Sometimes having a lot of options makes choices harder. Physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners often experience this challenge when they consider working locum tenens. Sorting out the top locum tenens agencies can be daunting — with dozens of alternatives ranging from solo recruiters to boutique firms to big corporations offering thousands of jobs.
While many locum tenens companies offer certain standard services, staffing agencies are not all the same. In fact, it’s because there are so many similarities that the differences become so important. At Weatherby Healthcare, we refer to the qualities that differentiate us from other companies as our “Red Ribbon” service.
Naturally, we hope Weatherby Healthcare will be everyone’s No. 1 choice for the best locum tenens company, but your decision will be based on your individual needs, timing, and circumstances. So here’s our take on some other reputable staffing agencies based on shared values, range of services, and NALTO membership.
CompHealth
CompHealth offers locum tenens contracts throughout the U.S. Besides physicians and advanced practice providers, CompHealth places allied health practitioners as well as healthcare professionals working in medical labs, pharmacies, and imaging and radiology departments. CompHealth also has a permanent placement division, so if you decide that it’s time to settle down, they can help you find a new opportunity anywhere in the U.S.
Global Medical Staffing
Global Medical Staffing places locum tenens physicians in the U.S., but they are best known as the industry leader in international locum tenens. Global Medical specializes in placing locums doctors in many countries, including Australia, the Caribbean, Canada, Guam, Ireland, and New Zealand. International assignments can be a few months to up to a year or more. Their worldwide reach means that if a location needs locum tenens providers, Global Medical is probably there as well.
Staff Care
In addition to locum tenens, Staff Care also matches providers with telehealth opportunities, increasing access to specialists and other providers for small, rural, and understaffed facilities lacking the resources or demand to recruit permanent staff. Staff Care also conducts research initiatives to establish the latest trends and developments in the locum tenens industry. One way they work to cut costs for their client facilities is through an automated Vendor Management System (VMS) technology in place of human consultants to match providers with assignments.
Vista Staffing Solutions
If you’re a healthcare provider interested in serving a specific population like veterans or American Indians, Vista Staffing Solutions contracts with government-run healthcare facilities that serve these patients. They also contract with traditional hospitals and private practice groups, offering locum tenens staffing for physicians, advanced practitioners, and allied health professionals.
Weatherby Healthcare
Weatherby Healthcare has been offering locum tenens opportunities for more than 25 years, allowing physicians greater professional flexibility and assisting facilities in meeting their staffing requirements. Every day, we work to find the best matches across all medical specialties, across all states, and in all kinds of facilities. This breadth of opportunity gives physicians plenty of options to find the assignments that best meet their individual needs.
6 reasons to choose Weatherby Healthcare
Matching physicians to assignments at healthcare facilities is just one factor in the locum tenens process. There are other elements that require attention too, like the several listed below. Here you’ll see what our Red Ribbon service entails.
1. Credentialing expertise
When working with locum tenens providers, Weatherby Healthcare staff are experts at ensuring the internal credentialing process is as easy as possible and completed in a timely manner. Then the external credentialing team uses the confirmed data to quickly start the process needed to gain hospital credentialing and privileges for each new contract.
Dr. Jim Mock, an emergency medicine physician, appreciated the support he gets from the Weatherby team. “The credentialing is taken care of in an effortless, free-flowing fashion,” he says. “All that gets handled so that when I actually show up to work all I have to do is work.”
2. Licensing expertise
Weatherby Healthcare licensing experts understand the ins and outs of medical licensing. They collaborate with state boards to stay informed on parameters and deadlines, while nurturing relationships with board contacts to help expedite the licensing process.
Hospitalist Dr. Matthew Dothager, who started working locum tenens right out of residency, describes the Weatherby credentialing and licensing team as “terrific.” He says, “I was getting licensed in two states at once, so they were able to really streamline the process, give me whatever information I needed in a timely manner, make sure all the deadlines were met to get the licenses in a fairly expedited manner, so I could get practicing.”
3. Travel and housing expertise
Weatherby takes care of the costs of physicians’ travel to and from the locum tenens assignment as well as for temporary housing during the assignment. Weatherby Healthcare travel and housing specialists not only strive to find convenient and comfortable options to make you feel at home away from home but ensure that someone is available 24/7 to answer questions or solve unforeseen problems like flight cancellations.
Dr. Mock on having good agency support:
4. Dedicated consultants
Your practice is specialized, and so are our consultants. They undergo extensive training to ensure they understand the nuances of your medical specialty. They stay informed on the latest healthcare trends so they can match you with the best assignments. When you work with a Weatherby consultant, you have an advocate who understands the best assignment fit for your skills and qualifications.
General surgeon Dr. Joan Pellegrini says having a consultant who she can trust is the reason she keeps coming back to Weatherby Healthcare. “I really developed a trust in him because he had been doing this for so long that he knew what was needed,” she says.
Dr. Pellegrini on the importance of a good recruiter:
5. Advanced practice providers
Demand for physician assistants and nurse practitioners continues to increase as facilities seek to reduce patient load and provide more support for physicians. Some locum tenens agencies only place doctors. Weatherby, however, also partners with PAs and NPs so they can experience the many advantages of the locums lifestyle. This diversity also helps our client facilities address staffing strategies on multiple levels.
6. NALTO Member
Like the other agencies highlighted here, Weatherby Healthcare is an active member of the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations (NALTO). This independent industry association sets standards and practices for professional conduct by locum tenens staffing businesses.
Your Choice
As the need for healthcare practitioners grows and staffing shortages impact much of the country, the locum tenens community will continue to evolve and welcome new members with a choice of top locum tenens agencies. Physicians, PAs, and NPs will have more choices than ever, including viable do-it-yourself options like Nomad Health, which allows providers to directly review and negotiate freelance opportunities. If you don’t mind managing all your own travel and negotiation, this may be the way to go.
However, if you like the idea of partnering with an experienced industry leader that’s staffed with experts advocating on your behalf, then give Weatherby Healthcare a call today or view our hundreds of locum tenens job openings. Our consultants can talk you through your options with no obligation on your part, so you can choose the locum tenens partner that best suits your needs and your career.
To learn more about locum tenens opportunities with Weatherby Healthcare, give us a call at 888.714.2330 or view today’s locum tenens jobs.
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