The Problem
For any Level II Trauma Center—which must provide immediate surgical coverage 24/7—it is critical to maintain predictable staffing levels regardless of location. For one rural facility serving thousands of patients across five counties, this became an increasingly difficult challenge.
The hospital faced immense difficulty recruiting and retaining enough emergency medical personnel to support its trauma center operations amid soaring patient demand. Its large general surgery program also suffered from chronic staffing shortages. Local private practice surgeons working at the hospital were overwhelmed, facing excessive call burdens and high stress levels, which contributed to burnout and further threatened staff stability.
“Ours wasn’t an uncommon issue—hospitals like ours across the country are struggling to recruit and retain physicians, and the ones we have are burning out—but that doesn’t matter when you have to start directing patients to other hospitals outside their community,” said Dr. Paul Fredette, MD.
“We needed a staffing solution that would help staff up with quality surgeons quickly and in a cost-effective way, which is why we contacted Synergy Health.”
The Solution
Hospital leadership identified two primary goals when they partnered with Synergy Health Partners:
- Increase staff bandwidth for emergency call coverage and ensure consistent 24/7/365 availability.
- Establish a single staffing point of contact for the Trauma Center and its collaboration with the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
Working together, Synergy and the hospital developed a staffing and management program that guaranteed 24-hour general surgery trauma coverage, including emergency department response, surgical procedures, follow-up, and postoperative care.
To accomplish this, Synergy introduced fractional Surgicalist teams—general surgeons and advanced practice clinicians sourced, recruited, and onboarded by Synergy Health Partners. Surgicalists are hospital-dedicated surgeons who work preset rotations of 7–10 consecutive days per month, covering call and inpatient consultations. Unlike temporary locum tenens providers, Surgicalists become part of the hospital team, serving on committees and collaborating with administrators to improve operations and expand programs.
This structure allowed local surgeons to recover during off time while maintaining around-the-clock surgical coverage for patients.
The Result
Since partnering with Synergy Health Partners, the hospital has maintained stable staffing levels and expanded its capacity to meet growing demand. Currently, Synergy supports the hospital with nine Surgicalist physicians—six full-time and three part-time—along with a dedicated team of advanced practice providers supporting the General Surgery Level II Trauma program.
Synergy’s fractional staffing model allowed the hospital to increase patient volume by 17%, while creating a more sustainable work environment for both Surgicalists and community-based surgeons. Predictable schedules and dedicated rotations have significantly reduced burnout, improved retention, and ensured continuity of patient care.
Summary
“The fractional Surgicalist Model creates a virtuous cycle that helps both hospital leadership and surgeons achieve their goals while improving patient access to care,” said Dr. Richard Makowiec, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Synergy Health Partners.
“It gives Surgicalists predictable schedules with set blocks of time off, which lengthens the careers of talented physicians who might otherwise burn out. At the same time, it reduces care conflict for private practice surgeons. They can actually go home at the end of the day knowing their patients are covered by a dedicated Surgicalist team. This balance is key to ensuring patient retention, care quality, and revenue growth—essentials for any hospital’s success.”
The partnership between this hospital system and Synergy Health Partners demonstrates the value of the Surgicalist model for achieving predictable staffing, increased patient access, higher facility volume, and reduced provider burnout.
Key Outcomes
- Predictable Staffing: Reliable, consistent coverage that ensures continuity of care.
- Facility Volume and Market Growth: A 17% increase in patient volume and improved community trust.
- Patient Access: Expanded availability of surgical services across five counties.
- Reduced Burnout and Retention: Sustainable schedules and improved work-life balance for surgeons.
