Q&A
Loan repayment programs as a recruitment tool for physicians at H+H
1:25:52
ยท
106 sec
Dr. Katz discusses loan repayment programs as a successful initiative for improving recruitment and retention of staff at H+H, particularly for primary care physicians. He explains that this approach is especially effective for recruiting recent graduates with significant student debt.
- Loan repayment is seen as a 'real winner' for recruiting desired candidates
- The program aims to address the reluctance of medical school graduates to enter primary care due to high debt
- H+H is working on expanding their existing loan repayment program, particularly in behavioral health
- There are legal complexities to consider when implementing such programs, including how to structure commitments without creating indentured servitude
Carmen N. De La Rosa
1:25:52
Have you heard of any successful initiatives taking in other systems to improve recruitment and retention, for their staff?
Mitch Katz
1:26:00
Well, I mentioned loan repayment, we think, is a real one, that it's a real winner for all of us because it recruits exactly the people we most want to recruit.
1:26:10
And we we have heard that one of the reasons people don't go into primary care is because they are coming out of medical school with 100 of 1,000 of dollars of debt Mhmm.
1:26:21
And therefore need to, you know, pay off that debt.
1:26:24
And so loan repayment is and we, we already have one, especially in behavioral health, and we we wanna roll out another one.
1:26:33
But, obviously, that doesn't deal with the doctor's salary who's 10 years in already.
1:26:38
Right?
1:26:39
That's more the the recruitment tool for especially for people with large loans.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
1:26:44
So what would we need in New York City to make something like that happen?
Mitch Katz
1:26:48
We we're we're working pretty closely.
1:26:50
We think that we might be able to actually do it.
1:26:55
So I I'm hoping in the next few months that that's something we're able to come forward with.
1:27:00
It's it's like everything else, it has slightly complicated legal things.
1:27:04
What can you right?
1:27:05
We don't have indentured servitude.
1:27:07
Right?
1:27:07
You can't so you have to figure out how how you how people what what it can people be asked to do in terms of the commitment.
Carmen N. De La Rosa
1:27:15
In a dignified way.
1:27:16
Absolutely.
Mitch Katz
1:27:17
Right.
1:27:17
In the right.
1:27:18
But you you ultimately, you don't really want somebody who doesn't wanna be there.
1:27:23
Right?
1:27:23
On the other hand, you can't be paying people's loans off if they're, you know, for 5 years and then they're leaving you at 1 year.
1:27:29
So we're trying to we're trying to figure out some of the legal aspects of it.
1:27:33
But I think loan repayment is is is one certainly very positive thing.