Magenta Health shares how its Toronto clinics recruit and retain staff for operational success
Most doctors rely on their staff to help them with the smooth operation of their practice, so it’s essential to hire effective employees.
Tess Walker is the manager of clinic operations at Magenta Health, a network of three family medicine clinics in Toronto. She credits her clinic staff for allowing the doctors to do what they do best – care for their patients.
“Operational staff are critical,” Walker tells the OMA. “Having strong staff makes the clinic more efficient, allows physicians to take a breath and allows patients to feel more comfortable.”
The OMA has online resources available for members looking to open their own practice, including managing human resources at their clinic.
Dr. Marco Lo, Magenta Health co-founder and family physician, says their clinic staff are essential to their operational success.
“Our most impactful workflow changes typically come from experienced team members whose deep knowledge of our clinic helps them spot key opportunities for improvement,” he says.
Dr. Lo says their senior staff have cut administrative tasks by finding ways to streamline referral processing and specialist inbox management.
“Working with our tech team, they helped redesign workflows, automate repetitive tasks, and turn manual processes into one-click actions,” he says. “These changes improved turnaround times for patients while reducing administrative workload for physicians.”
The first step is to figure out your clinical and administrative needs and the roles that will fulfil them.
From an office manager to a nurse practitioner, Walker says your clinic staff should reduce your mental load and achieve your practice’s goals.
“We do the hiring, the training, the onboarding,” she says. “We handle purchasing tools, inventory, rent, getting cleaners and more so the physicians can do what they need to do.”
Then, be sure to create detailed job descriptions that outline duties, working conditions and perks for the roles.
When you’re ready to begin hiring, post the position on online job boards or pay an employment agency to find applicants.
Walker says it can be tedious to sift through numerous candidates, but it’s worth the time to find the right person for the role.
During the interview process, it’s important to ask the right questions, learn about candidates’ personality traits and explain the job responsibilities in detail. Walker also looks for people who will complement the team.
“It's not just who’s a good fit for the role, but who will mesh with the staff that you currently have,” she says.
It can also be helpful to test candidates on their qualifications and check their references to help make the final hiring decision.
“It's not just who’s a good fit for the role, but who will mesh with the staff that you currently have,” she says.
Once you hire the right person, retaining them is just as essential.
Walker says Magenta Health offers competitive lockstep compensation, health and vision benefits, life insurance, flexibility (hybrid or remote work, if applicable), and work-life balance accommodations to attract and motivate staff.
Open communication is also necessary. Walker says she sets clear goals, has monthly check-ins, gives regular feedback, and simply listens to her employees for long-term motivation and satisfaction.
“We also have a change management system where staff and physicians can submit their requests for any operational processes or improvements,” she says.
Ultimately, Walker says, your staff should feel heard and appreciated.
“Remain engaged, check in and make sure that they feel valued, however that looks like for your given clinic situation,” she says.