Healthcare is evolving to accommodate patient demand. Innovation plays a role in this transformation, and so do patient demographics. Medical organizations must also plan for public health emergencies, as the global pandemic demonstrated, and staffing shortages have to be addressed. Patient volume continues to increase even as the number of physicians is declining.
Traditional staffing models lack flexibility, so work for locum tenens physicians is always available. These temporary workers help healthcare organizations easily accommodate fluctuating patient volumes while filling staffing shortages. Locum tenens bring flexibility to the organization while making it more resilient.
Healthcare’s Unpredictable Nature
Healthcare is continuously changing. Technology advances the industry, patient demographics shift, and policies are updated. A global health emergency can throw the entire system into disarray in days or weeks, and healthcare organizations must prepare for other unexpected events.
Patient volume fluctuations remain one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today. Seasonal illnesses can leave organizations short-staffed when admissions spike unexpectedly. Elective procedures may need to be delayed, affecting specific departments more than others.
Events such as those often strain staffing models. Employee burnout becomes a concern, and quality of care frequently declines. Operational costs may also rise as the organization works to meet these challenges. Healthcare organizations must anticipate these challenges, but doing so is difficult. Locum tenens can step in and help in these situations.
Staffing Flexibility
Locum tenens help healthcare organizations become more flexible. The organization requests these temporary workers to fill staffing gaps quickly and efficiently. They scale the workforce without hiring permanent employees who may be idle most of the time. These individuals help maintain continuity of care during seasonal surges, when the organization is interviewing candidates for permanent staff positions, and when one or more workers are out on extended leave.
Staffing flexibility reduces burnout by ensuring permanent staff have breaks and time off as needed. This staffing model is cost-effective, as additional workers are brought in as needed rather than establishing a permanent workforce that may sit idle a large portion of the time.
Locum tenens bring specialized skills to an organization. A healthcare worker might be called in to handle a challenging case beyond the skills of permanent workers. Patients receive the care they need promptly without changing facilities. These are only a few of the many benefits that come with employing locum tenens.
Resilient Staffing Models
Healthcare organizations must be forward-thinking and prepared to deal with any situation. A staffing contingency plan is needed to handle unexpected situations, such as seasonal surges, easily, and locum tenens may be part of this plan. It should outline when they will be deployed and how.
Locum tenens might also be called in to support staff during transition periods, such as when an organization opens a new location or expands operations. These healthcare workers fill in until permanent staff is hired. However, the organization should evaluate its staffing needs regularly to determine how they are evolving and what changes must be made to the staffing model. Knowing peak-demand periods simplifies determining when locum tenens may be required so the organization can prepare to call them in.
Every healthcare organization should partner with a locum tenens agency to provide staffing support. This relationship ensures help is available when required, and the organization will always have access to qualified medical professionals to support existing staff during challenging times.
