Dr. Lara Hochman assists physicians with finding their ideal career in the medical field.
By Jenna Hughes
The medical field is constantly changing as private practices continue to merge into larger healthcare systems. Health networks are beneficial because they combine clinical offices, standardize medical procedures, and increase patient care access. However, for physicians that are used to smaller workplaces and the operational structure of private practices, it can be difficult to fit in with the culture of a new, larger company. For many doctors, it is becoming increasingly important post-pandemic to find a position at a practice that is suitable both personally and professionally.
Dr. Lara Hochman, family medicine physician, is the founder of Happy Day Health, a “Medical Matchmaking” company that helps physicians find a career path in medicine that satisfies them. As both an experienced clinician and start-up business owner, she believes in bringing autonomy and joy back into the lives of individuals that work in the medical industry. Through Happy Day Health, Dr. Hochman helps doctors find a career that allows them to rediscover their passion for treating patients.
“As a Medical Matchmaker, I do a lot of work in physician advocacy. I help doctors to find the jobs of their dreams, navigate the job search process, and advocate for themselves during the entire interview and negotiation process,” said Dr. Hochman.
The inspiration for starting Happy Day Health began when Dr. Hochman was working at a private practice that merged into a large hospital system. She witnessed how business operations and administrative tasks can overshadow patient care within large health networks and decided to come up with a solution for physician burnout related to the industry-wide shift to healthcare networks.
The solution, her consulting business that she started in late 2021, empowers fellow industry physicians to speak up at work and encourages the shift to healthier workplace environments. She believes that when a doctor has a voice to make positive change within the workplace, they can rediscover the motivation that led them to begin working in the medical field in the first place.
Dr. Hochman chose “Happy Day Health” as the name for the consulting business because she “wanted something that was uplifting, and that made people feel good. Thinking about when I personally felt burnt out as a clinician, I used to wake up with a feeling of misery and dread. I want everyone I coach instead to wake up thinking that each day can be a happy day.”
Clinicians that are seeking career advice as a client receive access to current healthcare position openings, they can discuss their personal career goals, practice for job interviews, and receive individualized coaching on personal and professional development. The goal is to assist clinicians with finding their ideal career, so they are able to be their healthiest self while improving their patient’s clinical experience.
“I’ve never had this strong of an urge to start a business or to be a businessperson. I started the company out of a need to match physicians with employers that will treat them well,” said Dr. Hochman. “This is a huge problem facing the medical industry and I have a potential solution. And I knew I needed to be a part of the solution.”
Navigating a medical industry career change
When Dr. Hochman is working with physicians that reach out seeking career advice, she discusses each individual’s priorities, determines aspects of a medical career that are most important to them, and in many cases, coaches them through the entire process of finding a new job.
Once a client finds a position that interests them, they receive one-on-one training to prepare for the interview process. This includes mock interview practice, so clients feel comfortable answering potential questions. Dr. Hochman encourages doctors to also ask questions of the interviewer so they can understand the company’s culture and be aware of the requirements and expectations of the position before they begin. She also assists clients with advice and strategies to advocate for themselves to negotiate contractual job agreements that work for them.
The extensive Happy Day Health YouTube Channel also guides physicians through the process of healthcare industry career changes by answering job seeker’s frequently asked questions. Numerous videos narrated by Dr. Hochman include topics such as “How to Effectively Search for Physician Jobs: Tips and Strategies,” “Deciding Between Multiple Job Offers,” and “The Role of Time in Decision Making.” The videos prepare clients for coaching calls and provide them with detailed job search related information.
If a physician already has a job, and is seeking coaching related to their current position, they can meet with Dr. Hochman periodically to make changes in their current position and learn how to advocate for themselves.
“Physicians are in short supply, and we have more power as individuals than we realize. It is not a failure to change jobs, it is not a failure to change from one type of practice to another. It is so important that we take care of ourselves and that we are able to take care of our families, and if you need to make a change, that’s fine,” said Dr. Hochman.
Creating a positive impact on the healthcare industry
Many doctors are currently feeling burnt out and stressed due to healthcare industry changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since beginning Happy Day Health at the end of 2021, Dr. Hochman has navigated opening a business during the height of the pandemic and has realized just how needed the company’s services are. Her career coaching model addresses a critical need in the lives of clinicians.
“I started the business with a vision of how I’d like to make a positive change in the healthcare environment for physicians. My vision for the future is to make a big positive impact on the healthcare industry in the way of physicians being able to enjoy practicing medicine without burning out,” said Dr. Hochman. “I want physicians to feel valued by their employers and the patients, and for doctors to be able to practice good medicine.”
Going forward, Dr. Hochman’s goal is to continue to connect physicians with better jobs and healthier lifestyles that allow for work-life balance. This includes efforts from healthcare industry leaders as well. Healthcare administrators should actively listen to their physicians and their teams. Physicians often suggest workplace well-being improvements that are not unreasonable. Small changes brought to the leadership’s attention have the potential to make the workplace more productive overall and allow doctors to provide better patient care.
“As physicians, we are trained so well that when we come out of our training, we know exactly what we’re doing. And then the business aspect is the complete opposite, you figure it out as you go along, there is not necessarily one correct next step. I would say let go of the fear that you may not make the correct decision and just do it,” said Dr. Hochman.
Career coaching to address physician burnout
Physicians that come to Dr. Hochman for coaching often are individuals that truly enjoy the practice of medicine but are overworked and unsatisfied with their current position or workplace environment. Physicians seeking assistance in the workplace often do so because of technology-related administrative burdens that cause extra workplace stress. Doctors are spending less time taking care of patients and more time than ever on operational tasks to keep the practice running.
Other issues facing the medical profession include physician-owned practices having trouble finding doctors to staff their practices, and in turn, doctors are increasingly unable to find employers that will treat them well. Also, decreasing reimbursement rates from insurance companies prevent physicians from having the time they need to tend to patients in the best way, and visit times must be shortened to cover overhead.
“A lot of times, the physicians that come to me are completely burnt out. Often, I hear from doctors that they love the practice of medicine but are pretty much ready to leave because of the administrative burden, lack of support, and the inability to practice medicine without all the extra hoops that we as physicians have to jump through,” said Dr. Hochman. “In that process, I help them to find jobs that will treat them better so they’re happier, they get to enjoy practicing medicine again, and they can have a voice in the practice.”
Dr. Hochman recommends to physicians that find themselves in a workplace that has organizational challenges to approach administration as a group. Hospital administrators at times delegate too much work to doctors or have unrealistic expectations for teams, and physicians can be unsure of how to voice their concerns to make needed changes. Coming together as a group to approach healthcare leaders empowers physicians while encouraging administration to take action and work toward a healthier clinical environment.
If a physician feels they cannot manage the challenges presented in their current practice and that their mental health and well-being is impacted by their job, it is important to begin the process of finding a healthier workplace that is a better fit.
Physicians come to Dr. Hochman for a variety of reasons, but ultimately seek help hoping to reset and find a healthier balance between their personal and professional life.
“Through the process of Medical Matchmaking, when I help physicians to find jobs that treat them better, they are happier, they actually enjoy practicing medicine again and having a voice within the practice,” said Dr. Hochman.
The most fulfilling part of her work as a physician and business leader is creating a change in people’s lives for the better, she says, “In medicine, I get to help guide people to their health goals. As the Medical Matchmaker, I get to guide people to better lives so they can enjoy their spouses and their kids.”