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Locum Tenens Adds Flexibility to Your Staffing Strategies

Healthcare staffing shortages aren’t born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Well-documented research has tracked the shortfalls of physicians and other healthcare professionals for several years, and researchers continue to project a disparity between practitioner supply and demand in years to come.

Still, not every hospital, outpatient center, or private practice group experiences a staffing dilemma the same way or to the same degree as others. Therefore, problem solving this issue cannot assume a one-size-fits-all stance, which is why locum tenens is a powerful tool. Teaming up with All Star Healthcare Solutions means building flexibility into your staffing strategy.

Flexibility to Respond to Fluctuations
Although the pandemic has spotlighted how healthcare services respond to spikes or fluctuations in demand, the phenomenon of patient census ebbs and flows has long held a seasonal twist. Every year, hospitals react to flu season, the span of months when admissions rise due to influenza and other serious respiratory conditions, for example. Those types of jumps in patient population create demand for more clinicians, but they don’t last all year. When caseloads fall off, so does the need for additional clinicians. All Star offers flexibility in how facilities respond to seasonal demands.

Flexibility to Accommodate Employee Absences
Vacations, family and medical leave, and sabbaticals are a few reasons why staff request extended periods of time off. However, patient care never takes a vacation. Locum tenens offers a solution, so employees get the breaks they deserve, but continuity of care rolls along uninterrupted and without the burden of overtime for permanent personnel.

Flexibility to React to the Unexpected
Not all staffing needs can be planned for ahead of time. A staff member suffers an injury or illness and will be on long-term leave, for example. Or there is a non-seasonal uptick in admissions to a specific unit. Locum tenens fits these scenarios, too. All Star is prepared to assist with all your staffing needs, including those requiring immediate or emergency coverage.

Flexibility to Budget
While the locum tenens approach comes with fees, increasing staff rosters can be more costly in both time and finances when calculating for recruiting, salaries, and employee benefits. Plus, when patient census vacillates, operational needs may not always warrant the expanded full-time workforce. Rather, locum tenens affords healthcare facilities the flexibility to bring in additional clinicians as needed without long-term expenses.

Flexibility to Contract with Specialists
People living in medically underserved communities encounter the same needs for specialty care as residents living near large, fully staffed hospitals. However, rural and smaller healthcare organizations historically have had a more difficult time recruiting specialists to staff positions. That creates a conundrum for which locum tenens offers an alternative. All Star cultivates relationships with physicians and advanced practice providers in all medical specialties, so we are able to serve all kinds of clients.

Flexibility While Recruiting New Staff
The average physician recruitment process lasts several months, meanwhile employers must deal with staff vacancies and the impact on patient care. Locum tenens providers can step in temporarily to fill the gap. Care continues while recruiters keep the hiring process rolling. As a full-service staffing agency, All Star’s Locums and Direct Hire divisions coordinate efforts. Our promise to deliver “Red Carpet” Service means aiding in all your staffing expectations — locums, locums to perm, and direct hire.

Contact one of our dedicated consultants today to see how locum tenens coverage can fit into your staffing strategy! Call 800-928-0229, or contact us online.