Collaborative Partnership

Sky Lakes has been thrilled to have a hometown ambassador like Christian recruiting for them, and a big part of the shared success in signing providers is owed to a thriving partnership.

Before PS&D entered the scene, Sky Lakes was relying on an in-house team and costly Locum Tenens, or temporary placements. Leaders wondered why nearby Providence Medford Medical Center (PMMC) was able to hire in so many providers, but Sky Lakes wasn’t having as much success.

When they learned that PS&D was the recruiting organization for PMMC, they reached out, and a partnership was born. PS&D and Sky Lakes operate under a Fully Integrated Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) agreement, where PS&D is Sky Lakes’ exclusive recruiting partner and acts as an extension of their existing hiring team.

“It has worked out really well,” Christian says. “Sky Lakes is a great partner. We are their recruiter, but also their consultant on hiring and onboarding processes. We’ve helped them streamline their site visits – they let us set up itineraries and work with their on-site manager of talent acquisition. Everything’s scheduled, and we’re CC’d on all the invites. Providers are hosting dinners at their houses, adding that personal touch. It’s seamless now.”

One of the biggest contributors to attracting more candidates, Christian says, is the hiring methods Sky Lakes has adopted.

“Sky Lakes has really got it down, and they’ve been so receptive to our feedback,” he says. “Once candidates are screened and sent over to them, they’re contacted within 24 to 48 hours and more often than not, sooner than that. If the candidate is liked by the group, they leave with a Letter of Intent in hand, so it really shows Sky Lakes’ commitment to them. Having that tangible offer can make a big difference.”

Hiring the Ideal Rural Candidate

Christian finds candidates in PS&D’s vast database and scours physician networks and forums. He also works with PS&D teams that recruit for other rural locations, always with the goal of finding that ideal match who will be a long-term fit.

He recounts one doctor who posted on job board profiles that she was looking for an opportunity in northern California. He sent her an email with the subject line, “How about southern Oregon?” She responded immediately.

“People who aren’t from the area don’t realize how close Klamath Falls is to California – it’s just 15 miles – so a lot of the border town residents filter into the Sky Lakes health system. She didn’t realize it until I let her know. She’s very excited to work there, where she will easily be able to visit her family in northern California.”

More than anything, recruiting for Sky Lakes provides an extra layer of fulfillment for Christian, as he can increase access to rural healthcare where he was born and raised.

“I mean, I’m selling my hometown. It doesn’t get much more satisfying than that,” he says. “I feel the same way a lot of people do, you know? You grow up somewhere, and you kind of take it for granted. Then you move away, and you realize how special it was. The fact that I can bring healthcare providers into a place that means so much to me, and where my family still lives, is gratifying. It feels like it was meant to be.”

Reach Your Rural Recruitment Goals With PS&D

At PS&D, we’ve helped hundreds of rural practices, hospitals and health systems find top-tier providers who will be a long-term fit — providers who won’t just take the job, but who will put down roots in your community. Reach out today, and let’s talk about how we can help you reach your recruitment goals.