Professional ethics aren’t the most glamorous topics for a webinar discussion, but they play a significant role in maintaining trust and integrity in the highly competitive locum tenens industry.
During a recent NALTO webinar, ethics were suggested to be “the glue that holds the locum tenens industry together.”
NALTO’s Code of Ethics is essential reading for every member agency that provides a solid framework for how an agency should conduct business. This 12-page guide, accessible under the “About Us” tab on the NALTO website, emphasizes the importance of upholding quality standards, respecting clients and candidates, and fostering collaboration within the industry.
On August 13, NALTO partnered with management consulting firm Butler Street to present an interactive webinar focused on the association’s ethical guidelines. Moderated by Erika Bantz of Butler Street, the session explored the origins, evolution, and practical applications of NALTO’s code. More than 160 industry leaders in attendance listened raptly to a panel of NALTO board members that included past president Matt Young, Wilderness Medical Staffing CEO Ethan McWilliams, LocumTenens.com SVP Scott Selby, and Weatherby Healthcare VP Gregory Prine.
Code Breaking
Prine kicked things off with a quick, no-frills history of NALTO, recounting how the growth of locum tenens and the swift expansion of staffing agencies exposed vulnerabilities within the industry, leading to the formation of NALTO in 2001.
“The staffing industry was smaller back then, and a few companies involved in locum tenens placements recognized the need for a professional organization,” Prine recalled. “With rapid growth came opportunities to identify both missteps and areas for improvement.”
Representatives from about 20 agencies met in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport to address rising malpractice premiums, establish ethical standards, and create a governing structure for NALTO, which was heavily inspired by the National Association of Physician Recruiters.
“We developed that code of ethics, and it’s only seen about three major changes over the years,” Prine said. “But the purpose has always remained the same: to set standards for all members and establish the ethical obligations for the locum tenens industry.”
Practical Applications
A code of ethics only matters if agencies know it exists, understand it, value it, and adhere to it. Young expanded on this, explaining how agencies could embody these ethical principles daily. He advised against making disparaging comments about other NALTO members, suggesting that many disputes could be resolved through better communication and collaboration.
“Ultimately, it comes down to treating candidates and clients the way you’d want to be treated yourself,” he said. “This is the glue that holds the locum tenens industry together. We all want to book more days and bring in as much revenue as possible, but we must do it in a way that moves the industry forward.”
Young explained how agencies can advance the industry by following simple practices, such as:
- Maintaining client confidentiality
- Remaining truthful about candidates’ qualifications
- Fulfilling agreements with providers and employers
- Obtaining signed contracts before submitting CVs
- Providing accurate job descriptions
- Avoiding referrals to clients who don’t adhere to the same ethical standards
Selby, who serves as ethics committee chair, explained the process for handling ethical complaints within NALTO, noting that anyone—candidate, client, or member agency—can file a complaint, which the organization’s ethics committee then reviews. He said that most ethics complaints come from a candidate about how an agency handled their assignment.
“Once that’s received by NALTO corporate, the ethics chair will review it and determine if there’s reasonable cause to proceed with action to the ethics committee,” Selby said. “After a cause is determined, we assign it to an ethics committee member who acts as an investigator.”
To maintain confidentiality, the ethics committee is blind to any distinguishing details of the agency receiving the complaint. Only the investigator knows who the agency and complainant are. They handle interviews and gather facts. Afterward, the committee reviews everything and decides if any action is needed. Sanctions can range from a warning to suspension or, in rare cases, expulsion from NALTO.
McWilliams advised agencies to be vigilant and address potential issues before they escalate into formal complaints. He said that thorough documentation of all interactions with candidates and clients helps protect agencies from potential ethical violations.
“The problems are going to start before you get a call out of the blue saying you’ve got an ethics complaint,” he said. “Many times, there are ways you can mitigate a situation and prevent yourselves from having to go down this road.”
According to McWilliams, the best way to do that is to communicate with candidates about what to expect from the locum tenens process and document everything from introduction to placement.
“As an investigator, when I talk to a company about a candidate, one big component of this hinges on what you can prove,” McWilliams said. “Because of the nature of the most common issues we see, documentation is a really important step to head off anything or protect yourself from a potential ethics complaint.”
Trust Through Compliance
The webinar concluded with Young reminding us of the importance of integrating NALTO’s code into agency training programs. He echoed McWilliams’s suggestion to document every conversation agency reps have with their providers.
“One of the things I encourage recruiters to do is, as soon as they get off the phone with a provider, write an email to that provider so you have a copy of what we talked about—the rate we agreed to and things like that,” Young said. “That would eliminate most of the complaints.”
Young and Prine reflected on how the code has helped deter complaints over the years. The document has become a benchmark for ethical conduct, often influencing government contractors to seek out NALTO members for their staffing needs—a testament to the organization’s commitment to ethical excellence.
“All the work we’ve done over the years, and all of those webinars we’ve hosted, has really led to a point where we start to see government contractors specifically mention NALTO and ask that companies ensure they are using a NALTO member,” Young said. “We’re proud of that reputation we’ve built.”
