The Rise of Part-Time Physicians: A Solution or a Challenge to Staffing Shortages?
7/7/2023
Are part-time physicians contributing to the staffing shortage, or could they be a solution to it? Becker’s Hospital Review posed this question to leaders of four different facilities nationwide. The response was mixed because it’s more nuanced than just yes or no.
Instead, we need to look at why physicians opt for part-time work. The most common reason physicians would move to part-time is because they are experiencing physical, mental, and emotional burnout, and the statistics back that up. The American Medical Association (AMA) reported earlier this year that 63% of physicians manifested at least one trait of burnout in 2021 — compared to 38% in 2020.
Physicians work long hours without balance or flexibility. Cutting back to part-time frees up their schedule alleviates burnout, and keeps them from quitting the profession altogether.
But on the flip side are healthcare organizations that employ physicians. Having more part-time doctors can create a scheduling snafu. Dr. Doug Bruce, chief clinical integration officer at MetroHealth in Cleveland, says filling full-time positions with part-time employees is challenging.
For example, if Dr. Bruce were looking to staff a center, and physicians said, “OK, I’ll do it, but I’m not going to work full time,” it becomes more challenging to find double the number of physicians to fill a full-time shift. In this way, part-time work perpetuates part of the physician shortage.
Part-time physicians create a problem short-term because of a healthcare organization’s immediate needs. Even if someone cuts back hours, the organization still has a void to fill and patients that need care. Healthcare leaders can address staffing shortages by balancing working part-time and coupling that with organizational needs.
Read the full article from Becker’s Hospital Review to see what these healthcare leaders suggest to address the staffing gap.
La Vida Locum
Flexible Staffing Models: Innovations, Challenges, and the Trajectory of Locum Tenens
7/5/23
A flexible staffing model allows healthcare organizations to be adaptable and build their pool of providers based on their current staffing needs. The flexibility will enable them to look at changing circumstances like profit increase/losses, labor market demands, supply chain, or inflation to adjust their staffing model.
Locum tenens providers, in particular, align well with flexible staffing models because locums work as temporary contractors to fill open positions. Flexible staffing models benefit rural and remote areas where finding full-time providers is challenging because there are fewer work opportunities for spouses, schools with fewer resources, and an “undervaluation of the importance of rural practice. “
Organizations have adopted flexible staffing models as of late because of the impact of COVID-19, the availability of care thanks to telehealth, and the provider shortage in specialty and primary care.
Read more from Wilderness Medical Staffing about the trends in flexible staffing models and how locums can solve staffing shortages in rural health systems.
Boosting Revenue with Locums: Why the Fastest Growing Segment in Healthcare Staffing Presents Lucrative Opportunities for Organizations
7/6/23
According to another recent report, the locum tenens segment of the healthcare staffing industry is expected to record the fastest growth rate of any other healthcare staffing segment from 2022 to 2030. For healthcare organizations this is good news; locums are a flexible resource they can use as a short-term stopgap or longer-term replacement.
Physician burnout and the aging and retiring physician workforce contribute to a shortage of healthcare workers, and locum tenens is an attractive option for organizations struggling to fill open roles. While organizations may pay physicians a higher rate, it requires less upfront investment, which can save medical organizations money.
If they strategically hire locums for crucial roles and implement processes to maximize billing, such organizations likely come out ahead in the revenue department. The gross margin for hospitals and facilities billing for locum tenens primary care provider services ranges from 200%-344%.
Read the full article from Elite 365.
Locum Leaders
Locums Choice Awarded 5-Year Contract by GSA
6/29/23
Locums Choice recently announced it had been awarded a five-year contract by the General Services Administration (GSA) to provide locum tenens staffing services to government agencies across the US.
The GSA contract provides a GSA eLibrary for government agencies seeking locum tenens services, allowing them to review a detailed price sheet and explore available medical specialties on the platform.
Read more from Digital Journal.
Barton Associates Names 6 Finalists in ‘Locum Heroes’ Campaign
7/11/23
Barton Associates has announced the six finalists for its fifth annual Locum Heroes campaign. The campaign recognizes locum tenens healthcare providers who go “above and beyond in their work and daily lives, recognizing locums who make a “difference while on or off assignment.”
The winner will receive a $2,500 donation to a charity of their choice and a $2,500 award for themselves. They will be chosen by a panel of judges consisting of previous campaign winners.
Finalists for this year’s award are:
- Sophia Khawly, Family Practice NP
- Dr. Greta Smidt, DMD
- Dr. Carolyn Lafleur, Anesthesiology MD
- Dr. Barbara Rumberger, Pediatric Hospitalist
- Dr. Alok Kumar Gupta, Primary Care
- Dr. Susan LaSala-Wood, Family Practice
The six finalists selected have worked at least one locum tenens assignment within the past year through any locum tenens staffing agency to be nominated. Barton Associates aims to highlight the crucial healthcare services provided by locum tenens providers in underserved communities, and last year, one of their providers who served in these communities earned Locum Tenens Provider of the Year recognition from Locumpedia — we will begin accepting nominations for the 2023 campaign beginning Oct. 1!
The Locum Heroes award will be announced during National Locum Tenens Week on Aug. 14-18.
Read the full press release.
Hire Power
NALTO Releases Full Marketing Toolkit for National Locum Tenens Week 2023
7/11/23
NALTO released its full marketing toolkit earlier this week to promote National Locum Tenens Week 2023. The weeklong celebration returns for its seventh consecutive year from Aug. 14 – 18.
The purpose of Locum Tenens Week is to recognize the contribution of locum tenens physicians and allow locum tenens recruiters to celebrate the vital contributions of locum tenens healthcare professionals. These dedicated providers fill temporary staffing gaps, ensuring access to quality healthcare.
The event is a small token of our gratitude for their flexibility, expertise, and unwavering dedication to the communities they serve. Locum Tenens Week is an opportunity for organizations to acknowledge and thank locum tenens professionals for their role in delivering uninterrupted patient care and addressing workforce shortages in healthcare.
Download the full toolkit to leverage this campaign this year during National Locum Tenens Week.
Compliance Matters: Learn the Ins and Outs of Government Contracts in this NALTO Webinar Series
7/11/23
NALTO’s webinar series continues at 1 p.m. ET on July 25 with the first session in a series about Government Contracts Compliance.
The webinar will cover the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause, the principal set of rules regarding government procurement in the US, the Service Contract Act (SRA), and:
- Maintaining your SAM registration
- Understanding NAICS Codes & size standards
- Personal Service vs. Non-Personal Service Contracts
Sign up today at the Zoom meeting link to secure your spot!
Making the Rounds
Survey Results: Clinicians Prefer ‘Managerial Action’ Regarding Staffing Shortages Over Wellness Programs
7/10/23
A study published in JAMA highlights vital issues contributing to high burnout rates among clinicians, as identified by nurses and physicians. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania collected data from surveys among more than 15,000 nurses and 5,000 physicians in 60 Magnet-designated hospitals, facilities recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as providing the highest level of care to both patients and nurses.
JAMA’s study revealed clinicians emphasized the need to address their daily workflow and patient care issues to tackle burnout and enhance retention efforts effectively rather than focusing on wellness and resilience programs.
Both groups identified improvement in care delivery and staffing as crucial areas for management intervention. However, many clinicians expressed a need for more confidence in management’s ability to address these concerns, with 42% of physicians and 46% of nurses reporting such doubts.
Read more from Becker’s Hospital Review.
The Role of Clinical Decision Support in Alleviating Burnout
6/28/23
New research reveals burnout levels among healthcare professionals have reached unsustainable levels, with 63% of physicians reporting at least one symptom of burnout, compared to 46% in 2011.
High levels of burnout pose a significant risk for health systems already grappling with supply chain issues, rising costs, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The high-stress conditions and decreased job satisfaction could lead to a mass exodus of healthcare workers, including specialists, further straining healthcare organizations and reducing access to expert guidance.
Hospitals are implementing various strategies to address burnout, such as offering competitive benefits through HR departments, hiring locum tenens to alleviate understaffing, and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and clinical decision support software (CDSS), which can streamline workflows, reduce documentation burdens, and provide data that leads to better patient outcomes and more face time with patients.
Read more from HIT Consultant about how CDSS systems can relieve physicians experiencing burnout.
Socially Speaking
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Second Opinion
Funding Woes Continue to Haunt Hospitals, But There Are Signs of Improvement
7/7/23
Hospitals are struggling to recover financially from the pandemic, and many are facing a cash shortage brought on by labor costs and inflation. Healthcare systems are in danger of violating their financial covenants with lenders as revenue fails to keep up with inflation, putting pressure on their bottom line.
Duane Fitch from Plante Moran, one of the nation’s largest wealth management firms, says some healthcare providers experienced “billion-dollar losses” last year, particularly in their investment portfolios. Hospitals show signs of improvement this year, though. While they aren’t out of the woods yet, more healthcare systems are starting to climb out of the red.
Capital projects are expensive to fund, primarily because of higher interest rates, and a recent study from Deloitte indicates a growing need for capital, with most respondents saying inflation and affordability would significantly impact their 2023 strategy.
Read the full story from Healthcare Finance News.
A Recruitment Game-Changer: How Automation Tech Can Address Healthcare’s ‘Capacity Problem’
7/10/23
Dr. Kit Latham, CEO of Credentially, a company producing onboarding & credentialing software for healthcare systems, believes physician burnout is a “capacity problem” and the focus to address burnout should be quicker and more efficient ways of onboarding staff. Dr. Latham says the healthcare industry needs to streamline its convoluted hiring processes.
Updating outdated HR processes requires a concerted effort to adopt new automation tech that can alleviate a significant quantity of the workload administrative teams focus a majority of time and energy on. Administrators can streamline the process and hire more candidates quicker by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital onboarding software.
Read the full article from Healthcare IT Today.
