Better serving physicians through technology
Patient satisfaction has long been a buzz word in healthcare. We’re moving into an environment where health systems are not only worried about patient satisfaction but also clinician satisfaction. Health systems are investing in the clinician experience in an effort to stave off burnout, resignations and retirement. Technology provides a unique opportunity to address the clinician experience as hospital find new ways to address staffing challenges and patient access bottlenecks. At LocumTenens.com, we are investing in technology that has a tangible impact on physicians, allowing us to better serve them and improve their locum tenens experience.
Making a Difference: 3 Ways Locum Tenens Clinicians Meet Needs and Impact the World
Working in healthcare is about people. We put the needs of our patients first, ensuring they have the best care possible and are able to live fulfilling lives. Locum tenens work provides a unique opportunity to make a difference in the local community and world. I am humbled by the work that is done on a daily basis by LocumTenens.com clinicians. Here are three ways that we are making a difference and how you can join our efforts to impact the world around us.
Rural Health: A Single Strategy to Recruit and Retain Physicians
We’re seeing burnout in all sectors of the healthcare industry. It’s a problem that was rearing its ugly head even before COVID-19 expedited healthcare staffing challenges. At Locumtenens.com, we are looking for strategies to minimize physician burnout and stabilize staffing for hospitals across the country. One area we’ve turned our attention to—Rural Healthcare. Rural hospitals and providers face unique challenges when it comes to recruiting and retaining talent.
3 Financial Considerations for Residents Interested in Working Locum Tenens
Choosing where and how you want to work after residency can be daunting. There are so many different factors to take into consideration, such as where you want to practice, how you want to practice, and how often you want to practice. A locum tenens model of employment is appealing because it gives you the flexibility to choose all three. However, there are unique financial considerations to take into consideration, too.
5 Reasons Why Gastroenterologists Are Working Locum Tenens
Many highly-specialized areas of medicine are experiencing the impact of the physician shortage, and this is especially true for gastroenterology. Gastroenterologists require many years of training, and there aren’t many graduating right now. Programs can only bring in so many fellows at a time, so many only have two to three gastroenterologists on board, which only exacerbates the issue.
Strategy, Scheduling & Flexibility: Moving the Needle for OB-GYN Staffing
Whether in a group practice or a hospital, staffing challenges mean physicians are struggling to keep up with the growing patient volume. We’re seeing it across the country, as facilities face staffing shortages for both physicians and advanced practice professionals (APPs), especially in the OB-GYN sector.
Black History Month 2022
I'd like to spotlight four Black Americans who are changing the future of medicine today. Black History Month is a celebration of the innumerable contributions Black Americans have made throughout the years and the contributions Black Americans are continuing to make in medicine that benefits us all.
3 Strategies to Avoid Physician and APP Staffing Shortages: Part I
Anyone who has worked in healthcare recruiting knows hiring a physician is a complicated process. In part I of 3 Strategies to Avoid Staffing Shortages, LocumTenens.com Vice President of Primary Care Alan Ashby explores why exactly physician and advanced practice recruiting takes so long and offers resources your healthcare facility can utilize to ensure an effective staffing strategy.
3 Healthcare Staffing Trends for 2022
2022 is picking up right where 2021 left off. At this point, we’ve used the word “unprecedented” so often that it has little meaning. At times, the path forward seems murky but amid difficulty there is opportunity. At LocumTenens.com, we are in a unique position. With clients across the country, we see the whole picture. The challenges. The solutions. Every healthcare organization is unique, but they all face similar questions going forward. 2022 will, in many ways, be defined by staffing.
Closing Gaps in Access to Mental Healthcare: Lessons from a Rural, Forensic Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Part II
What have the COVID protocols and PPE supply been like? "The PPE supply has always been in abundance at this facility, and I’ve never felt the COVID protocols have been lacking. In fact, I wanted to be vaccinated before beginning this assignment because I was fearful of catching COVID, but I’ve always felt as though the facility was on top of it and have always felt safe here. We have different “levels” of outbreak status reported by the office manager, we’ve never had to reuse N95 masks and there’s a temperature and symptoms check before entering the facility."
Closing Gaps in Access to Mental Healthcare: Lessons from a Rural, Forensic Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Part I
According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 10-25% of prisoners in the U.S. suffer from a serious mental illness. That’s more than double the rate of the general population. Monique Manderson, PMHNP, is a LocumTenens.com mental health nurse practitioner who is on assignment at a rural, forensic facility.
Nurse Practitioner Salaries on the Rise
Health care facilities across the country are paying higher rates to employ nurse practitioners (NPs). What’s changed, and how can health care facilities ensure they remain competitive and prepared? Demand for NPs is at an all-time high, and it’s not simply due to the pandemic. The U.S. is facing a tremendous physician shortage, and NPs are some of the clinicians who step in to fill gaps and ensure patients are receiving the care and treatment they need. The physician shortage, coupled with many nurses choosing to leave health care, have placed NPs in a position to negotiate higher salaries.
Indian Health Service Q&A with Dr. Lee
Indian Health Service (IHS) is a federal program for American Indians and Alaska Natives with a mission of raising “the physical, mental, social, and spiritual health of American Indians and Alaska Natives to the highest level.” Locum tenens clinicians who work IHS assignments find fulfillment in serving Indigenous patients and helping IHS achieve its vision of “healthy communities and quality health care systems through strong partnerships and culturally responsive practices.”
World Hospice and Palliative Care Day: My Journey to Palliative Care
According to Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day is an annual, unified day of action to celebrate and support hospice and palliative care around the world. This year, World Hospice and Palliative Care Day falls on October 9th, 2021, and the theme is "Leave no-one behind - equity in access to palliative care."
How Working Locum Tenens Can Provide Job Security
After experiencing furloughs and layoffs due to the pandemic, more clinicians are choosing full-time locum tenens work. Healthcare industry trends have been rapidly shifting and evolving since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and so are physicians’ and advanced practitioners’ perspectives when it comes to the model of employment they choose to pursue.
Physician Shortage
Is your organization prepared? Healthcare organizations are not immune to the shortage of workers available due to the pandemic the rest of American businesses are facing. As the COVID cases continue to rise and we approach flu season, it’s more imperative than ever we are prepared to care for patients.
A Collection of Stories from Life Behind Bars
When I began working with a LocumTenens.com recruiter to find the right assignment, I wasn’t sure I would be able to embrace working in a prison. I am grateful that I gave it a chance. I hope by sharing a few of my patient experiences, you will be encouraged to give it a try, too.
Urology Census Snapshot
The American Urological Association (AUA) recently published its 7th annual State of the Urology Workforce and Practice in the United States Report. The purpose of these annual census reports is to address the lack of information about urologists. Highlights from the 2020 AUA census complement findings...
Continuing Medical Education
With more people receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, many people are feeling more comfortable attending activities in person, and continuing medical education (CME) activities are no exception. During the pandemic, those who used to prefer participating in live meetings or attending conferences to receive their CME credits had to adapt and find alternatives.
Minority Mental Health Awareness Month 2021
July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The reasons why are complex, but minorities often face poorer mental and behavioral health outcomes than those within majority communities, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health.
What is the future of telemedicine and telehealth legislation?
Telemedicine systems integrate cameras, displays, peripheral devices and network access to enable multiple medical specialties to deliver an exceptional level of care. Now that so many patients have experienced its quality and convenience firsthand due to the pandemic, state legislators recognize the value that telehealth services deliver.
Juneteenth 2021
Juneteenth (a combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth”) is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day. Juneteenth is not (yet!) a federal holiday – a bill making it a federal holiday was passed by the Senate on Tuesday, June 15th, 2021 and still needs House approval and Presidential signature...
National Cancer Survivor Month 2021
June is National Cancer Survivor Month. The number of cancer survivors living in the U.S. is expected to grow to more than 22 million by 2030. National Cancer Survivor Month is a time to celebrate those who have battled cancer and those who are still receiving cancer treatment.
Cataract Awareness Month
June is Cataract Awareness Month. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to speaking with patients about cataract care, practicing in rural communities and practicing via telehealth. Ophthalmologists know cataracts are easy to treat through surgical intervention, yet it’s the leading cause of blindness both in the U.S. and the world.
Are your patients vaccine hesitant?
Naturally, some patients are hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Whether it’s because the vaccines are fairly new or because of other personal reasons, a lot of people have questions and concerns, despite the vaccines currently provided being deemed safe by the FDA.
Surgical Backlogs Due to the Pandemic: Opportunities for Locum Tenens Anesthesiologists and CRNAs
The cancelation of elective procedures early in the pandemic, while arguably necessary in many instances to preserve resources and handle an influx of COVID patients, led to other issues that are still affecting patients, healthcare facilities and their clinicians.
Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine from a locum tenens clinician’s perspective
More than 15 million people in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (at the time this article was written) and this number will continue to grow every day, with approximately 1.5 million doses being administered...
Why I chose locum tenens as a career
I’ve been a vascular surgeon for the past sixteen years, and I’ve trained and practiced in a wide variety of environments, including academia, military medicine and a small private practice. Although I’ve always been passionate about my work, I realized several years ago I wasn’t quite happy because I felt out of touch with my patients and the communities where I served...
Telemedicine: (Not Quite) the New Normal
It goes without saying that 2020 has been a difficult year for almost everyone. From health anxieties and fears of survival, to the isolation and loneliness brought about by quarantine, these issues have only been compounded by financial concerns and job insecurity.
Adventures in Locum Tenens Work
One of the great things about locum tenens work is that you get to see new places and meet new amazing people. Dr. Roxanne Richards has been working in Nome, Alaska and traveling to remote villages to expand access to healthcare. Take a look at this SlideShare to read about her experience.