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Hiring for Emergency Departments: The Eastern Carolina Emergency Physicians Difference

January 30, 2025

 

Hiring clinicians for an emergency medicine group is crucial to building a successful team. Finding the right candidates is essential in a field where rapid decision-making and teamwork can significantly impact patient outcomes. For Emergency Care Partners (ECP) and our network of partner groups, this process goes beyond simply filling positions; it involves identifying healthcare professionals who possess the necessary clinical skills and the ability to thrive in high-pressure situations. The ECP culture is unique and focuses on results-driven clinicians who thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.  

Due to the complexities of hiring in emergency medicine, focus must be placed on evaluating candidates’ experience, adaptability, and interpersonal skills to build a cohesive team dedicated to providing exceptional patient care in the most critical moments.

ECP’s partner group,Eastern Carolina Emergency Physicians (ECEP), has a hiring process like that of ECP’s other partner groups, with some specific steps unique to them. Based in North Carolina, ECEP manages the emergency departments at four Novant Health hospitals in the greater Wilmington area. The group has a longstanding reputation for strong teamwork and excellent patient care. Here are two differentiators that ECEP employs to ensure only the best-fit clinicians are hired for their group. 

  • When a new candidate enters the hiring process, all ECEP emergency clinicians are invited to meet with them and provide feedback. The meeting formats can vary, ranging from group social events to lunches, but are typically held in a relaxed atmosphere to help clinicians get to know the candidate better. This approach ensures that everyone’s voice is heard and valued. It also fosters an environment that emphasizes personality fit alongside clinical skills. After the event, ECEP’s group president, Dr. Carrie Fales, makes it a point to seek feedback from the team before making a final decision. 

 

  • As part of the interview process, candidates for emergency medicine positions at ECEP are given a tour of all four emergency departments that ECEP staffs and manages. The tour includes visits to Novant New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Pender Medical Center, Orthopedic Hospital, and Scotts Hill. Since ECEP clinicians are credentialed to work at all four locations, it is essential for candidates to have firsthand experience in each environment before joining the team. 

 

Not all clinical hiring processes are identical, as each location and candidate vary. However, the most crucial aspect for all Emergency Care Partners (ECP) groups is to ensure that only the highest-quality clinical candidates are selected to staff our emergency departments. This is essential for maintaining our ability to provide excellent care to patients in emergency situations. 

About Emergency Care Partners (ECP)

Emergency Care Partners (ECP) is a leading provider of emergency medicine and emergency department management services for hospitals across the U.S. with current operations in, Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, and Illinois. ECP currently sees more than 1.4M patient visits annually and is supported by a clinical workforce of 1,000+ physicians and mid-level providers. ECP employs a differentiated model relative to other platforms in the industry, highlighted by the ability to maintain ownership through its physician partnership model and for regional/local groups to maintain their branding and clinical autonomy while benefitting from ECP’s national resources. .

Contact our team to learn more about our physician leaders or partnership and career opportunities with one of our partner groups.