Locum tenens, also short-handedly referred to as locums, are physicians that temporarily fill staffing gaps whenever necessary. Conceived in the 1970s, locums originally filled staffing gaps in rural communities that didn't have great access to healthcare; but today, locums have become a mainstay in the healthcare space, utilized by all.
For better or worse, the world of locum tenens staffing is changing more rapidly than ever before.
Utilizing multiple locum agencies with individual contacts for each specialty can easily become overwhelming and impossible to manage. Due in part to a lack of advancement and modernization in locum tenens staffing over the last decade, many organizations are now seeking new ways to streamline the process.
The Situation
Banner Health, regarded and recognized as a top health system in the country for the clinical quality consistently provided to patients in its hospitals, is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. The non-profit health system operates 30 hospitals, including three academic medical centers and other related health entities and services in six states. With over 52,000 employees and 5,000 providers, Banner Health is Arizona's largest private health system and the third largest employer in the Northern Colorado front-range area.
The world of locum tenens is changing at a pace that most, if not all of us, probably have not seen in our careers. We are seeing many statements or surveys that show that upwards of 40-50%+ of all physicians and providers are doing or open to locums/moonlighting work, 30-40%+ are moving to a locums lifestyle for a work life balance or to supplement their income, and that certain specialties are seeing spikes in utilization so are creating crisis level coverage issues driving department/unit closures or diversion of services.
America's healthcare system has its foot stuck on a train track and the evening express is hurtling down the track.
Managing multiple Locums agencies can be a time consuming and frustrating process. And with email and phone-based communication, tracking your progress, managing costs against budget, and gaining visibility into quality and performance metrics is nearly impossible. That is why many health systems reduce the number of agencies they work with. There just isn't enough time in the day. The result? Fewer providers hear about you, less competition for your business, higher rates and fees, less overall choice.
