Locum Tenens Tips

How to Take Vacations as a Doctor

Mom with daughter on vacation

Mom with daughter on vacationSummer will soon be here; have you begun your vacation planning? Even more importantly, have you thought about who will care for your patients while you’re away enjoying a well-deserved vacation?

Whether you are a solo physician or a member of a large private practice group or hospital staff, taking a week or two off is not as easy as asking a colleague to cover shifts for you. For one thing, they probably have full caseloads already — and not taking appointments for a week or two could really affect the practice’s financial bottom line.

However, bringing in locum tenens providers temporarily helps resolve those issues. They are prepared to see patients so others are not overwhelmed with extra cases, and it’s business as usual at the practice or facility. For many years, this was a primary function of locum tenens.

That said, arranging locum tenens jobs requires a bit of forethought and planning. Use the following guideposts to make sure you’ll feel confident your patients will be receiving the quality care while you or your doctors enjoy a hard-earned vacation.

Book the days ahead of time

Figure out which days the practice or unit will require a locum tenens provider. The key is to do this as soon as possible; the more notice you give staffing agencies, the better.

Choose a locum tenens staffing company

Look for an agency that places physicians within the same specialty as the vacationing doctor. Also, confirm that the staffing company will provide the locum tenens physician’s malpractice coverage and arrange and pay for travel and housing. Membership in the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO) also signals the agency abides by industry standards.

Share details about the job

Be specific about what the locum tenens physician will encounter on the assignment, including information about procedures he or she is expected to perform, call duties, shifts, a patient population profile, and description of support staff services. This is also the time when locum tenens company fees can be discussed.

Review physician profiles

Staffing companies will present summaries of physicians they think are best matched to cover for the vacationing doctor, including CVs, references and background information. From these, you choose which clinicians to interview. This provides an opportunity for both parties to make sure the locum tenens physician’s skills meet the practice requirements. Although traditionally conducted over the phone, video interviews via programs like Skype and FaceTime are gaining popularity.

Prepare an onboard plan

Although locum tenens physicians should be ready to treat people soon after arriving, the process can go more smoothly when you create an orientation or onboarding program, including a primary point of contact and cheat sheet for the facility’s electronic health records system. For large medical centers, a map of the facility is also helpful. Include any other items that could help the locum tenens provider acclimate more quickly.

Bill as usual

For the most part, the business aspects of a practice carry on as usual. Medicare requires the replacement physician use the regular physician’s national provider number on the claim with a modifier Q6 on the procedure code. Check with your state’s Medicaid administrators and patients’ private insurers about billing specifics when contracting with a locum tenens provider. The practice or facility will be reimbursed for the medical services and, as a client of a locum tenens staffing company, your practice or facility pays a fee and the staffing agency pays the locum tenens physician.

Follow up

Once the locum tenens contract is completed and the permanent physician is back on the job, take a moment to review the experience. Inform the staffing company of any aspects that could have been handled better or what could be done differently in the future for better efficiency.

Everyone deserves to escape the toils of everyday life once in a while, and doctors are no different. Now’s the time to start planning for this summer’s getaway. Call a Weatherby Healthcare representative today to make sure your patients, practice, or facility will be taken care of while you’re away.

About the author

Anne Baye Ericksen

Anne Baye Ericksen is a journalist and locum tenens subject-matter expert with more than two decades of experience. She was a regular contributor to LocumLife, Healthcare Traveler and Healthcare Staffing and Management Solutions magazines.

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