Filling positions can be costly for healthcare organizations, but not if leaders take a strategic approach to hiring locum tenens support. Here’s how.

<h2>How Healthcare Organizations Can Optimize Locum Tenens Support</h2>

<p>
  Filling positions can be costly for healthcare organizations, but not if
  leaders take a strategic approach to hiring locum tenens support. Here&rsquo;s
  how.
</p>

<h2>Implementing an Effective Locum Tenens Strategy</h2>

<h3>Use locum tenens providers only when and where you need them.</h3>

<p>
  Facilities can control staffing costs by using locum tenens support
  efficiently. Since locum tenens assignment lengths are flexible, from just
  days to several months, they are a cost-efficient answer.
</p>

<h3>Rely on a locum tenens agency for rapid staffing support.</h3>

<p>
  An effective locum tenens agency should be able to get their clients
  high-quality providers on short notice. Filling vacancies in house can take
  healthcare facilities from 92 to 227 days on average (<a
    href="https://www.physicianleaders.org/news/avoiding-failure-ensuring-your-physician-recruitment-is-on-track"
    target="_blank"
    >AAPPR, physicianleaders.org</a
  >). However, locums agencies specialize in providing swift solutions.
</p>

<h3>Use locums relief to improve provider satisfaction.</h3>

<p>
  To stave off burnout among staff, facilities can ensure clinicians have
  schedules and patient loads they can handle. Instead of relying on permanent
  providers to pick up the slack when there&#39;s a vacancy, leaders can bring
  in locum tenens support to keep clinicians from becoming overwhelmed, stressed
  and fatigued.
</p>

<h3>Hire locums to help improve patient satisfaction.</h3>

<p>
  Bringing on locum tenens support can help ensure patients are happier since
  they won&#39;t have extended wait times or encounters with overly stressed
  full-time providers.
</p>

<h2>Skip the hassle of hiring.</h2>

<p>
  Recruiting, screening, vetting, credentialing, onboarding, and many other
  administrative tasks associated with hiring can be time-consuming and
  cumbersome for busy facilities. To streamline processes, healthcare
  organizations can instead outsource hiring to locums staffing professionals
  who specialize in these services.
</p>

<h3>Fortify staff with locum tenens during patient surges.</h3>

<p>
  To improve efficiency, decision-makers can bring on locum tenens providers to
  handle increased patient volumes due to COVID cases or seasonal demands. Then,
  when the wave subsides, leaders can easily downsize without having to let
  permanent providers go.
</p>

<h3>Quickly resume elective procedures after closures.</h3>

<p>
  If COVID closures continue, facilities will need to have a plan in place to
  quickly ramp up services upon reopening. Locum tenens providers can
  temporarily fill those roles.
</p>

<h3>Rely on locum tenens providers&rsquo; strengths.</h3>

<p>
  Physicians and APPs who prefer the locums lifestyle are accustomed to being
  flexible, enthusiastic and proactive. Many are qualified to act in
  multidisciplinary roles, and all can help reinforce the care team.
</p>

<h3>See whether a provider is a fit before making a permanent hire.</h3>

<p>
  Investing in the wrong full-time provider can be a costly mistake. The locum
  tenens arrangement provides an unmatched opportunity for both facilities and
  providers to see whether they&rsquo;re a match without making a long-term
  commitment.
</p>

<h3>Use locum tenens providers to test out a new service line initiative</h3>

<p>
  Utilizing locum tenens providers to start a new service allows facilities to
  minimize their investment in what may or may not be a successful venture while
  still aiming to broaden their horizons and boost their bottom line.
</p>

<h3>Get locums to cover telehealth.</h3>

<p>
  Facilities can consider using locum tenens doctors and apps to handle telemed
  appointments. Alternately, they can use locums providers on site and give
  permanent staff the opportunity to switch to telehealth.
</p>

<h3>Make locum tenens support part the overall staffing plan.</h3>

<p>
  Create a line item in the budget for locum tenens providers. Expect that it
  will be a go-to solution when staffing challenges arise. Develop a framework
  and system for forecasting locum tenens needs in advance. Track usage, look
  for patterns &ndash; or better yet, work with a locum tenens agency that can
  provide access to the facility&rsquo;s locum tenens staffing data.
</p>

<h3>Use locum tenens support for an array of roles.</h3>

<p>
  There are locum tenens providers in virtually every clinical role: physicians,
  APPs, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, CRNAs, nurse midwives, and
  more.
</p>

<h3>Hire locums for any specialty.</h3>

<p>
  A top locums agency can supply facilities with locum tenens providers who
  specialize in every specialty, whether it&rsquo;s family medicine, internal
  medicine, emergency medicine or hospitalist medicine. There are oncologists,
  pediatricians, psychiatrists, surgeons, radiologists, or OB-GYNS, and many
  more locum tenens providers eager to take their next assignment.
</p>

<h3>
  Remember that locum tenens providers practice in all types of facilities.
</h3>

<p>
  All types of facilities hire locum tenens providers: hospitals, ambulatory
  surgery centers, outpatient clinics, government facilities, correctional
  institutions, Veteran&rsquo;s Affairs, Indian Health Services, school systems
  and more.
</p>

<h3>Develop a partnership with a locum tenens agency.</h3>

<p>
  Above all, forge a long-term, trusted relationship with a locum tenens agency.
  You&rsquo;ll be able to negotiate for support that fits your needs and have a
  team of locum tenens specialists on your side. Plus, you&rsquo;ll have a
  pipeline of providers at the ready as part of your strategic approach to
  staffing
</p>

<p>
  <a href="https://www.crosscountrylocums.com/" target="_blank"
    >Connect with a representative.</a
  >
</p>


Using Locum Tenens Strategically