Sumo Medial Staffing

Healthcare is always evolving. As technology improves and we learn more about the human body and disease processes, it only makes sense that the medicine of yesterday will not be the same medicine of tomorrow. 

That’s true in healthcare delivery as well. When locum tenens became a viable part of the healthcare delivery system in the 1970s, many were unsure if it was a sustainable model. What we’ve seen in the decades since, is a healthcare career that gives providers and healthcare entities much needed flexibility and growth opportunities. 

Studies have shown that health systems who use locum tenens deliberately as part of their business model instead of using locum provides to fill last minute, unexpected staffing needs are viewed favorably by their communities and patients. 

And that’s not all. Locum tenens providers and clients are anticipating patient needs and responding to those needs in ways that would have been unheard of previously. The biggest strengths of this growing model of medical care include: 

Flexibility

Organizations can respond to fluctuating staffing demands across all specialties when they incorporate locum tenens providers into their business development strategies. 

Access to Specialties

Yes. Every community needs and deserves specialists like endocrinologists and heart surgeons. But can every community afford/sustain a private practice model in those instances? Not always. Locum tenens staffing allows facilities to bridge the gap between needs and wants in rural and underserved areas.  

Avoiding Physician Burnout

As areas around the country struggle to fill open positions – and with an anticipated physician shortage grower closer by the day, the healthcare community is looking for solutions. And one of those solutions seems to be focused on helping our existing physicians avoid burnout. Locum tenens offers respite for permanent staff and a healthier work-life balance for others. This helps retain physicians and staff, while ensuring your community has access to necessary healthcare. 

Measuring the Cost

It may seem cost prohibitive to bring in locum tenens providers, until you do the math! When used strategically, administrators have found locum tenens providers can help stave off service interruptions that would affect revenue in the long run. 

Satisfaction and Quality

In a recent survey, 73 percent of hospital-associated staff said the quality of care provided by locums was the same or better than the care provided by existing staff. Others point to the depth of breadth of skill and experience exhibited by locum tenens providers as an advantage to both employees and patients, who ultimately report increased satisfaction with their care.  

But you can’t do it alone.

To make the locum tenens equation work, it’s important to work with a staffing agency who is reputable, experienced and professional. You want to make sure you use a medical staffing company you can trust, with a track record of helping providers and clients find a partnership that best fits their needs. SUMO is ready to help. Request a consultation with a locum tenens staffing specialist today.