Back to more insights
Case Study: Physician Recruitment in Alaska – How a 3-Year Vacancy Was Filled in 61 Days
Background: Physician Recruitment in Alaska
A private, physician-owned oncology group in Anchorage, Alaska, had built a strong reputation in their community. With a team of four oncologists and four advanced practice providers, they were growing quickly and needed to bring on a Hematologist-Oncologist to support patient demand and replace a departing physician.
This wasn’t just a standard recruitment need. The group was seeking a physician who could seamlessly integrate into their team and grow into a future partnership role within the practice. Over the course of three years, they had partnered with multiple physician recruitment firms but hadn’t been able to find the right fit — leaving a critical position unfilled and their growth plans on hold.
Challenges: Recruiting Hematologist-Oncologists in Remote Markets
Oncology physician recruitment in Alaska came with unique hurdles. Anchorage’s distance from the lower 48 states often made relocation a tough sell. While many candidates expressed curiosity about the position, few were willing to make the move.
The group also needed someone who would mesh well with their close-knit team, share their commitment to patient care, and have the potential to grow into a partner. That made cultural alignment and long-term commitment just as important as clinical qualifications.
Finding a candidate with personal or professional ties to Alaska became a key part of the strategy. Not only would that increase the likelihood of relocation, but it would also improve the chances of long-term retention — a critical factor for partnership success. This narrowed an already limited candidate pool and raised the stakes for a targeted search. After years of unsuccessful attempts, the group needed more than standard recruitment outreach. They needed a strategic partner experienced in hard-to-fill physician positions.
Solution: Targeted Physician Recruitment Strategy
Rather than casting a wide net, the team developed a highly targeted outreach strategy focused on reaching physicians who not only met the clinical requirements but also had genuine ties to Alaska.
This strategy combined multiple methods of outreach to maximize visibility and engagement, including email campaigns, mass SMS messaging, cold calling, and strategic job board postings. These efforts were designed to reach both actively seeking candidates and those passively open to new opportunities but not actively searching on their own.
The messaging emphasized professional growth, a clear partner-track opportunity, and the lifestyle benefits of living and working in Alaska. By focusing on candidates with strong ties to the state, CI Health Group increased the likelihood of successful relocation and long-term retention, setting the stage for a lasting fit within the practice.
“For three years, our practice had no luck with several physician recruitment companies we hired to help us find Oncologists that could join our team. Finding candidates isn’t the biggest issue, but it’s getting the ‘right’ candidate that matters. Having to spend significant time with the recruitment process only to have it wasted on candidates that did not fit the role or were not even serious was really frustrating for me and our doctors.
Within a few months of working with CI Health Group, they presented us with an ‘ideal’ candidate. One face-to-face meeting with me and then our president of the board and they immediately set out on that mission to find us the ‘best fit.’ We are definitely happy with the services that CI Health Group provided our practice from start to finish.”
— Oncology Group Practice Administrator - Anchorage, AK
Results: Successful Physician Placement
Within just a few weeks of launching the search, these outreach efforts led to two highly qualified candidates being presented to the practice. The first candidate quickly moved through interviews, received an offer, and accepted the position shortly after. What had been a three-year vacancy was filled in just 61 days.
By combining targeted outreach with strategic messaging, CI Health Group delivered a candidate who was not only a strong clinical fit but also positioned for long-term partnership success, proving that the right approach can overcome even the toughest recruitment challenges.
>> Ready to solve your toughest recruitment challenges? Schedule a consultation with our team to discuss your organization’s needs.