Sumo Medial Staffing

The healthcare sector evolves rapidly and locum tenens is no exception. 

Here are three trends that we believe are reshaping how healthcare facilities/hospitals use temporary/locum tenens staff. 

1. Highly specialized short-term assignments

No longer are locum pros brought onboard just to cover basic shifts. Instead, medical facilities today are using locums to tap into the true wealth of specialized knowledge and expertise these professionals bring via short-term work assignments. 

For example, it wouldn’t be unheard of for a neurosurgeon to come in to perform a series of brain surgeries. A highly experienced oncologist could also work to implement a new cancer treatment protocol. 

To leverage this trend, first identify your facility’s niche needs. Example: do you have a large backlog of patients who need the same, specific surgery? Or is there a new piece of medical technology collecting dust because no staff member knows how to use it to the best of its capabilities? Again: these are examples of when a specialized locum can be valuable to your facility. 

2. Job sharing/custom staff shift patterns

Think about this: instead of struggling to fill one full-time position, you instead bring in two part-time locums who then job share.  

Or consider creating a special three-day weekend shift. This could appeal locum pros who value fewer work days/a better work-life balance 

Analyze your staffing needs to see if there are slots that could be split between two healthcare professionals. Or, are there shifts that tend to be hard to fill? They could be great candidates for flexible arrangements. 

3. A growing use of locums in non-traditional settings

Locum professionals aren’t just for hospitals today. Corporate health clinics, urgent care centers, home healthcare services, rural clinics, pop up health screening events: locums’ reach is expanding quickly. 

For example, a large tech company could bring on a locum occupational health specialist to set up an employee wellness program. Or a home healthcare staffing company could use locum NPs to expand its services into a new geographic area. 

Locum tenens pros can help you enhance your healthcare services/offerings strategically. They can bring in specialized expertise via flexible work arrangements. Or they can help you grow your services into new patient care settings. 

Contact us here at SUMO Staffing to learn more about how you can start exploring these possibilities today. Your patients – and your facility’s bottom line – will thank you.