Finding the Right Fit in Ōamaru
As the owner of a rural general practice in Ōamaru, Dagmar knows all too well the challenges of recruiting doctors to small-town New Zealand.
With a growing patient list and increasing pressure on her team, she needed a sustainable staffing solution, one that would provide continuity for both patients and staff.
“We were understaffed for the number of patients we were providing care for,” Dagmar explains. “Patient care remained our number one priority, and our team worked incredibly hard to ensure that every patient received the attention they needed. But that level of commitment came at a cost. The workload on our existing GPs was intense and we knew we had to find a more sustainable solution before it started to affect their wellbeing. We didn’t want patchy locum cover; we wanted a semi-permanent solution.”
But recruiting a permanent GP to a rural area isn’t easy. While larger centres can naturally attract doctors due to their lifestyle offerings, smaller towns require a different approach. “For a lot of overseas doctors, it’s not obvious what kind of lifestyle they’d be stepping into. It has to be a good fit for both the doctor and their family,” she says.
That’s where Good Together came in.
A Thoughtful, Personal Approach to Recruitment
Dagmar first heard about Good Together through a recommendation from a practice manager of a rural surgery. “It was word of mouth,” she recalls. “I was at a PM conference, and someone mentioned how successful they had been in working with Moana. That personal recommendation made all the difference.”
From the outset, Dagmar felt that Good Together took the time to truly understand her clinic. “Moana spent time getting to know us, who we are, what we do and what kind of doctor would fit here. That was key. I felt like I could trust her to do her very best to find the right person.”
Rather than simply filling the role with the first available candidate, Moana and her team focused on a match that would be a long-term success. “There’s a difference between just filling a gap and finding someone who fits in with the team and community. That’s what Good Together does so well.”
A Transformative Placement
When Good Together introduced Dagmar to Sabrina, a GP originally from the Netherlands but already based in New Zealand, it was clear that the match had potential. Sabrina and her family were looking for a close-knit community where they could integrate and put down roots, something Ōamaru could offer in abundance.
For Dagmar, it wasn’t just about hiring a GP, it was about ensuring that both the doctor and their family would be happy in their new environment. “It’s always a bit of a leap of faith, but Moana really understood what we needed, not just in terms of clinical skills, but in terms of someone who would thrive here.” Now, just a few months into the placement, the difference is already apparent. “Chris, our senior GP, is so much more relaxed knowing he has another doctor at his side he can trust,” Dagmar says. “The whole team is happier, and Sabrina has fitted in really well. She’s highly qualified, motivated and happy to be here, and that makes all the difference.”
A Lasting Partnership
Would Dagmar recommend Good Together to other practice managers facing similar recruitment struggles? Absolutely.
“I have recommended them quite a few times already,” she says. “If you’re looking for a sustainable staffing solution and want a team culture that isn’t constantly disrupted by doctors coming and going, you need an agency that really understands what you’re looking for. That’s what Good Together does better than anyone else. They don’t just find a doctor; they find the right doctor.”
With the placement going so well, there’s even talk of Sabrina and her family staying longer than originally planned, a testament to the care and attention Good Together puts into every match.
For rural clinics struggling with recruitment, Dagmar’s experience is a reassuring one. The right doctor is out there. With Good Together, finding them is not just possible, it’s transformative.
