You will step into a role designed from the ground up with physician sustainability in mind. Franklin Medical Center has created this hospital-employed nephrology position to address a long-standing gap in specialty care across Franklin, Tensas, and Catahoula Parishes. As the founding nephrologist for this new service line, you will have the rare opportunity to shape how nephrology care is delivered to a community that has depended on telemedicine and traveling specialists for far too long. When the hospital previously brought in a part-time nephrologist two to three times monthly, that provider was fully booked eight weeks out within three months. The demand is established. What has been missing is a physician willing to make this community home.
This position was structured deliberately to support long-term retention rather than short-term productivity metrics. You will practice as a W-2 employee of Franklin Medical Center, working a four-day week with clinic hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and a protected hour for lunch. The schedule defaults to Monday through Thursday, though you may choose a different configuration if you prefer mid-week breaks or Friday availability. Leadership here understands that physician burnout stems from unsustainable expectations, and they have built this role to avoid the common pitfalls that drive nephrologists away from community practice.
Franklin Medical Center functions as the healthcare hub for a three-parish region in northeastern Louisiana. The 35-bed acute care facility draws patients from Franklin Parish and the neighboring Tensas and Catahoula Parishes, serving a population that would otherwise travel 45 minutes or more to reach subspecialty care in Monroe. Your arrival will eliminate that barrier for patients with chronic kidney disease, hypertension-related renal complications, and dialysis needs. The hospital operates three rural health clinics, with the main location adjacent to the hospital and satellite clinics located nine miles north and nine miles south. Leadership would prefer a nephrologist willing to rotate through these locations to maximize patient access, though this remains a preference rather than a requirement.
The hospital seeks a board-certified or board-eligible nephrologist prepared to build an outpatient-focused practice with limited inpatient responsibilities. You should hold or be eligible for Louisiana medical licensure and have completed an accredited nephrology fellowship. Beyond credentials, the ideal candidate will appreciate the opportunity to develop a program rather than inherit one, working collaboratively with hospital leadership and existing medical staff to expand nephrology services over time. This includes potential input on dialysis operations and staffing as patient volumes grow.
This is the kind of opportunity that allows you to practice medicine the way you trained to practice it, with adequate time per patient, administrative support that handles the details, and a schedule that leaves room for the life you want outside the clinic.