Rural communities across the United States have been experiencing a surgeon shortage for years; as time goes on, that shortage is only expanding. It’s a gap that NexGen is filling through innovation and a growing talent network featuring surgical professionals. NexGen’s mission is to combat challenges in rural surgical care so that we can expand services to underserved communities.
If you’re a surgeon looking for better opportunities, keep reading to discover how you can advance your career while helping us overcome the challenges in rural surgical care.
The Challenge in Rural Surgical Care
When it comes to providing surgical services in rural areas, a multitude of challenges work together to cause today’s shortage:
- Demographic trends are changing the demand for surgical care as the rural population ages while younger people migrate toward metropolitan areas.
- The population of rural surgeons is aging, with up to 59.3% being over the age of 50 in small rural areas compared to 48.8% in urban areas.
- Fewer general surgeons are available to fulfill roles in rural areas since most enter specialty fellowships, lowering their chances of seeking a rural position.
- Rural hospital closures are accelerating and are fueled by regional markets, demographic needs and various economic factors.
In addition to these factors, surgeons may not be willing to take on a surgical role in a rural setting. In rural areas where only one or two surgeons are providing services to the entire community, the number of after-hours calls can make achieving a healthy work-life balance impossible. Lower pay and fewer opportunities also make the prospect of a rural position less attractive to surgeons, as does the resistance of nurses and support staff unwilling to take verbal orders or make independent clinical assessments.
NexGen’s Innovative Approach
NexGen is here to help alleviate the barriers to surgical care in rural areas. We take an innovative approach to providing surgical services for hospital systems. Rather than asking hospitals which services they need, NexGen recruits talented surgeons first and then presents their services to individual hospitals. This way, NexGen builds relationships with a fantastic talent pool while providing essential services to underserved populations. Surgeons can reap significant benefits when working with NexGen.
Surgeon Recruitment and Benefits
The key to the benefits that NexGen offers is that we work hard to build an opportunity around your unique requirements so that you can enjoy a rewarding career and a healthy work-life balance. As a surgeon with NexGen, here are some of the advantages you’ll experience:
- You can enjoy the satisfaction of providing an essential service lacking in rural communities.
- Surgeons only work two weeks out of the month and aren’t on call during off-hours.
- There is no need to relocate; you don’t have to live in an area to work there.
- You can make more money per week than in your current practice.
- You’ll enjoy opportunities to expand your career.
Operational Excellence in Practice Management
Working with NexGen means doing more of what you love: practicing medicine. That’s because NexGen handles the back-office work for you. After a busy day in the OR, you can rest easy instead of spending hours working with insurance companies or handling other business necessities. We take care of staffing, billing, payroll and more so that you can focus on providing excellent care to underserved populations.
We offer backing for our leadership and administrative support teams. This means we’ll be here to answer questions and offer support anytime. Our goal is to help you pursue your ambitions in both your career and personal life.
Expanding Access to Specialized Surgical Services
The NexGen model uses data to determine the healthcare needs of rural communities. From there, we form partnerships with local healthcare facilities to fill gaps in surgical services. It’s a community-specific approach that delivers the exact surgical solutions needed for the communities that need them most.
This approach provides a win-win scenario for everyone involved. Rural hospitals and their communities gain access to talented surgical professionals to attend to healthcare needs. Surgeons enjoy higher compensation, a better work-life balance and access to opportunities to boost their careers.
Impact on Rural Communities
Expanding surgical services in rural communities has a huge impact. Communities have access to general and specialized surgeons, including orthopedic surgeons, ENT specialists and urologists, who help ease the burden on strained healthcare systems. Community healthcare systems can run more efficiently, and those benefits are transferred directly to the community through shorter patient wait times and better health outcomes. That’s the difference you can make in a rural community when you work with NexGen.
Future Directions and Growth Opportunities
The shortage of surgeons across the United States is growing, and rural areas are the hardest hit. According to the American College of Surgeons, optimal access to surgical care stands at 7.5 general surgeons per 100,000 patients. Yet, as of 2019, urban areas had only 5.44 general surgeons per 100,000, and rural areas had 3.15 general surgeons per 100,000. Nearly 60% of rural counties had no access to surgical care in 2019.
These numbers highlight what makes our mission so critical. Without access to surgical care, everyone suffers—not just patients who experience worse outcomes but also their communities and the healthcare systems that serve them.
The potential for expansion is significant, meaning NexGen surgeons gain access to unparalleled opportunities while bringing vital healthcare services to the populations who need them most.
Help NexGen Expand Access to Surgical Care in Rural Areas
With so many rural communities needing access to surgical care, the need has never been greater. NexGen takes an innovative approach to identifying communities in need and filling roles with highly skilled professionals.
As a surgeon, you can make more money, improve your work-life balance and get greater access to career-building opportunities while delivering care to underserved communities. That’s what makes working with NexGen an attractive prospect for today’s surgical professionals.
If you’re interested in partnering with NexGen, contact us to discover the possibilities.
