Health Zone

Unlike a lot of organizations which simply lose business or other opportunities when they can’t find enough qualified employees, healthcare organizations face the very real prospect of losing lives when they can’t find the right staff.  As a senior executive with a medical group responsible for managing emergency departments in hospitals all across the country, I know first-hand the anxiety which results when I am unexpectedly faced with my own emergency – finding enough qualified physicians and mid-level providers to fill shifts at an emergency department at one of our group’s hospitals.

These days I don’t bother trying to find these folks myself; I have learned it actually saves time, money and a LOT of aggravation for my organization if I can call in a locum tenens physician recruiter with whom I have worked successfully in the past. This recruitment company has a reputation for both sourcing and expediting the credentialing process for emergency medicine physicians who just want to work temporarily (Locum tenens is a Latin word which means “place holder”.)  While it might easily take us 90 days to locate and credential a locum tenens ER physician, it only takes them a few days.

We have learned that one of the biggest hassles is documenting every hospital or clinic where an ER physician has worked during his career, and what his superiors thought of his job performance.  This particular physician recruiter has a special expertise in this area. Actually, they excel in the entire credentialing process.

They also excel in settling my nerves whenever I am suddenly faced with filling shifts!