Survey: Demand for Some Specialists Soars While 63% of Clinicians Have Paused or Plan to Pause Practicing
(Edited from PRNewswire release, 7/19/2021)
The COVID-19 pandemic affected US healthcare like no other industry, causing some physicians to work overtime and others to lose their jobs or accept reduced hours and pay.
LocumTenens.com recently released a survey of 2,300 physicians and advanced practitioners that explores healthcare employment trends over the course of the pandemic-to-date.
“We continue to see healthcare organizations face staffing shortages, which will likely worsen in the coming months as more clinicians take time off from practicing or make career changes,” LocumTenens.com President Chris Franklin said. “The pandemic highlighted employment-strategy gaps and gave many providers time to reconsider their priorities. It’s now more important than ever to support the healthcare workforce while ensuring patients have access to care.”
Key findings of the 2021 Physician and Advanced Practice Salary Report include:
Current and Future Employment
- Not all clinicians are back to work. In fact, 14% of physicians and advanced practitioners are still unemployed after being furloughed or laid off last year.
- Many clinicians plan a job change soon, with 41% hoping to change jobs within the next year.
Patient Access to Care
- Child and adolescent psychiatrists will be in high demand. Almost half (47%) reported an increased workload due to COVID-19, highlighting the detrimental effect of the pandemic on pediatric mental health.
- Nearly two-thirds of clinicians (63%) have taken time off from practicing or are planning to do so within the next few months. With a growing physician shortage and increased patient visits, the US could face a harsh summer and fall, with even fewer providers to deliver care.
Burnout and Stress
- Overall, 39% of clinicians reported increased levels of stress and burnout due to the pandemic, with specialists in oncology, hospital medicine, critical care medicine and emergency medicine reportedly feeling the most burned-out.
- Millennials reported the highest level of burnout because of COVID-19 at 49%.
- 43% of women felt burnout vs. 33% of men.
Salary Changes
- Many clinicians said their salaries decreased because of COVID-19. The most common reason cited was reduced hours, often because of a lack of patients.
- 20% of critical-care physicians and 11% of hospitalists realized salary increases because of COVID-19, as the virus made them vital to the influx of patients.
Survey Methodology
Invitations for the survey were emailed to a database of more than 220,000 healthcare professionals in May 2021. Some recipients had been placed by LocumTenens.com, and some had not. A total of 2,300 respondents – both physicians and advanced practitioners, who were self-selected and spanned all 50 states – took part in the study.
All News Is Locums
All Star Healthcare Solutions℠ Wins 2021 “Top Workplaces National Culture Award” for Compensation, Formal Training
(Edited from PRNewswire release, 7/22/2021)
All Star Healthcare Solutions℠ today announced it has earned an Energage 2021 Top Workplaces National Culture Excellence quarterly employer award for Compensation and Formal Training.
The Compensation Award goes to organizations that achieve the highest scores for employees stating they believe the pay they receive is fair for the work they do. The Formal Training Award validates that an organization is providing the formal training employees want for their careers.
“Our people are our most treasured assets,” All Star CEO Keith Shattuck said. “Receiving recognition because they feel valued and amply compensated for the important work they do – as well as effectively prepared to grow and thrive at All Star – is extremely meaningful. We appreciate the ‘Red Carpet’ Service they deliver to our providers, client facilities, patients, community, and each other — and we’re grateful to have them on our team.”
The July 2021 Top Workplaces National Culture Excellence awards are based solely on employee feedback from Energage’s anonymous, science-based, employee-engagement survey.
Last quarter All Star earned employer recognition awards in four categories: Appreciation, Direction, Empowering Employees, and Values. The company also received the Specialty Award for Training as part of the Sun Sentinel‘s Top Workplaces awards earlier this year.
Locum Tenens Alleviates Burnout for Physicians
(Edited from Physicians Practice story by Colin Zhu, DO, 7/9/2021)
The shortage of healthcare workers has been a long-standing issue further emphasized by the COVID-19 pandemic, which put a greater toll on the lives of medical professionals. As a result, many physicians have suffered from extreme stress and burnout. Resignations of full-time physicians caused some clinics to close and some local hospitals to put their workers on longer shifts with increased patient counts.
Health departments and hospitals have been looking for solutions to this staffing issue. One solution might be employing locum tenens physicians.
Enjoy Flexibility
For the physicians who work it, locum tenens provides far more freedom and flexibility than does “traditional” employment in a clinic or hospital. You can work on a schedule that best fits you. Thus, you also can focus on your passions outside of medicine while still practicing your profession.
With its flexible patient schedule and the right working hours, locum tenens allows you more time and energy for your patients. You can educate and provide more attention to each one. For many physicians, this is a great option to alleviate stress and experience more joy in practicing medicine.
Prevent Clinician Burnout
For facilities and physicians still working traditionally, locum tenens doctors can still provide a great benefit. Locum tenens clinicians can be assigned shifts in hospitals to allow the ‘regular’ physicians to take longer breaks or shorter shifts. They can also work in short-staffed hospitals or clinics. The more these facilities value and maximize locum tenens doctors, the better balance they can achieve in their medical workforce.
In addition, with telemedicine becoming more normalized, there are more opportunities to serve patients, even from a distance. Doximity predicted, “20% of all medical visits will be conducted via telemedicine in 2020, which accounts for more than $29.3 billion of medical services this year alone.”
So, what can we glean from this?
Ease the Burden on Traditional Physicians
Overworked doctors can be relieved by locum physicians who can take their place. Even if it’s a temporary fix, bringing in locum tenens allows facilities to give their existing staff a break and spread the work around.
Since staff or contract physicians can take a break, they’re re-energized when getting back to work. They’ll have more time to focus on their own passions and spend time with their families without feeling depleted on the job. Physician well-being is a vital priority to maintain.
Improve Retention Rates
Using locum doctors can give staff physicians “off time” to care for themselves. Mitigating their sense of being ‘overworked’ can reduce the chances these doctors resign or burn out.
Physicians have been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19. They’ve taken care of a seemingly endless stream of patients. It’s about time they receive the care.
The Healthcare Staffing Story
Futuris Acquires Fla-based Healthcare Staffing Firm Health HR
(Edited from SIA Daily News, 7/12/2021)
Futuris Co. (OTCMKTS: FTRS) completed its acquisition of Health HR Inc., a healthcare staffing provider based in Boca Raton, Fla. In today’s announcement, Futuris said the deal marks its entrance into the healthcare staffing space.
Purchased from Peter and Roberta Sandor, who had bought the company in February 2010, Health HR provides physical, occupational and speech therapists to home health agencies. It presently employs 85 therapists and has relationships with more than 20 home health agencies, providing services in Palm Beach and Broward Counties.
“Over the past seven years, Peter and Roberta have created genuine and material value for the company by developing and investing in the people, recruiting activities, marketing programs and technology processes that have made Health HR one of the largest employers of PRN therapists in the region,” Futuris President Kalyan Pathuri said.
Futuris is a provider of network solutions, staffing and technology based in Rockville, Maryland.
Jackson Healthcare Merges Executive Search Brands Kirby Bates Associates and Tyler & Co.
(Edited from SIA Daily News, 7/6/2021)
Jackson Healthcare has merged the business operations of its Kirby Bates Associates and Tyler & Co. brands, completing the transition in June. The company named Melissa Fitzpatrick president of the combined organization, which operates as Kirby Bates Associates.
Jackson Healthcare acquired executive search firm Tyler & Co. in 2013 and Kirby Bates Associates, an executive search and interim leadership firm, in 2017. The company primarily operates virtually, with administrative functions based in Orlando, Fla.
“Tyler & Company offers an exciting opportunity for Kirby Bates to strengthen its service and scope in healthcare executive leadership,” Fitzpatrick said. Jackson Healthcare President Shane Jackson called the companies’ consolidation “a major growth opportunity for both businesses” in both client satisfaction and healthcare market presence.
Jackson Healthcare currently employs more than 1,500 workers nationwide and ranks third on Staffing Industry Analysts’ 2020 list of largest healthcare staffing firms in the US.
Jackson Healthcare Names Key Executives
(Edited from SIA Daily News, 7/7/2021, 7/2/2021, 5/28/2021)
Atlanta-based healthcare staffing provider Jackson Healthcare (JH) announced its appointment of several key corporate executives over the past few months.
CIO Bob Toupin
JH named Bob Toupin its chief information officer. As head of the organization’s technology group, he will oversee the strategic vision, direction and delivery of technology initiatives across the enterprise.
Prior to Jackson Healthcare, Toupin was CIO at BlueLinx Corp. and PaperWorks Industries. He has 30 years of IT leadership experience and deep expertise in building high-performing teams, implementing large-scale IT projects and developing technology roadmaps.
“Bob is a proven IT executive whose background is well aligned with our evolving organizational needs,” Jackson Healthcare President Shane Jackson said.
Executive VP/Associate Experience Leslie Day-Harrell
JH promoted Leslie Day-Harrell to executive VP and named her to lead the organization’s newly created Associate Experience function.
A certified applied positive psychology practitioner, Day-Harrell will develop and lead the company’s overarching strategy to help ensure positive experiences for all 1,500 Jackson Healthcare associates. “That strategy – designed to create a second-to-none experience throughout the entire associate journey from ‘hire to retire’ – includes careers, environments and opportunities that enable associates to thrive and that support health and wellbeing in all areas of their lives,” according to the company’s June 28 news release.
Day-Harrell also will continue to head real estate and facility operations for the organization’s corporate campus in Alpharetta, Ga.
Senior VP/Risk Management David Robertson
JH appointed David Robertson as senior VP of risk management to oversee all corporate risk management functions, and to deploy risk management strategy — including risk transfer, insurance procurement, claims litigation management, captive management, acquisition due diligence and compliance — across the Jackson Healthcare family of companies.
Named a 2012 “Healthcare Power Broker” by Risk and Insurance magazine, Robertson was most recently executive vice president at Harden, where he was the healthcare practice leader. Previously he was a managing director at USI Insurance and a managing director of insurance services at Wells Fargo Insurance. He is a former regional partner at Willis Group Holdings and senior vice president at Marsh, a subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan Companies.
Tools to Try/News to Use
National Locum Tenens Week toolkit is now available for download at NALTO.org
Save the Dates
National Locum Tenens Week, August 9-13, 2021
National Locum Tenens Week toolkit is now available for download on NALTO.org.
NALTO’s “Communicating Value through Effective Emails and Voicemails,” August 24, 12 noon PDT/2:00 pm CDT/3:00 pm EDT
Getting clients or candidates to call you back or engage with you requires honing in on a message that captivates, differentiates and validates what you bring to the table. This webinar provides an easy-to-understand formula for building strong value statements.
Whether you’re connecting by phone; leaving a voicemail; or sending messages through email or social media, applying these best practices will ensure you can build trust and communicate value to clients and candidates.
During this web-based workshop, we’ll use breakout rooms to ‘massage your messaging’ to set you and your teams up for success!
2021 NALTO Fall Fly-In, Sept 20-21, New Orleans
Click here for more information.
