You will join a medical staff of approximately 20 physicians who have chosen community hospital practice over the anonymity of larger systems. These are physicians who know each other, collaborate without territorial friction, and share a genuine investment in the patients they serve. When leadership tested this compensation package with medical staff members who have colleagues in nephrology and internal medicine subspecialties, the feedback came back clearly: this offer is competitive. That validation from physicians who understand market dynamics speaks to the administration's commitment to attracting and retaining quality specialists.
Franklin Medical Center has assembled a breadth of specialty coverage unusual for a 35-bed community hospital. The medical staff includes family medicine and internal medicine physicians providing primary care, a hospitalist team managing inpatient coverage, and specialists across multiple disciplines. Orthopedic surgery is supported by the Stryker Mako robotic system for joint replacement. Oncology and hematology services are available on campus. Behavioral health, endocrinology, and general surgery round out the specialty offerings. A general surgeon joining the staff will begin placing temporary dialysis access, creating a local resource for patients who previously required transfer for vascular access procedures.
Your working relationship with the hospitalist team will define much of your inpatient experience. These physicians manage the day-to-day care of admitted patients and will serve as your primary point of contact for nephrology consults. The arrangement mirrors what several other specialists have established: clear communication about which patients warrant immediate notification versus next-day follow-up, mutual respect for boundaries, and collaborative management of complex cases. Hospitalists here understand that the nephrologist is not on call overnight and have adapted their workflows accordingly.
The dialysis service currently operates with one registered nurse and one technician providing daily coverage. This team manages inpatient hemodialysis for patients with established access who require hospitalization for other conditions. Leadership has indicated that the incoming nephrologist will have input into developing this team further as the program grows. If you envision expanding dialysis capabilities, whether through additional staff training, extended hours, or eventual outpatient services, that conversation is welcomed.
Clinic operations are supported by existing staff at each location. Nurses and medical assistants handle rooming, vital signs, prescription refills, lab coordination, and patient messaging. You will not be building a clinic team from scratch. The infrastructure exists, and your role is to provide the specialty expertise while support staff manages the operational details.
Blake Kramer serves as the administrative point of contact for physician recruitment and will be your connection to hospital leadership during the hiring process and beyond. Franklin Medical Center operates as a government hospital district, governed by a Board of Commissioners with strong ties to the community. This structure provides stability while maintaining local accountability. The administration has demonstrated flexibility in structuring physician arrangements, whether negotiating contract terms, accommodating scheduling preferences, or supporting new service development.
The medical staff here tends to stay. Physicians who join Franklin Medical Center often build careers spanning decades, drawn by the combination of professional autonomy, manageable workload, and genuine community connection. When you see the same colleagues in the physician lounge year after year, it reflects something real about the practice environment. This is not a revolving door. Leadership invests in physician satisfaction because they understand that stability in the medical staff translates directly to stability in patient care.
You will find colleagues here who remember why they went into medicine, who have not been ground down by productivity metrics and administrative burden, and who will welcome a nephrologist ready to contribute to a medical staff that still functions like a medical staff should.