Exclusive Physician Articles
Universal Healthcare and Physician Shortages
With health care spending skyrocketing, doctors expressing growing dissatisfaction, and roughly 48 million Americans uninsured, presidential politics is prompting considerable discussion about health care reform. But how do physicians feel about some of the possible “fixes” for U.S. health care? And how are physicians faring financially as another Labor Day approaches?
Among 3,116 responses to a recent survey on physician compensation conducted by LocumTenens.com, only 16 percent of providers thought universal healthcare would affect their incomes positively. While 42 percent of respondents predicted no effect on physician salaries from universal health care, another 42 percent predicted a negative effect.
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The History of Locum Tenens*
Who: Therus Kolff, MD, MPH (founder of Comprehensive Healthcare Systems, Inc., now CompHealth) and Alan Kronhaus, MD (founder of Kron Medical) are often called the pioneers of the locum tenens industry,
Where: Kolff and Kronhaus first met at the University of Utah. At the time both were involved with the Health Systems Research Institute (HSRI), a nonprofit organization formed by the Intermountain Regional Medical Program, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the University of Utah.
What: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation provided HSRI with a grant for a demonstration project aimed at helping rural communities draw physicians to their underserved areas. The concept was to provide support services that would make practicing medicine in a rural area more attractive to physicians so they would consider relocating.
HSRI concluded that in order for a physician from a metropolitan area to consider relocating to a rural setting, he had to be assured he would be able to schedule time off for a break once in a while. HRSI's solution was to create a group practice of physicians who were willing to work short-term assignments to cover nearby rural practices when needed.
When: The roots of the Locum Tenens industry began during the 1970s when the grant was given to HSRI.
How: Eventually HRSI gave Kronhaus the latitude to establish a stand-alone service that would provide short-term physician coverage for communities not already receiving coverage from HSRI. The group started with a few physicians who were willing to work short-term internal medicine or family practice assignments periodically through the year in return for having time off in between jobs. Within the year the group was expanding to include other specialties and serve facilities nationwide.
Today: Over the last 30 years many locum tenens staffing companies have entered the market, the majority of them with roots that can be traced back to one of these pioneering health care firms. Today more than 25 companies comprise the $2-billion locum tenens industry, providing temporary physicians to fill short- and long-term gaps in physician coverage for almost every medical specialty.
* "Locum tenens" is a Latin phrase that means "to hold the place of, to substitute for," or in layman's terms: a temporary physician.
The Advantages of Practicing Rural Medicine
Why practice rural medicine?
Most physicians who have practiced medicine in rural areas agree that the pace of rural health care is slower, and that their relationships with patients are better than they are in urban or suburban practice.
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The 411 on Working Locum Tenens
So you're thinking about taking a locum tenens opportunity, and undoubtedly
you've got some questions. Below are some answers to commonly asked questions
by locum tenens providers:
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In a decade when it seems the news media report a physician shortage in another U.S. community or medical specialty weekly, physicians report increasing frustration with practicing medicine in today's healthcare marketplace.
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