Introducing Locumpedia’s Search Engine for Locum Tenens Physician Jobs
In conjunction with National Locum Tenens Week, Locumpedia celebrated the launch of Locumpedia Search, the first locum tenens search engine that allows physicians, CRNAs, and advanced practitioners to search job listings posted on staffing agency websites from a central location.
The search engine is completely free to use and does not require registration by employers or by job seekers. At present, more than 30,000 locum tenens opportunities can be searched, and the index is expected to continually grow in the months ahead.
For physicians and other clinicians, Locumpedia Search offers a one-stop-shop where all available jobs online can be searched in one location using standard web search queries, such as “hospitalist Texas” or “Oregon family practice job in August.”
For locum tenens staffing agencies, Locumpedia Search introduces a new source of leads for job postings, reducing the cost to fill job orders. If a job posting can be visited by clicking a link on an agency’s website, the job is searchable in Locumpedia Search, saving agencies time and hassle.
“After two years of development, we are thrilled to see our vision of the first locum tenens search engine come to fruition,” Locumpedia founder and Publisher Cory Kleinschmidt said. He promises several major new upgrades and product launches by the end of 2021.
“This launch is the first of many innovative tools that we expect to gain widespread adoption due to their simplicity, robustness, and elegance – not to mention their low or no cost. Locumpedia Search is just the beginning of our aspiration to become the most indispensable platform for the locum tenens industry. As they say, ‘watch this space!”
To begin searching for locum tenens jobs, visit Locumpedia Search.
All News Is Locums
ICON Medical Network Holdings Revolutionizes Temporary Staffing Industry by Offering Stock Options
(Edited from Business Wire news release, 8/11/2021)
In its August issue, Florida Trend magazine named All Star Healthcare Solutions℠ one of Florida’s “Best Companies to Work For” for 2021.
ICON Medical Network Holdings (ICON) recently announced it will grant stock options to providers who qualify.
“Today’s healthcare providers want more options, like work-life balance, which drives them to choose locum tenens as a lifestyle,” ICON President and CEO Janet Elkin said. “In offering stock options, ICON is showing we are committed to a long-term partnership.”
Providers will also have an opportunity to receive additional options as tenure increases with ICON. Additionally, if a provider discontinues work with ICON, access will still be granted.
“In today’s ever-changing healthcare environment, we are constantly looking at how we can improve the lives of our most dedicated providers,” said Ashley Simpson, ICON chief development officer. “We look at providing stock as another way of investing in them and ensuring the highest level of service to our clients and the patients we serve.”
Hyr Medical, Axuall Collaborate on Clinician Credentialing
(Edited from Crain’s Cleveland Business article by Lydia Coutré, 8/8/2021)
Two Cleveland startups — Hyr Medical and Axuall — are working together to streamline the credentialing process for healthcare practitioners.
Hyr connects healthcare providers with places to practice, while Axuall has developed technology that enables healthcare providers to acquire authenticated digital versions of their credentials and qualifications in real time. After initially partnering at the start of 2020 to pilot their concept of portable digital credentials, the two now have integrated their technology and are addressing what many have long viewed as a cumbersome part of the approval process to get physicians working.
Hyr is building a two-sided network of qualified physicians and healthcare systems for freelance (“locum tenens”), telehealth and permanent jobs. A crucial element in that connection is ensuring the clinicians have the necessary certifications, licenses, skills and experience through a credentialing process.
“Think of doing taxes but 10 times worse, and you have to do it over and over and over again — more than just every year, because you often have privileges at multiple places,” Axuall CEO Charlie Lougheed said. “So it was this stumbling block for the entire industry.”
Enabling Speed with Quality
Traditionally, to speed up the credentialing process would mean sacrificing quality, said Hyr CEO Manoj Jhaveri. But Axuall’s blockchain technology means avoiding that trade-off and getting thorough, quality credentials and background checks quickly. The partnership leverages Hyr’s networks of providers and practitioners and Axuall’s national network of primary-source credential issuers to enable physicians to present fully compliant credential sets to places where they apply.
“All of our providers that we present to employers are going to be primary-source verified, that they’re going to have a background check and that they’re going to have talked with our clinical staff, and been screened before being presented,” Jhaveri said. “So we’re able to do that very quickly, but we’re also able to have a high standard-of-quality bar. So high quality bar but very short cycle time; whereas most places have to trade off between one or the other.”
Although Axuall is working with other large health systems (including University Hospitals and MetroHealth), its partnership with Hyr allowed it to test its system and quickly implement changes, Lougheed said.
“Because we’re two Cleveland companies, we were able to innovate and test very rapidly together, and at probably a pace and cadence that is really hard to do with a much larger healthcare organization,” Lougheed said. “Because we were so close and two small companies, we could iterate extremely quickly on newer things, try things out, see what worked, and then we could rapidly expand on them. So it was a really nice fast flywheel for innovation between the two companies.”
All Star Healthcare Solutions Named to 2021 “Best FL Companies to Work For” List by Florida Trend
(Edited from All Star Healthcare Solutions Blog Post, 8/2/2021)
In its August issue, Florida Trend magazine named All Star Healthcare Solutions℠ one of Florida’s “Best Companies to Work For” for 2021.
“We are humbled and honored to be chosen for this prestigious distinction once again,” All Star CEO, Keith Shattuck said, crediting the company’s employees with the win. “They are passionate about delivering our signature “Red Carpet” Service and making a positive impact on the providers, clients and patients we serve. In turn, we provide them with the resources to succeed, including our award-winning training; continuous opportunities to grow; excellent benefits; and fun activities and events.”
The Process
One hundred companies were ranked in small, medium and large employer categories. All Star ranked high in the medium-sized category, which included companies with 50 to 249 employees.
Participating companies underwent an evaluation of their workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The process also included a survey to measure employee satisfaction. The combined scores determined the final rankings.For more information and a complete list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Florida, go to FloridaTrend.com/BestCompanies.
The Healthcare Staffing Story
Staffing Hours Up 31% Year-Over-Year in Week Ended AUG. 7
(Edited from SIA Daily News, 8/13/2021)
Staffing hours worked for the week ended Aug. 7 were up 31% year over year and were up 0.6% from the previous week, according to the latest SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator, released today. The year-over-year growth is explained by the pullback in temporary staffing last summer.The full report on the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator is available here.
Staffing Shortages Projected in the South
(Edited from Becker’s ASC Review, 8/12/2021, and SIA Daily News, 8/11 and 8/12/2021)
A recent poll by the Florida Hospital Association shows the majority of its members expect a “critical staffing shortage” to occur this month, NBC affiliate WESH 2 News reported Aug. 12.
Mary Mayhew, president and CEO of Florida Hospital Association, told WESH that hospitals are having to reschedule elective surgeries to move workers from ASCs. “Almost 70 percent of our hospitals have indicated a concern with critical staffing levels within the next seven days,” Mayhew said.
On Monday, Aug. 9, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced a series of actions to mitigate the recent rise in COVID-19 cases across the state.
That day Abbott wrote the Texas Hospital Association asking Texas hospitals to take steps to ensure the availability of adequate hospital capacity to care for COVID-19 patients. Abbott directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to expand COVID-19 antibody infusion center availability across the state, which included expanding capacity at the Lubbock infusion center and opening five additional centers across the state.
“Among other strategies, hospitals could voluntarily postpone medical procedures for which delay will not result in loss of life or a deterioration in the patient’s condition. Hospitals could also refer some COVID-19 patients to infusion sites, thereby freeing up hospital beds for more serious cases.”
SIA Daily News reported a story from KXAN television in Austin, Texas, that 47,000 travel nurse positions have emerged nationally, including 6,500 needed across Texas.
“We’ve reached out to the medical staffing agencies we used previously to start identifying medical surge staff. There is still a need for funding to support that effort and ensure medical professionals can be sent to the health care facilities that need them,” Chris Van Deusen, director of media relations for the Texas Department of State Health Services, told KXAN. “As a reminder, cities and counties have more than $10 billion in federal funds that can be used for this purpose immediately.”
Healthcare Pulse: Travel Nurse Staffing Revenue Almost Doubles, COVID-19 Vaccinations a Concern
(Edited from SIA’s Healthcare Staffing Report, 8/11/2021 )
Travel nursing continues its historic run — again leading the way across sectors in terms of median revenue growth in June with an increase of 95%, up from 85% in the survey covering May, according to SIA’s July Pulse Survey Report. In addition, revenue was up a median 42% in allied healthcare, 32% in per diem and 21% in locum tenens.
Bill Rates: Bill rates had been trending downward as pandemic crisis rates eased, but could again be on the upswing as the Delta variant impacts parts of the country. A net 8% of travel nurse staffing firms observed an increasing trend in bill rates over the previous three months. While a net 19% expect a negative trend in the next six months, this is down from 52% that expected a decrease in the May survey.
Similarly, a net 12% of per diem staffing firms now expect a decreasing trend in bill rates in the next six months, down from 44% in the prior month’s survey.
Orders: The survey also found a net 63% of travel nurse staffing firms reported an increasing trend in new orders over the last three months, up from the net 46% reported in the prior survey.
Recruiting Difficulty: Average recruiting difficulty for healthcare staffing firms increased to 3.58 from 3.39 in the July report, while average sales difficulty decreased to 2.32 from 2.39 (on a scale from one to five).
Vaccination Requirements: Among the 11 healthcare staffing firms participating in the survey, seven (64%) reported clients were expressing requirements that, or preferences for, vaccinated contingent clinicians.
Open-ended comments indicated some clients have backed down from initially requiring vaccination to preferring it. However, Fierce Healthcare recently reported that Kaiser Permanente, Ascension Health and 92 other health systems are now requiring mandatory COVID-19 vaccines for their workforces.A report that includes selected highlights from the Pulse Survey is available to corporate members of SIA, while the full Pulse report is available only to survey participants. Contact SIA Research Analyst Curtis Starkey (cstarkey@staffingindustry.com) for information on participating in the September survey.
Aya Healthcare Acquires VMS and MSP Unit of Vizient
(Edited from SIA Daily News, 8/10/2021)
Healthcare staffing firm Aya Healthcare is acquiring the healthcare VMS (Vendor Management System) and MSP (Managed Service Provider) unit of Vizient. The business will be transitioned to Vaya Workforce Solutions, a new subsidiary of Aya based in Dallas.
Plans call for the deal to close by the end of September, although terms of the transaction were not announced.
“Providing high-quality, timely care to communities in need has never been more important,” said April Hansen, group president of workforce solutions at Aya Healthcare. “The Vizient [contingent labor management] program is highly regarded by participating agencies and the array of health systems within Vizient’s membership.”
Based in Irving, Texas, Vizient describes itself as a “healthcare performance improvement company that serves more than half of the healthcare organizations across the US.” Pamplona Capital Management acquired the VMS from MedAssets in November 2015. Vizient acquired it in February 2016.
Tools to Try/News to Use
The Healthcare Staffing Paradigm Shift — Lessons From A Pandemic
(Edited from Becker’s Hospital Review)
Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM CT
Over the past year-and-a-half, the healthcare industry has faced overwhelming challenges, including a massive shift in how hospitals and health systems approach staffing and contingent labor. Now more than ever, the need for an informed staffing plan is crucial for providing quality patient care.
In this webinar, participants will learn how the pandemic has reshaped the way we think about healthcare staffing and contingent labor’s evolving role in long-term staffing strategies. In addition, we will explore how contingent labor can increase financial flexibility and drive long-term financial success for hospitals and health systems.
Discussion topics will include:
- How the pandemic has transformed healthcare staffing now and in the future
- How integrating a flexible staffing model and using contingent labor can work as a strategic lever for your company
- Emerging trends in contingent labor, and how hospitals and health systems can access and incorporate contingent labor for immediate and long-term needs
Presenters:
Amber Barna, MSN, RN
Vice President of Clinical and Quality Assurance, Medical Solutions
Shawn Roeber
Director, Medical Solutions
How ‘Bout This?
101-year-old Pediatrician, Still Practicing: “Helping people–that’s what it’s all about.
(Edited from CBS News, 7/19/2021)
Dr. Andy Margileth shows no sign of slowing down. The longtime pediatrician turned 101 years old on Saturday and he doesn’t have plans to retire.
“It’s a feel-good job. It’s not even a job. It’s just fun,” he said. “What is more important than helping other people?”
Margileth has defied the actuaries. He’s one of a dozen century-old doctors in the United States who are still practicing medicine.
The World War II Navy veteran, who had an award named after him for his work in military pediatrics, has practiced long enough to know what it was like before vaccines protected people. And long before COVID-19, another virus was especially lethal for children.
“Polio was so bad. The death rate, the kids who were getting the iron lung, it was awful,” he said. Back then, Margileth was on the cutting edge of vaccine development and cures for childhood disease.
“We gave the kid one dose, and it was literally almost like the leukemia was gone. That is called gratification,” he said.
He attributes his longevity to those medical breakthroughs and a healthier lifestyle — he lifts weights every day and tries to swim once or twice a week.
“Well, I never wanted to quit, that’s my problem,” he said of his work at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.
It’s that lifetime of service to his country and his patients that sustains him.
“If you had to put a headline on this thing, I guess you would say, ‘helping people, that’s what it’s all about,'” he said.
