The World Health Organization underscores the urgency of this issue. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming an estimated 17.9 million lives annually. Contributing factors include a rapidly aging population, air pollution, tobacco use, and poor diet. Despite these growing demands, healthcare facilities face significant hurdles in attracting and retaining cardiologists, primarily due to competitive salaries and heavy workloads. This shortage leads to longer patient wait times, delayed diagnoses, and restricted access to crucial cardiac procedures. As the need for cardiologists continues to rise, facilities must prepare for these increasing demands.
Consider the story of an academic hospital and level-one trauma center in the northeast that faced a critical shortage in its cardiology department. The facility partnered with Locumtenens.com to ensure continued patient care as the facility took time to hire permanent staff. Beginning with the intention of needing a prompt solution to meet a temporary need, four physicians were placed and rotated throughout the department, delivering full-time coverage. The facility has continued its now three-year partnership following the onboarding of its permanent providers. Two physicians currently handle the facility’s weekends and on-call coverage, providing full-time coverage monthly. One provider has been staffed for 368 days (about one year), and the other for 547, collectively spanning over two years. By utilizing Locumtenens.com as a strategic partner for permanent coverage rather than a mere short-term solution, the facility’s cardiovascular department has access to trusted coverage, long-term support and stability.
LocumTenens.com offers flexible services to address staffing gaps and improve patient care to patients. Locum providers are the bridge to permanent placements, allowing facilities to thoroughly evaluate candidates before finalizing any long-term staffing commitments. Additionally, customizable, tailor-made solutions are available to meet the specific needs of individual facilities and their cardiology departments. This includes considering factors such as location, specialty, and scheduling needs. LocumTenens.com also utilizes the advantages of telehealth and Advanced Practitioners. With strategic hybrid tele-staffing solutions and strategies both provide, treatment can reach a much broader audience. With experience in multiple settings, locum providers are quick to adapt and well-qualified, making them valuable additions to the fast-paced, high-stakes world of cardiology. As the only locum tenens agency that ensures our customers capture revenue for our locum clinician’s services through provider enrollment support, LocumTenens.com can offer cost-effective solutions compared to the expenses left by vacancies or excessive overtime.
More than a fast solution, locums bridge the gap in critical treatment. With all the challenges facing cardiology today, locums can offer flexibility, cost-effective solutions, and quality care. To better understand what a partnership could mean for your cardiology department and staff, contact one of our account representatives today.
About the author
Chris Jones
Vice President, Internal Medicine Subspecialities
Chris Jones has over 14 years of experience in the healthcare staffing industry and has been with LocumTenens.com for the past decade. During his tenure at LocumTenens.com, he’s worked in various roles, including managing director of the Surgery team and associate vice president of Surgery Clinic. He was named vice president of Internal Medicine Subspecialties in 2021. Chris received his bachelor of science degree at Florida State University in 2004.
