The Importance of Locum Tenens

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Overview

Healthcare is rapidly changing, and it’s no secret that there is a shortage of physicians. With the population of baby-boomers expanding rapidly and finding themselves in need of acute care there is a heightened need for more providers to care for patients. Health systems have a constant need for interim staffing, hospitals and clinics often turn to locum tenens agencies for help. The phrase locum tenens is derived from the Latin phrase, “to hold the place of”. In fact, the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations NALTO estimates that locum tenens practitioners are utilized in three-quarters of all hospitals to augment their permanent medical staff. Temporary physicians provide patient care for a total of more than 600,000 days per year. The locum tenens business has grown into a $1.9 billion industry.

Hospitals and clinics have difficulty and adequate time and resources to find qualified and available temporary staff when they are needed, especially if there is limited planning when shift openings occur at the spur of the moment. Locum tenens organizations will partner with hospitals and clinics to provide coverage for urgent and vacant physician, nurse practitioner and physician assistant shifts.

Echo Locum Tenens

Echo Locum Tenens partners with hospitals and clinics throughout the country to provide coverage to communities that need it most. We have a dedicated team working with staff and providers to ensure the process of applying for a shifts, credentialing and arranging for housing and travel (when needed) is smooth and quick.

Our recruiting team makes an active effort to form a relationship with each provider, to assist with the application process and answer any questions along the way. And our program managers coordinate with hospitals and clinics to make sure that shifts and filled and their patients are receiving the care that they need.

View shift opportunities here.

Explore partnership options here.