Top 5 Benefits of Being a Locum Tenens Physician

1.  Avoid Burnout

Working as a physician is stressful. If you are feeling exhausted, you are not alone. Studies show that at any given point in time, 1 in 3 physicians is suffering from burnout. Between seeing patients during the day and being "on-call" at night, it may seem like you have no work / life balance. Working as a locum tenens can solve this problem. As a locum, you can work as hard as you want to for a short amount of time. When the assignment is over, you have time to recoup and replenish your energy levels before starting another assignment.

2.  Schedule Flexibility

As a locum tenens you have the ability and freedom to make your own schedule. Whether you want to take vacations throughout the year or just spend more time with family, working as a locum tenens would allow you to do this! Many physicians go into private practice because they want more control over their work environment and schedule. Having your own practice is flexible, but also much more stressful. Being a locum tenens gives you this sense of freedom, but at a lower stress level.

3.  Change of Scenery

Are you tired of feeling like you are stuck in one place? Or do you feel like it is impossible to travel as much as you want while maintaining a full-time position as a physician? If so, working as a locum tenens is the answer! You can take on as many assignments as you want, which means you can travel to as many places as you want. This will give you a chance to have new experiences in new places without sacrificing your paycheck to do so.

4.  Knowledge Sharing

When you are working in different practices as a locum tenens, you are going to pick up useful knowledge. You will get to experience many different methods, techniques and workflows. This can positively impact all your future assignments because it will allow you to apply this gained knowledge in a variety of settings.

5.  Financial Benefits

Whether you are just out of school and have student loan debt from medical school, or if you are retiring and want to supplement your income, working as a locum tenens physician can benefit your bank account. Locum tenens also have travel, lodging and malpractice insurance expenses covered, which will help increase your income even more.

Written By: Brittni Stevens

Sources: https://goo.gl/8MRJgG • https://goo.gl/046RUq • https://goo.gl/Pbjcyr • https://goo.gl/BC7JcB • https://goo.gl/2URWVr • https://goo.gl/xPCRS0

Credentialing: DEA registration changes

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is cracking down on provider’s primary practice address change requests.  Gone are the days of submitting a practice address update online and a 24-48 hour turnaround time.  It is now taking 2-3 weeks for the DEA to process practice address updates when transferring to a different state.  The delay in the DEA processing time leads to delays with credentialing and privileging completion.

The time lag is in part due to the fact that the DEA is now confirming providers are privileged (or in the credentialing process) with hospital Medical Staff Offices (MSO) prior to completing any practice address updates.  As such, it is import that the MSO contact phone and fax numbers be provided when submitting practice address update requests.  If the correct MSO contact information is not provided, the DEA will then need to contact you to request this information, further delaying the change request processing time.

There are two solutions in order to avoid delays in obtaining facility privileges - submit the address change request early or apply for additional DEA registrations, in order to have one DEA registration for each state you practice in.  While your DEA registration is a federal number, it is only valid in the state in which your primary practice address is listed.  The DEA does allow for multiple DEA registrations for providers to work in multiple states simultaneously.   The cost of a second DEA (or third, or fourth…) is worth saving you the last minute stress and potential loss of income if your DEA practice address change request is not processed in time to meet credentialing deadlines in order to start as scheduled.

Online resources:

DEA’s policy concerning Locum Tenens:

https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/faq/locum_tenens.htm

DEA registration application online: https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/webforms/jsp/regapps/common/newAppLogin.jsp

DEA address update online request: https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/webforms/jsp/regapps/common/updateLogin.jsp

Katie Cherry, CPCS

Senior Credentialing Coordinator

Do you have a credentialing topic you would like to see covered?  Email me at Katie.Cherry@eglhp.com

Credentialing: Physicians, Avoid the Hassles

Getting licensed to practice in another state and credentialed to practice in a particular hospital can be an unpredictable and time-consuming process for locum tenens physicians. Here are some tips for physicians to make the process smoother and faster.

Step 1: Getting licensed—Start with a list

Make a list of the states where you’d like to practice, or where you’d be willing to accept a locums assignment. Give the list to your recruiter so he or she can start the ball rolling as soon as possible.

The AMA offers a good primer on the licensing process. Some of its best advice: Physicians should plan on at least a 60-day period from the time they submit a completed application for licensure and the date the license is granted. Also be aware that the highest volume of applications is received between the months of April and September, as many physicians with families seek to relocate before the academic year begins. This can slow things down.

LocumConnections offers help for the licensing process as part of our comprehensive credentialing services. Physicians who contract with us can rest assured that we handle as many of the nitty-gritty details as possible to take the pressure off you. Bear in mind, however, that no matter how quickly we move, the process can’t be hurried once the application is in the hands of the state medical board.

Step 2: A clearinghouse for credentialing

Remember that licensing is just a part of the credentialing process. Hospitals must evaluate and verify your current license status, experience, and ability. With locum tenens physicians, it is typically the placement firm that does the credentialing for its partner hospitals.

Why? Because the locum tenens staffing company usually covers physician malpractice insurance—as we do at LocumConnections. The process includes verifying that you are in good standing as a physician, and checking your references. To speed things up, we provide our incoming physicians with a checklist of all the documents and paperwork we need to complete the credentialing process—a medical diploma, internship and residency diplomas, a current resume, all current medical licenses, etc.

The good news is that once we have the necessary information to begin the credentialing process for one hospital, we have a template for quick credentialing at any other hospitals that want to bring you in on a locum tenens assignment. Most of the time, you don’t have to be involved in the process at all.

Of course, the holdup comes with the wait time to be licensed in another state. As I said, it takes patience.­­­

But we make the process painless—on both sides of the aisle. Because of our reputation for thorough, top-quality credentialing services, hospitals are often more likely to contract for locum doctors with us. They know they don’t have to come back to us asking for missing pieces from the credentialing packet—resumes, references, etc. All the t’s will be crossed and the i’s dotted. They also know they will be getting a physician that looks good on paper and in person, too.

--Dr. Mac McCormick

The Locum Tenens Experience: 7 Best Practices to Make It a Good One

If you are working or have worked as a locum tenens physician, you probably know that not all placement firms are alike. Some firms have a mission simply to fill empty hospital staffing slots as quickly and reliably as possible. Others define and follow best practices that help make the most of the locum experience for providers and hospitals.

This brief guide highlights some of these best practices. Think of it as a checklist to use whenever you consider signing on with a placement firm. It could make the difference between a so-so assignment and a great one.

Best Practice #1: Take travel arrangements seriously.

Look for a firm that has a dedicated travel department and builds your itinerary according to your preferences. You might prefer to drive to an assignment if the hospital is within four or five hours from home. If it’s a longer trip, flying might be the best way to go. The best firms offer flexibility here, reimburse for gas at the prevailing mileage rate, and don’t require you to travel one way or another to get to an assignment. When you do fly, they should want to know whether you prefer a window or aisle seat. Some firms leave it up to the airline to assign seats. Others take a more proactive approach to ensure your flight is as enjoyable as possible.

Best Practice #2: Focus on provider comfort.

We’ve all heard the horror stories about going to a locum tenens assignment to discover you have been booked at some bargain motel by the interstate for the duration of your stay. The best travel departments let you “choose your chain,” and build their game plan around this and other preferences. Do you eat out most of the time while on assignment, or would you like a room with a small kitchen and a grocery store within walking distance of the hotel? Do you want to be near an aquatic center or health club, or is the hotel’s workout room sufficient? Preferences like these should be remembered and honored every time you take a new assignment.

Best Practice #3: Make convenience a top priority.

Locum placement firms should cover your travel expenses without expecting you to pay with your credit card and reimburse you later. They should also keep your frequent flyer and hotel loyalty numbers on file to be sure you get the points when bookings are made. (Some placement firms roll your points into their corporate account.) The best firms also maintain VIP-level contracts with rental car agencies, so getting your rental car is quick and easy. When you get off the plane, you want to get your keys and go. You shouldn’t have to wait in line, deal with insurance and other paperwork, or waste time waiting for rental car agents to find a car for you.

Best Practice #4: Be responsive and consistent.

Perhaps most important, a travel department should be accessible and ready to handle changes or issues day or night. Noisy hotel room? Mold issues in the bathroom? Uncomfortable bed? You should be able to report a problem, get it handled quickly, and be settled in a room to your liking within an hour or two. Consistency is another important quality when it comes to placement firms’ travel departments. It’s annoying to be switched back and forth between people, or to have to explain a request or issue multiple times. When you go to work, you should simply be able to pick up a key and go to your room, secure in the knowledge that everything is handled without multiple phone calls or texts on your part.

Best Practice #5: Make credentialing painless.

If you are interested in or take an assignment in a state where you are not currently licensed, your placement firm should work with you to make licensing and credentialing smooth and painless. When possible, the firm should file any documents on your behalf, taking a major paperwork burden off your shoulders. The firm should also guide you regarding which states have a more difficult and lengthy licensing process, and should help you start the process early if you are considering an assignment in one of those states. Best practices dictate a proactive approach here. The firm should provide you with everything needed to complete the process in a way that is timely and hassle-free.

Best practice #6: Pay promptly and regularly.Being a 1099 independent contractor or locum tenens physician or healthcare provider allows for competitive compensation which is typically based on either hourly shifts or daily rates. The best placement firms pay providers on a regular schedule of every two weeks for services rendered, and cover medical liability insurance, travel and lodging expenses.

Best practice #7: Have a philosophy that goes beyond the literal meaning of “locum tenens.”As you probably know, “locum tenens” is a Latin phrase meaning “to hold a place.” The best placement firms, however, go beyond the literal meaning to deliver providers who add significant value to the hospitals where they work. An understanding of a hospital’s unique culture is essential to ensure the right match between provider and facility. Ask if the firm has physician leadership; it can make a big difference in building respect within the healthcare community and attracting a strong, reputable network of hospital-trained and clinic-based locum tenens physicians.

Coding Confidence: Do You Have It in Your Locum Providers?

Physicians are measured by an array of metrics today: Contribution to length of stay, readmit rates, patient satisfaction, among others. But what about a locum physician’s contribution to reimbursement levels? How do hospitals ensure locum doctors are skilled in DRG coding, and doing it accurately?

It’s not an easy task. Granted, we physicians are taught in medical school the clinical importance of keeping a detailed and accurate medical record—to provide a reference library that may serve a vital clinical need in the future. We also know that the new system of ICD-10 DRG coding came about through the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, and its efforts to facilitate the electronic transmission of health information. That’s a good thing, too. But it still doesn’t mean we like it.

Countering the “Afterthought” Mentality

As one of our physicians said recently: “Most of us just want to take care of patients. Documentation is sometimes an afterthought.” We’re not talking about willfully ignoring the responsibility to code accurately. But in the stress of a typically busy day, with attention focused where it should be—on patients—it can be easy to let paperwork details slip by—details that can end up costing a hospital big money.

At LocumConnections, we have found two simple answers to the “afterthought” mentality, and to be sure locum doctors keep proper coding techniques top of mind in everything they do on the job.

1. It takes training and resources.

Through comprehensive training in proper documentation and coding, and an audit process to catch coding errors and pinpoint the “outlier” physician or physicians responsible, we are known for having a unique and intense focus on preventing coding errors. Regardless of where our doctors live or where they are sent on assignment, we make sure their coding skills are uniformly solid across the board. We intend to keep it that way. We provide physician-to-physician education and electronic tools to improve accuracy. We also provide our locum physicians with timely access to coding experts via phone or e-mail whenever they need assistance.

It’s a strong safety net to ensure physicians navigate the complex coding maze accurately and thoroughly. The result? Our partner hospitals don’t miss a penny of the reimbursement they are due from Medicare and insurance providers.

2. It takes trust.

There are countless theories on what motivates people to do their best work, but one thing tops the list in our book: At LocumConnections, we build an environment of trust. In ways large and small, we let our doctors know that we have their back and are looking out for their best interests. We find the right assignments for them, pay them well, provide concierge-level travel arrangements tailored to the individual down to the tiniest personal detail—like whether feather or synthetic pillows are preferred at the hotel that is “home” during a locum assignment.

As a result, our doctors are a lot more willing to follow our plan in every aspect of clinical care—including accurate coding and documentation. Pair this with our company’s commitment to provide locum doctors who don’t simply fill an empty slot but who make a contribution to the health and well-being of the hospitals where they work, and you have a powerful combination. Our partner hospitals take confidence in that.

By Talbot “Mac” McCormick, MD

Locum Tenens Pricing: A Fundamental Shift is Just What the Doctor Ordered

Every young industry has its growing pains, and the locum tenens physician market is no exception, especially when it comes to its cyclical pricing model. In many cases, the cycles have been a roller coaster ride in recent years.

Some locum tenens placement firms drive the roller coaster. They mark up prices as demand increases, and do so with little regard for healthcare budgets or the long-term impact of their pricing on a hospital or physician practice’s financial health. Healthcare organizations are often all too willing to do business with these firms to fill an immediate need, and often make short-term decisions based more on emotion than rational thinking.

Working in various physician leadership roles as a hospitalist for more than 10 years, I have seen it all. And now as President and CEO of a locum tenens firm, I want to do something about it.

No More “Fulfillment at Any Cost”

At LocumConnections, we support new models that are bringing equilibrium to an erratic market. Healthcare organizations are taking many cost-trimming approaches seriously while infusing quality performance measures, and are looking for partners in recruitment and retention who want to help them achieve their goals.

In response, staffing firms are streamlining their processes in an earnest effort to reduce costs—implementing Vendor Management Systems (VMS), for example, to reduce time-to-fill cycle length and help them work more efficiently. Managed Service Providers (MSP) can have the same impact. Many of the larger locum tenens firms are incorporating these tools into their business as they seek sensible ways to avoid the “fulfillment at any cost” trap.

Another model is emerging, too. A firm like ours that has its roots in hospital and practice management can put its experience to good use. LocumConnections’ roots grew from actual case studies of clinical recruitment and staffing success in mitigating challenges with hospital partners in the temporary contract hospitalist sector. In short, our model is built on success, for success.

Prudent, Sustainable Solutions

We use a VMS system, too, to make our sourcing processes as efficient as possible. But we also take a consultative role to make staffing decisions that do more than just meet a hospital’s immediate need for a doctor. We take into account the long-term as well as the short-term impact. And because of our medical experience, we are able to put ourselves in the shoes of the physicians and healthcare organizations we work with and respond with a solution that is prudent, compassionate, and sustainable—not just for the organization, but for the healthcare industry, as well. Quick fixes just won’t suffice any longer.

The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts a shortage of up to 90,000 physicians by 2025 if the healthcare sector fails to aggressively adopt more efficient care and payment models. All the more reason for a fundamental shift in the way staffing challenges are addressed, at prices hospitals can afford, and for doing so today. That’s why we’re here.

by Talbot “Mac” McCormick, MD

In Temporary Physician Placement, a Proactive Approach Works Best

Many organizations react to temporary staffing needs with panic, working at the last minute to fill upcoming vacancies. Compare it to air travel, where lack of planning can force you to have to pay a premium price for a ticket purchased a week in advance rather than six months out.

There is a better way. Taking a proactive approach can reduce the headaches, as well as the costs of temporary staffing. Begin with the acknowledgement that temporary staffing most likely will be needed at some point during a typical year. It’s a matter of when, not if.

Plan ahead

Preparing for staff vacancies can start with a quick poll of your physicians at the beginning of the year regarding their plans for vacations, conference attendance, and family obligations. Don’t be shy about asking questions. Isn’t Dr. Smith’s daughter graduating from college in June? Is this the year Dr. Patel’s father might have to move into assisted living? Is there anything we can do this year, Dr. Jones, to help you cope with your husband’s long-term illness?

Also watch for signs of physician burnout. It is something we see frequently in our line of work, and we have helped many healthcare organizations deal successfully with its challenges. Be observant so you can “scope out” the most likely scenarios for needing temporary staffing during the year.

Build a bench of physicians

Having a network—a pool of available physicians who have already been vetted, who are licensed in your state, credentialed to practice in your organization, are flexible and have potential availability for the foreseeable future—is the ideal scenario. It might be a good time to consider a locum tenens staffing firm—not the fly-by-night variety that sprang up to capitalize on the physician shortage, but one that has the clinical acumen to partner with healthcare organizations and solve their staffing challenges.

Rather than having to wait the typical 30-120 days to complete the credentialing process, you can begin billing immediately without any gap in reimbursement. Considering that a physician bills $2,000-$3,000 per day, that’s a loss that can add up quickly—from $60,000 to $360,000 and above during the months a physician’s absence goes unfilled.

Consider technology options

There are new options that make supplementing healthcare teams in remote and rural locations a more achievable task. For example, we have worked with a partner organization to bring telemedicine PRN to healthcare facilities when they have a physician vacancy. With telemedicine programs, the remote physicians are all licensed in the state and credentialed in the institution where they are broadcast, so relying on them when vacancies occur is a seamless process.

Manage the unexpected

You can eat right, exercise regularly, and do all the right things to minimize your exposure to illness, but you can’t prevent it 100 percent. The same is true of physician staffing. By adopting a proactive approach, you can reduce your exposure, and manage the unexpected in economically viable ways.

By Talbot “Mac” McCormick, MD