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Welcome back to Locums Digest, Locumpedia’s free bi-weekly roundup of industry news and trends that helps locum tenens agencies make smart decisions.
In this edition of Locums Digest: According to AMN’s annual Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives, 13 of the 20 tracked specialties saw year-over-year salary increases. Physicians receive an average signing bonus of $31,500, while NPs and PAs get about $11,700. The report also highlights a shift in demand, with NPs, PAs, and CRNAs now surpassing primary care doctors for recruitment needs.
Also in Locums Digest 80: Wapiti Medical Staffing discusses how locum tenens can improve rural healthcare delivery; Hayes Locums highlights the urgent need for locum urologists; Vista shares its guide to holiday staffing prep; SIA names fastest-growing locums firms; Weatherby honors Locum Tenens Providers of the Year; Integrity Locums ranks among Fortune’s Best Workplaces, and more.
Thanks for reading!
Starting Salaries and Demand for Physicians and APPs Rise in 2024
September 23, 2024 | Medical Economics
The 31st annual Review of Physician and Advanced Practitioner Recruiting Incentives reports that average starting salaries for physicians in all specialties and advanced practice providers (NPs, PAs, CRNAs) are up yearly. The upward trend in compensation shows just how competitive recruitment has become, particularly for these high-demand roles.
Physicians are seeing an average signing bonus of approximately $31,500, while NPs and PAs are offered bonuses averaging $11,700. Additionally, relocation packages and continuing education allowances remain standard for new hires in order to make the job offer more attractive.
While family physicians account for the largest volume of searches, demand for both family and primary care physicians has decreased compared to the previous year. This shift reflects a broader trend for AMN Healthcare, which now conducts more searches for APPs than for primary care doctors, indicating that patients are migrating away from the traditional hospital setting. Almost 23% of AMN’s search engagements were for APPs, up from 19% the previous year, highlighting how much their role in patient care has grown.
Furthermore, nearly two-thirds (63%) of all searches were for specialist physicians, including OB/GYNs, gastroenterologists, radiologists, and cardiologists. This demand has been driven by an aging population with increasing healthcare needs, particularly for chronic conditions that require specialized expertise. This growing emphasis on specialty care is reshaping the physician recruiting landscape as facilities work to meet the complex demands of their patient populations.
La Vida Locum
Rural Healthcare Is Providing Better Care with Locums
September 26, 2024 | Wapiti Medical Staffing
Rural healthcare facilities are finding that locum physicians and advanced practice providers are uniquely suited to support their communities in several key ways:
- Adaptability: Agencies are working with rural facilities to provide a variety of staffing models that combine locums, per diem, and block shifts. Locums providers’ willingness to work more flexible hours makes this possible.
- Cultural Fit: Agencies are able to screen candidates not only for their healthcare skills but also for the community focus and cultural awareness that can be beneficial in rural communities.
- Diverse Experience: Interdisciplinary teams of healthcare professionals help rural facilities do more with fewer resources, and locums can collaborate using their backgrounds from a variety of assignments
As rural facilities reimagine their staffing structure, agencies can help not only with well-screened candidates from outside of the area but also with data analytics that forecast staffing needs, monitor performance, and track provider satisfaction, leading to more data-driven decision-making.
Locum Urologists Crucial for Hospitals of All Types
September 24, 2024 | Hayes Locums
Like many other medical specialties, urology is facing a significant workforce shortage, largely driven by early retirements among urologists. This trend has created a growing gap between patient demand and available care, putting extra pressure on the remaining physicians to handle increased workloads. As a result, urology has become one of the most sought-after specialties in the locum tenens market, with facilities relying heavily on temporary providers to fill the gap and ensure patient care continuity.
Locums urologists are needed across all facility types, including:
- Hospitals with level 1, 2, 3, or 4 trauma centers to provide round-the-clock urology services to maintain their trauma designation
- Rural facilities that are often hundreds of miles apart and cannot easily share specialists
With the urologist shortage, many staff physicians have reported having a heavier patient load, which also means a more significant administrative burden. Both of these are direct causes of burnout.
A patient load shared among permanent staff and locums providers reduces these challenges. Additionally, working locums may be an attractive option for those seeking improvement in their own work-life balance or looking to transition from a staff position without fully retiring.
’Tis the Season for Facilities to Plan for Holiday Locums Help
September 12, 2024 | Vista Staffing
With the end-of-year holiday season approaching, many facilities will face a two-pronged issue: staffing shortages due to vacations and increased patient volume because of seasonal illnesses.
Staffing agencies should work with facilities early, forecasting staffing needs and identifying gaps in coverage. This advance planning allows recruiters to prepare a list of qualified locum providers ready to step in when needed, ensuring continued care during high-demand periods. Locum tenens professionals help alleviate the workload on permanent staff, ensuring consistent, high-quality patient care
Forming partnerships with locum agencies ensures that hospitals have access to the necessary support, reducing stress on permanent teams and enhancing the overall patient experience during the busy holiday season. This proactive approach keeps facilities running smoothly without compromising care.
Locum Leaders
Fastest-Growing Healthcare Staffing Firms Named by Staffing Industry Analysts
September 10, 2024 | Staffing Industry Analysts
Last month, Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) published their annual ranking of healthcare staffing companies based on growth. Qualifying firms had at least $1 million in verifiable revenue in 2019, with a compound annual growth rate of at least 15% by 2023.
The healthcare sector continued to lead this year’s list, accounting for 43% of the companies. There are 10 companies in the locum tenens space on the 2024 list, compared to 8 in 2023. Overall, healthcare staffing firms comprised 23% of the list and are nine of the top 10 fastest-growing firms, primarily in travel nursing.
There are 145 firms on the 2024 list, down from 158 in 2023, while the median compound annual growth rate declined from nearly 34% last year to 28% this year.
Locums firms who have announced their recognition on the SIA list include:
- Astrya Global (#25 on the list and first among locums firms)
- Floyd Lee Locums (#27)
- KPG Healthcare (#47)
- MPLT Healthcare (#51)
- IMN Enterprises(#61)
- Fusion Healthcare Staffing (#70)
- Pacific Cos. (#81)
- Elevate Healthcare Consultants (#108)
- Hayes Locums (#136)
- Medicus Healthcare Solutions (#141)
Locums Firms Named to Fortune Magazine’s Best Workplaces List
September 13, 2024 | Jackson Healthcare and PR Newswire
Integrity Locums has been named to the 2024 Fortune Best Workplaces in Healthcare List. In its first year on the list, it ranks 37th in the small/medium company category (10–99 employees). Jackson Healthcare returns to the list for the seventh time, ranking fifth in the large company category (at least 1,000 employees) this year.
The list is compiled by Great Place To Work, which analyzes the results of surveys of confidential quantitative and qualitative employee feedback about their organization’s culture. By responding to 60 statements on a five-point scale and answering two open-ended questions, employees share if their company promotes things such as:
- Access to leaders
- Honest and clear communication
- Respect, appreciation, and fairness
- Training opportunities
- Individual well-being
- Meaningful work and pride in self, team, and company
- Enjoyment and feeling comfortable being themselves
Weatherby Names its Locum Tenens of the Year for 2024
September 26, 2024 | Weatherby Healthcare
Weatherby Healthcare has honored six providers, including physicians and surgeons, a nurse practitioner, and a physician assistant, with the Locum Tenens of the Year award for 2024.
They are recognized for their dedication to their communities, including their high quality of patient care and their passion for working locums.
- Karen Caputo, NP, neonatology—Caputo began her career in the late 1980s and became a neonatal NP in 2007. She started working locums in 2019.
- Luis Castellon, pediatric hospitalist—Castellon has been a locum physician since he completed his residency. He appreciates the work-life balance and has worked more than 700 shifts since 2018 while enjoying lots of time off for travel and family.
- Jack Klem, neurosurgery—Klem has worked locums for more than a decade and, after some impactful assignments, was recently named director of neurosurgery trauma at a facility in Idaho.
- Collen Overdorf, pulmonology/critical care—Overdorf began in emergency medicine and internal medicine but found her career home in pulmonology and critical care, eventually choosing locum tenens in 2021.
- Jennifer Phemister, gastroenterology/internal medicine—After a decade as a chemical engineer, Phemister sought her medical degree. She transitioned to working locums full-time in 2022.
- Lauren Whitley, PA, critical/intensive care—Whitley became a locum PA for professional development and flexibility and often travels to underserved places. She also acts as an informal peer mentor for those with questions about their assignments and those curious about transitioning to locums.
Hire Power
Webinar: How Self-Awareness Builds Better Connections—With Clients and Clinicians
October 15, 2024, 2 p.m. ET | NALTO
Join the next NALTO/Butler Street webinar on October 15 at 2 p.m. ET, where Butler Street Principal Consultant Robert Reid will share insights on how self-awareness can improve connections with both clients and clinicians.
In this webinar, Reid will offer strategies to address communication barriers and recognize individual learning styles within your team. To make it practical (and fun), Reid will also include some improv exercises to help you apply these tools in real time. Participants will walk away with actionable steps to boost engagement, build trust, and strengthen relationships.
Making the Rounds
Recruiters Help Salaries of Locum PAs Outpace Those of Permanent Staff
August 29, 2024 | Barton Associates
The physician assistant profession is projected to grow by 27% from 2022 to 2032, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growth bodes well for locum tenens PAs, who typically earn more than their permanently employed counterparts.
While the average salary for staff PAs has grown by 2% annually, locum tenens PAs have seen a faster increase, with a mean annual salary growth of 8%. In 2022, locum tenens PAs earned an average of 38% more than full-time staff PAs, and those in specialties like anesthesiology can earn up to 67% more.
Though staff PA salaries have fluctuated, sometimes stalling or even dropping, locum tenens salaries have shown consistent growth, with no recorded annual declines. Staffing agencies play a critical role in this success by negotiating rates based on a PA’s specialty, experience, and the facility’s needs. This flexibility allows locum PAs to secure higher pay while enjoying the benefits of short-term assignments and avoiding the long-term workplace politics of permanent roles.
HIPAA-Compliant OpenAI Makes New Tech an Option
September 23, 2024 | Becker’s Health IT
Now that OpenAI has a HIPAA-compliant version, more facilities may explore using AI as a tool to support their physicians, patients, and students in teaching hospitals. Without compromising patient privacy, AI can boost efficiency by helping with tasks such as:
- Scheduling
- Information collection
- Generating hypotheses for research
- Quizzing students
Using OpenAI in a healthcare setting requires a special business associate agreement. Interested agencies and facilities should begin discussions with their IT departments.
$75 Million in Federal Funds Has Been Approved for Rural Healthcare
September 24, 2024 | Becker’s Hospital CFO Report
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has pledged nearly $75 million to expand healthcare access in rural communities as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s broader commitment to ensuring equitable healthcare for all Americans.
Of this funding, approximately $9 million will be directed to support the maternity wards of five hospitals in the Mississippi Delta, a region facing critical gaps in maternal care. Additionally, close to $12 million is earmarked for providing technical assistance to hospitals nationwide at risk of closure, helping them expand services and improve their financial stability to continue serving their communities.
The largest portion, $54 million, will be used to enhance substance use disorder treatment, recovery programs, and social support at 18 organizations across the country. These funds aim to address key healthcare challenges in underserved areas, providing both immediate care solutions and long-term sustainability for rural healthcare providers.
Military Physicians Express Dissatisfaction – Locums May Offer an Opportunity
September 13, 2024 | Federal News Network
Recruitment is not keeping up with the number of physicians leaving the US military medical corps. Most cite pay and, during peacetime, skill atrophy as reasons for their job dissatisfaction.
The military is exploring hybrid options to address both: active-duty doctors working full—or part-time in civilian hospitals. The full-time option is already operational, but whereas these doctors are currently paid by the military, there is interest in having the civilian hospitals pay them higher rates. Researchers are also exploring military-sponsored graduate education as a benefit that may improve recruitment because it would help students secure a spot at their preferred residency.
Another option for military physicians may be locums; they can supplement their work with the military and offset these challenges. Those with a military background offer a unique segment for agencies to consider adding to their rosters.
Sponsored Content
How Much Does it Cost to Recruit a Physician?
September 11, 2024 | OnCall Solutions
One significant cost for the healthcare ecosystem is physician compensation. To help organizations make informed decisions about budgets, and then recruitment strategies, OnCall Solutions has prepared a comprehensive guide on the Average Cost to Recruit a Physician. This comprehensive guide draws the connection between understanding costs and long-term success.
Readers will learn about:
- Recruitment costs—Direct, indirect, and by physician specialty
- Budget allocation strategies—Using locums strategically, prioritizing high-impact roles, etc.
- Tips for cutting recruitment costs—Optimizing job postings, enhancing employee satisfaction, etc.
As an agency, understanding the cost burden that a facility is facing, and more importantly the ways in which locums can bridge the gap during permanent recruitment, is crucial to supporting client needs.
Interim Physicians Secures Immediate, Long-Term Hospitalist NP Coverage for a Rural New Hampshire Hospital
September 21, 2024 | Interim Physicians
Interim Physicians swiftly addressed an urgent staffing need for a rural New Hampshire hospital, providing a hospitalist nurse practitioner within a week of securing a contract. The hospital, facing a sudden vacancy and in need of coverage for five months, benefited from Interim’s prompt and efficient process. Interim’s Senior Account Executive, Jaron Leake, maintained constant communication with the hospital, ensuring alignment between the hospital’s scheduling needs and candidate availability. Within a week, Interim had three qualified candidates ready to fill the role, offering the hospital flexibility and assurance they would be covered.
The hospital system, which had worked with other locum agencies before, was impressed with Interim’s responsiveness and the quality of candidates. The success of this collaboration led the system to request additional staffing for a sister hospital in Maine, where Interim quickly provided a hospitalist. Interim’s commitment to consistent communication, rapid response, and quality candidates set them apart, solidifying their reputation as a reliable partner for locum tenens staffing needs.
A New Era Begins for Cancer CarePoint with a Refreshed Brand Identity and Digital Presence
October 1, 2024 | Cancer CarePoint
Cancer CarePoint, a leader in oncology staffing for over 30 years, recently unveiled a refreshed brand identity and an upgraded digital platform. This milestone marks the company’s commitment to modernizing its services while staying true to its core values of compassion, expertise, and personalized service.
Founded in 1994 as a small, woman-owned business, Cancer CarePoint has grown significantly by connecting healthcare facilities with top oncology professionals through locum tenens, temp-to-perm, and direct-hire placements. Over the years, the company has built a strong reputation by focusing on long-term partnerships and understanding the unique needs of the oncology field. The company’s new website features an enhanced job board with advanced search filters, making it easier for healthcare professionals to find the right roles. Additionally, Cancer CarePoint is expanding its resources to include career guidance and industry updates, ensuring both clients and candidates stay informed about the latest trends in oncology care.
