Becker's Hospital Review

28 CMO / CARE DELIVERY Which healthcare settings are hiring more, fewer physicians: Report By Paige Twenter H ospitals and academic medical centers are posting a larger share of physician job postings, but financial uncertainty in the market could dampen their recruiting efforts, according to a recent report from AMN Healthcare, a recruiting firm. Between April 2024 and March 2025, AMN Healthcare reviewed a representative sample of open positions for 1,420 physicians and advanced practice providers. In this time frame, hospitals posted 481 physician roles, or 34% of the representative sample. Between 2023 and 2024, hospitals represented 28% of physician job searches. Academic medical centers also increased in their scope of physician searchers, with 395 job postings (28%) between 2024 and 2025. e previous 12 months saw 22% of these postings originate from AMCs, according to the report. In the 2024-25 sample, medical groups posted 345 physician positions (24%); urgent care, home health and health maintenance organizations had 139 job postings (10%); federally qualified health centers, community health centers and Indian Health Services hospitals had 49 searches (3%); and solo practices, partnerships and concierge practice settings had 11 (1%). In the next year, AMN Healthcare forecasts "the prevailing mood of uncertainty" and "ongoing financial pressures" will inhibit hospitals' physician and APP recruiting activity. Similarly, some AMCs have enacted hiring freezes as a result of National Institutes of Health grant budget cuts. n Nemours Children's creates nation's 1st at-home pediatric program By Erica Cerutti S ince June, Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours Children's Health has cared for more than 120 children with complex medical conditions at home through a first-of-a-kind program. e Advanced Care at Home program is designed for children who are medically stable but require ongoing advanced care. It is the nation's first at-home care model operated by a freestanding children's hospital, according to a Nov. 10 news release from Nemours. Since its launch, the program has helped avoid 177 inpatient days, 27 hospital readmissions and 91 emergency department visits, Nemours said. e health system plans to expand the program to Delaware by the end of the year and introduce a pediatric-focused mobile integrated health initiative in early 2026. n UnitedHealth's Optum sours on affiliated physician model By Paige Twenter D uring an Oct. 28 earnings call, UnitedHealth Group executives said the company has overrelied on its network of more than 90,000 affiliated and employed physicians and plans to switch to a direct employment model. UnitedHealth Group's care services division, Optum Health, reported flat, year-over-year revenue this past quarter. Optum CEO Patrick Conway attributed three factors to the quarter's results: the company's provider network grew too large, a reliance on affiliated physicians not aligned with value-based care policies created operating inconsistencies, and products and services were not aligned with Optum's "clinically oriented, value-based model." Optum manages a sweeping, but quiet, physician empire in the U.S. The company has inked affiliation contracts with more than 10% of the nation's physicians, as of 2023. Rather than building inpatient care facilities, the company hires employees at existing healthcare organizations, including health systems, ambulatory surgery centers, home health companies and administrative/support entities. The network's size is now an issue, according to Optum executives. As the company separates from physicians not aligned with the value-based care approach, Optum said it will work with fewer providers in 2026. "We are moving to employed or contractually dedicated physicians wherever possible," Mr. Conway said. n

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