In This Issue:
- SIA Report: Locum Tenens Segment Could See 10% Growth in 2023
- 5 Benefits of Hiring Locum Tenens
- The Solution to Burnout and Low Morale: Employing Locum Tenens in Healthcare
- Veteran Marc Greene joins Floyd Lee as Senior Director of Government Affairs
- NALTO & McGuireWoods Webinar Discusses Legislative Initiatives to Protect Locum Tenens
- Registration is now Open for NALTO’s 2023 ‘Fall Fly-in’ in Park City, Utah
- All Star Healthcare Shines as Finalist for 2023 Business of the Year Award
- NALTO & Butler Street’s Webinar “Grow Your Accounts”: Minimizing Client Risk & Maximizing Engagement
- Transform Healthcare Workplaces with the ‘Flow’ Framework
- The Undeniable Toll of Malpractice Litigation on Healthcare Workers
- The Solutions & Strategies to Overcoming the Healthcare Workforce Crisis
- Socially Speaking: Posts of note from CompHealth, VISTA, Wapiti Medical, Jackson + Coker and more.
- Fixing the Broken Contingent Workforce Pipeline in Healthcare
- Harvard Study: In-Person Care Preferred Despite Telemedicine’s Popularity During Pandemic
SIA Report: Locum Tenens Segment Could See 10% Growth in 2023
(From Staffing Industry Analysts, 4/11/2023)
The healthcare staffing sector has experienced significant growth, according to a recent Staffing Industry Analysts report. The locum tenens segment could see a growth of 10% in 2023 and continue to grow in 2024, mainly due to the aging population and physician workforce approaching retirement age.
Locumpedia recently spoke to industry experts who also expect to see strong locum tenens growth in 2023 due to its ability to deliver fiscally sound, flexible labor solutions and its benefits for both employers and employees. This upward trend is driven by physicians seeking work-life balance and career growth, and a growing recognition of the valuable contributions of advanced practice providers in healthcare.
This growth in the use of locum tenens presents an opportunity for healthcare professionals seeking temporary assignments. The allied segment is also anticipated to grow by 5% in 2023 and 2024, partly due to increased school demand and the aging population.
The travel nurse segment has increased six-fold since 2019 and is expected to decrease 25% in 2023, and even further in 2024. The per diem segment is predicted to grow by 5% in 2023 and 2024, according to the report, creating potential opportunities for both health systems and talent.
Although there has been growth in various healthcare staffing segments, the sector continues to face shortages and an overstretched workforce. The demand for healthcare professionals is expected to exceed the supply in every segment.
La Vida Locum
5 Benefits of Hiring Locum Tenens
(From Health Carousel Locum Tenens, 4/4/2023)
Physician burnout and mental health challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an ample supply of qualified healthcare providers looking for alternative employment opportunities, according to a Health Carousel Locum Tenens blog post. Locum tenens work provides a clear solution for facilities overburdened by the growing demand for patient care as the American population ages and chronic illness spreads.
1. Better Patient Outcomes
Hospitals and clinics can improve staff morale and patient outcomes with qualified temporary employees to fill staffing shortages. Locums have several benefits for facilities, such as better patient outcomes, improved staff mental health, reduced physician burnout, financial savings, and improved patient satisfaction.
2. Reduced Physician Burnout
Locum tenens work gives healthcare providers the time and flexibility that has been lacking in their career path. Physicians and advanced practice professionals can choose the appropriate work location, schedule, and patient volumes, resulting in a better work-life balance.
3. Attract Specialty Physicians
Healthcare facilities can provide patients with specialty care they might not otherwise receive through the help of locum tenens providers. For example, a locum tenens Gastroenterologist could provide the care and expertise the local patient population needs without a lifetime commitment to a career in that facility.
4. Fill in Gaps for Temporary Leave
Locums professionals can fill temporary employment gaps until full-time employees return, and patients will get the necessary care. At the same time, other healthcare staff members won’t feel pressured or overburdened by the absence of their colleagues.
5. Boost the Bottom Line
Although locum tenens staffing can initially seem like an expensive investment for healthcare facilities, it can reduce costs over time. By choosing locums, facilities can reduce staffing expenses for recruitment, payroll, and human resources since locums staffing agencies cover those needs as part of the contract. Additionally, locums professionals can earn a higher pay rate than their full-time counterparts due to the high demand for their skills.
The Solution to Burnout and Low Morale: Employing Locum Tenens in Healthcare
(From TheraEx Locums, 4/17/2023)
TheraEx Locums shared in a blog post how challenging the healthcare industry can be. Clinicians work long hours and experience staffing shortages and hiring locum tenens can be a solution to alleviate the burden on permanent staff and keep hospitals running smoothly. This helps prevent burnout and improve morale.
Various factors have led to a severe shortage of doctors across the US. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) predicts a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034. Hiring locum tenens is a promising solution to address the shortage.
Locum tenens can alleviate burnout by providing extra support and maintaining a healthy work-life balance for healthcare staff. Adequate staffing levels can increase patient satisfaction and reduce stress on staff.
Locum Leaders
Veteran Marc Greene joins Floyd Lee Locums as its new Senior Director of Government Affairs
(From Floyd Lee Locums, 4/17/2023)
Floyd Lee Locums announced recently the appointment of Marc Greene as its head of the Government Affairs Division in a blog post. The division will address healthcare staffing needs at the Federal and State levels.
Greene’s extensive knowledge and experience will help Floyd Lee Locums model Federal and State sector contracts and partnerships as it expands beyond its core hospital physicians business. Greene, who spent decades in the Defense and Medical sectors, has already established a program to connect Floyd Lee Locums’ healthcare providers with the opportunity to perform Military Disability Evaluations (MDE) for veterans.
According to Greene, Floyd Lee Locums’ commitment to service members and veterans through its Operation: Career Freedom program, and We Serve employee volunteer program, demonstrates the company’s investment in serving the country and communities.
Greene holds a doctorate in military strategy from the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies and a certificate in executive leadership from Cornell University. Charleston Business Magazine named him one of its “50 Most Influential” in 2021. He is a Board Member of the Low County American Red Cross and an Executive Fellow with the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce in South Carolina.
NALTO & McGuireWoods Webinar Discusses Legislative Initiatives to Protect Locum Tenens
(From NALTO webinar, 4/13/2023)
NALTO recently hosted a webinar with McGuireWoods’ Jeff Britt and Ryan Bernstein as featured speakers. They each discussed various initiatives to protect locum tenens. Britt spearheads the advocacy platform, while Bernstein lobbies on Capitol Hill. The duo also discussed HR 7881, the NALTO bill, and efforts to gain co-sponsors during the webinar. The bill aims to establish a permanent independent contractor status for locum tenens providers.
NALTO members were encouraged to advocate for the NALTO bill by sending tailored emails via the Tack Action Now site page—NALTO is seeking at least a dozen providers to advocate for the bill and will provide access to provider information through McGuireWoods.
Also at the webinar, Britt and Bernstein discussed the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 and other ways to piggyback legislation related to locum tenens. Britt leads the Advocacy Platform, while Bernstein lobbies on Capitol Hill.
The group has had productive conversations with various senators and representatives, including Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sen. John Barrasso, Sen. Tim Scott, Rep. Buddy Carter, Sen. Mike Lee, and Sen. Rick Scott. They are pushing for policy provisions to protect locum tenens and seeking clarification on who qualifies as an independent contractor.
NALTO’s efforts are not the only ones related to this topic. Senators Scott and Lee are also working on separate but related bills. Britt and Bernstein are leading NALTO’s efforts to advocate for HR 7881 and address workforce shortages in healthcare.
You can watch NALTO’s full recorded webinar here.
Registration is now Open for NALTO’s 2023 ‘Fall Fly-in’ in Park City, Utah
(From NALTO e-newsletter)
NALTO®’s 2023 Fall Fly-In registration is now open! Join NALTO for face-to-face networking and learning experiences on Sept. 26-27 at DoubleTree by Hilton – The Yarrow in Park City, Utah. NALTO® members receive discounted registration rates. Book your spot and hotel room for early-bird and discounted rates by Aug. 18.
Click here to register today and learn more about exhibitor and sponsor opportunities to showcase your products and services.
All Star Healthcare Shines as Finalist for 2023 Business of the Year Award
(From PRNewswire, 4/6/2023)
All Star Healthcare Solutions® has been selected as a finalist for the South Florida Business Journal’s 2023 Business of the Year Award. The award program is in its 26th year and aims to acknowledge organizations contributing to the South Florida economy through sound business practices, community involvement, and financial growth.
All Star Healthcare Solutions is among the three finalists in the $100 to $249 million category. The company and the other finalists will be featured in a special section of the magazine’s April 14 edition.
Hire Power
NALTO & Butler Street’s Webinar “Grow Your Accounts”: Minimizing Client Risk & Maximizing Engagement
(From NALTO & Butler Street, 4/18/2023)
The “Grow Your Key Accounts” webinar, presented by Butler Street, a management consulting firm led by former healthcare staffing leaders, provided tips and best practices for building relationships with key accounts and reducing risk. The webinar covered a strategic approach to account management, including client retention, and the three levels of account management: Client Services, Account Management, and Key Account Management.
The webinar emphasized the importance of assessing client risk, especially during changes in crucial decision-makers, and highlighted signs that indicated potential issues. The presenters stressed the need to earn customer loyalty by finding ways to solve additional problems or create more value. They also discussed the client relationship pyramid, which emphasizes building relationships with people who work at the company or within accounts.
Next month’s webinar May 16 will feature how to handle objections from clients.
Transform Healthcare Workplaces with the ‘Flow’ Framework
(From MedPage Today, 4/12/2023)
Two doctors who worked on the COVID-19 pandemic frontlines have observed an alarming number of healthcare workers leaving their positions since 2020, making the healthcare worker shortage worse. The remaining ones struggle to fill the gaps with fewer resources, putting healthcare infrastructure at risk. The article highlights how the “flow” framework can help guide workplace transformations to retain more healthcare workers.
Retaining healthcare workers
It is believed that healthcare workers deserve a future beyond the bare minimum, where they can provide the best care possible to each patient in a sustainable, effective, and meaningful manner. This practice is crucial for the future of healthcare because training healthcare workers is a long and expensive process.
Go with the ‘flow’
The authors suggest using the framework of “flow” to guide workplace transformations needed to retain more healthcare workers. Flow, defined as “the state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter,” was coined by psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in the 1970s. It has been linked to better performance, positive emotions, and well-being. They argue that flow is necessary for healthcare to sustain long-term worker satisfaction.
Csíkszentmihályi outlined characteristics of flow, which illustrates how this framework can guide the formation of a more sustainable healthcare work environment.
1. Clarity of goals
The first characteristic is clarity of goals, which begins with a precise goal that shapes activity structure and direction. However, in healthcare, one goal often becomes many due to competing demands. To promote a “patient first” work culture, healthcare systems that often prioritize the profit of many stakeholders need to identify concrete steps that prioritize patient care.
2. Sense of personal control
A sense of personal control is crucial to believe the goal is achievable. Lack of clinician control over time, decisions, and actions significantly contributes to burnout.
3. Concentrate on the task at hand
Concentration on the task at hand is often disrupted in healthcare. Hospital doctors are paged frequently, and nurses are interrupted while giving medication, which increases the risk of clinical error. Healthcare workers are trained to execute complex tasks quickly and precisely, but they are often in environments hostile to the focus required. Some hospitals suggest experimenting with no-interruption zones during medication dispensation, which can expand into other areas like patient rounding.
Making the Rounds
The Undeniable Toll of Malpractice Litigation on Healthcare Workers
(From Advisory Board, 4/6/2023)
Healthcare workers often leave their jobs because of burnout, staffing shortages, and even violence against them. The fear of malpractice litigation can attribute to burnout, substance use, divorce, and mental health issues among healthcare workers.
To help workers facing litigation, organizations can implement evidence-based practices such as work suspension, peer or professional support, access to safety experts, crisis counseling, and policies and procedures. Leadership should also prioritize harm prevention, voluntary reporting, and safety culture. Malpractice litigation can often cause shame, isolation, a departure from work, and burnout, even if no malpractice occurred.
The toll of malpractice litigation is undeniable. To address this issue, healthcare organizations must support workers facing malpractice litigation and prioritize a safety culture.
The Solutions & Strategies to Overcoming the Healthcare Workforce Crisis
(From Forbes, 4/4/2023)
The healthcare industry faces a significant workforce crisis. Factors such as long hours, non-competitive pay, and moral injury contribute to the problem. This crisis can have a severe impact on healthcare providers, patients, and the economy as a whole.
Demand Outpaces Supply
A study by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) revealed that demand for physicians is set to outpace supply, resulting in a shortage of 37,800 to 124,000 physicians in the next decade. Nurses also face similar shortages. The right clinical workforce is essential to creating a healthy population.
Possible Solutions for the Workforce Crisis
Health systems and provider organizations must examine their workforce model to combat these issues. Leaders can reach out to schools to build a pipeline of candidates, and address funding, educational commitment, lifestyle, and lack of respect plaguing healthcare workers. Employers must focus on compensation, work-life balance, and safety measures for those on the job to help attract new physicians.
The Impact of Workforce Shortages
The shortage of healthcare workers affects clinical operations and capabilities and can have a domino effect on other businesses. People spend more time dealing with healthcare issues, resulting in lower productivity and labor participation.
Funding for Education and Training
It is crucial to recognize that adequate financial resources are available to address the upcoming challenges in the healthcare industry. The allocation of funds toward education and training is necessary to prepare for and manage the workforce crisis. By approaching this issue as a matter of national security, we can better equip ourselves to meet the challenges ahead.
Socially Speaking
From LinkedIn
From Twitter
Second Opinion
Fixing the Broken Contingent Workforce Pipeline in Healthcare
(From Forbes, 3/30/2023)
The current model for contingent labor in healthcare must be revised due to staff shortages, financial burdens, and supply chain crunches. Many clinicians left full-time roles for contingent ones during the pandemic as younger generations expect more flexibility.
However, the cost of contingent workers is higher, and reliance on managed service providers affiliated with staffing agencies further increases costs. Healthcare leaders must acknowledge contingent labor’s permanence and build in-house hiring capabilities.
One way to reduce costs is by using vendor-neutral hiring platforms like Magnit or RightSourcing. Contingent workers filled staffing gaps during the pandemic but revealed the system’s brokenness. Healthcare leaders must now focus on fixing the contingent worker pipeline and reducing reliance on staffing agencies.
Harvard Study: In-Person Care Preferred Despite Telemedicine’s Popularity During Pandemic
(From Medscape, 4/3/2023)
A new study published in Health Affairs by researchers from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health found that although telemedicine became more popular during the pandemic, both doctors and patients still prefer in-person care.
The study surveyed primary care physicians and patients who had video visits with primary care physicians during the pandemic.
The study found that 90% of surveyed physicians had positive experiences with pandemic video visits, but 80% preferred providing most care in person after the pandemic, especially those who had experienced significant technological challenges.
Meanwhile, 64% of patients preferred in-person visits, with older patients, those with less education, and Asian patients were more inclined to choose in-person visits due to the “digital divide.”
The study suggested that the preference for in-person visits among specific patient groups could be due to a lack of access or distrust of virtual platforms. However, for younger people more accustomed to digital interactions, virtual visits are not out of step with their other interactions with institutions.
