As the psychiatry shortage continues to increase, it is critical for medical facilities to think outside of the box. Our team has identified a few ways your medical facility can overcome psychiatry staffing shortages to ensure your communities have access to the psychiatric care they need.

Strategies for Overcoming Mental Health Shortages

1. Offer Telepsychiatry Services.

Within minutes, patients can easily connect with a Psychiatrist from the comfort of their own homes. This is especially helpful for patients who live in rural areas and might not otherwise have access to the mental health specialty care they need. The use of video-based telepsychiatry can help Psychiatrists see and treat more patients, and as a result, reduces patient bottlenecks in shortage areas and stress on healthcare staff.

2. Address Burnout & Create Workplace Flexibility.

Nearly half of all Psychiatrists experience burnout. A major factor includes the shortage of healthcare professionals. Burnout and job dissatisfaction are proven to increase the probability of healthcare workers leaving their job. It is critical to address burnout and reengage staff to avoid turnover at your healthcare facility.

Creating a flexible and positive work culture will directly help increase job satisfaction and boost employee retention rates. Offering more flexible scheduling and vacation time is an easy way to make sure your team stays refreshed and motivated. Telehealth can also be a great way to increase scheduling flexibility!

3. Optimize Psychiatry Staffing with Locum Tenens

Partnering with a locum tenens staffing agency is a great way to bring qualified mental health professionals to your healthcare facility. Leveraging locum tenens Psychiatrists can be a great way to relive your employed staff’s workload and overcome any patient backlogs.

157 million Americans currently live in Psychiatry shortage areas and more than 60% of psychiatrists are 55 or older. At Medicus Healthcare Solutions, psychiatry is one of our top specialties. We take the time to understand your unique challenges and connect you new talent that is both a clinical and cultural fit. For more information or to collaborate on options, please feel free to reach out.

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We advise you to apply for an NPI number now before you need to bill for services. Per CMS, the electronic NPI application could take fewer than 10 days, and a paper application takes about 20 business days.  

Now that you know the “why,” it’s time to get started. There are three ways to apply for an NPI number, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS):

1. Submit an online application through the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) website.
2. Mail a paper application (Form CMS-10114) to the relevant NPI Enumerator address. Call 800-465-3203 or TTY 800-692-2326, or email customerservice@npienumerator.com to request a hard copy.
3. Partner with an Electronic File Interchange Organization (EFIO) to send an application on your behalf. 

When applying online, you must first register with the CMS Identities & Access Management System to create an account. You will then navigate to the NPPES website to complete an application. 

The application process typically takes between 15 and 20 minutes. After you submit your application, you will receive your unique NPI number, the timeline will vary depending on the type of application method and the volume of applications being processed at a given time! Your unique 10-digit number will never expire or be recycled – it is yours for life.

If you have other questions about NPI here is a booklet of answers from the CMS. We welcome you to also contact Medicus to learn more about the NPI number application process. 

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Heather joined Medicus in 2012 as a Contracts Manager. Her legal background and role with our clients and providers served her well in providing a foundation for her operational knowledge within the staffing space. In 2016, Heather was promoted to Director of Human Resources and Risk Management which further leveraged Heather’s experience and skillset. In her current role as Vice President of People, Risk, and Strategy, Heather has played a critical role in progressing Medicus’ “People First, Always” approach, ensuring that Medicus is a top employer in the State of New Hampshire and is a workplace where our employees can thrive.    

“A Company like Medicus doesn’t succeed without its most valuable resource – people. Our people are our differentiator. Under Heather’s direction, we have built – and will continue to develop – a culture that is vital to our Company’s success,” said Bob Dickey, Chief Executive Officer. “As a trusted advisor and an integral member of our leadership team, Heather has aligned our people strategy with the Company’s strategic initiatives and will continue to do so in this new role.” 

Recently, under Heather’s leadership, Medicus earned the DecisionWise Employee Engagement Top Performer Award. This award spotlights organizations that have finished in the top 10% for overall employee engagement scores in 3 company size tiers: less than 1,000 employees, 1,000-4,999 employees, and 5,000+ employees.  

About Medicus Healthcare Solutions 

Medicus Healthcare Solutions has been connecting physicians and advanced practice providers to medical groups, practices, health systems, hospitals, and other facilities throughout the United States since 2004. Since then, Medicus has expanded its services to include transition projects, medicusOne – a vendor management system/managed service provider-hybrid offering – resource management services, and consulting services. Through its proprietary solutions and methodologies, including mSolve, Medicus has built a reputation for its unique and highly personalized approach to physician staffing. With nearly 300 employees nationwide, Medicus Healthcare Solutions is one of the fastest-growing companies in the healthcare staffing industry. To learn more, go to www.medicushcs.com. 

The post Medicus Healthcare Solutions Promotes Heather Croke to Chief People Officer appeared first on Medicus Healthcare Solutions.

Is your hospital, private practice, independent group, or medical facility looking to enhance your Millennial and Gen Z recruitment strategy?

Here are a few ways to attract the newer generations of physicians and advanced practitioners:

1. Work-Life Balance & Flexibility 

The newer generations hitting the workforce are changing the standard of what the traditional work-life balance looks like. Millennials and Gen Zs seek flexibility – they want to practice at a hospital, physician group, or medical facility that encourages taking time off for family leave or simply personal wellness.

You can accommodate the newer generations’ personal lives by offering increased scheduling flexibility, leveraging technology, having workplace childcare services onsite, and more. In addition, creating a culture that encourages taking time off helps keep physicians’ and advanced practitioners’ happiness a priority and, in return – their loyalty.

2. Wellness & Mental Health Support

The older, more traditional ways of working haven’t always been the healthiest for some healthcare professionals. In a survey by Medscape, 47% of physicians reported they were experiencing burnout, up from 42% from 2021. In addition, 48% of physicians surveyed said they exercise to cope with burnout. Therefore, it is essential to offer ways your staff can reduce stress and stay motivated!

A great perk you could offer to employees is free gym memberships. Or even schedule group workouts where staff can burn off some steam and, as a bonus, strengthen workplace culture. Leveraging locum tenens is a fast and easy way to reduce workload and stress for permanent staff. Locum tenens help eliminate patient bottlenecks creating a calmer, less stressful work environment. Juggling too many tasks can be overwhelming for newer and more senior employees; adding additional support helps reduce workload and stress and increase job satisfaction.

3. Workplace Culture, Development & Pay

Truly being part of a team and having a community of colleagues you respect and enjoy working with is valuable to newer generations entering the healthcare workforce. Your workplace culture directly impacts how medical staff, nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals work together to achieve a common goal. It is critical to make sure your employees feel valued, included and believe their ideas are appreciated. Feeling a sense of purpose and finding meaning in your work is essential for new graduates.

In addition to culture, many younger physicians and advanced practitioners seek generous compensation packages and development opportunities. A leadership development or mentorship program can help engage employees further and foster innovative ideas. Offering additional PTO, paid childcare services, sign-on bonuses, relocation benefits, and loan repayment assistance can be a great way to secure new talent.

4. Adopt Advanced Healthcare Technology

The younger generations are digitally savvy and choose to leverage technology to make their lives easier. New physicians and advanced practitioners appreciate utilizing digital tools to streamline administrative tasks, reduce medical errors, and improve patient communication. Telehealth assignments are also highly sought after; the ease of working from home and having a manageable workload decreases the risk of burnout and improves job satisfaction.

Integrating on-call provider support programs to relieve physicians and advanced practitioners from taking calls during the nights, weekends, and holidays is also a great way to secure and retain talent. This helps to normalize work schedules and limit the stress that comes from working irregular hours.

Relationships are crucial to the success of hiring and retaining new talent. Authentically connecting with recent graduates can help your medical facility shine during the interview process. If your team is looking to reduce staff burnout, increase PTO options, and more by leveraging a supplemental staffing partner, Medicus is happy to help. Our team ensures all locum tenens physicians and advanced practitioners are a cultural and clinical fit for your facility. We are dedicated to your facility and committed to helping solve your unique challenges together. Contact us today at marcom@medicushcs.com.

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If you have thought about pursuing locum tenens opportunities, consider how it could help you make meaningful personal and professional changes in your life next year. Here are a few important, easy-to-keep resolutions to help you take your first steps toward a locum tenens career. 

1. Write it down. Committing your intentions to paper—or a laptop—makes them more tangible. Whether your goal is simple, such as “I want to work locum tenens,” or more detailed, like “I want to take a two-week locum tenens opportunity near Denver, Colorado, during ski season,” writing them down will make them more concrete. It will inspire you to take it to the next level! 
2. Speak with an experienced recruiter.  A Medicus Recruiter can answer any questions you may have, discuss available opportunities, review your work and location preferences, and more. Our Recruiters can provide you with a wealth of information about what to expect while working locum tenens assignments. You will also have a dedicated licensing, credentialing, and travel coordinator that will help facilitate the completion of paperwork, making your locum tenens process as smooth as possible! 
3. Begin with a single task. What needs to happen for you to work a locum tenens assignment? There are bound to be a number of things—from revising your CV to arranging for a pet sitter—but for now, focus on one. For instance, if you need an up-to-date list of references, start contacting peers in your specialty with whom you’ve worked over the past five years and ask if you may include them. You should aim for a minimum of three professional references and ensure they are amenable to being contacted by locum tenens staffing company representatives and facility decision-makers. It may be one task, but completing it will bring you closer to your goal of working locum tenens! 
4. Take a “test drive.” Working locum tenens does not have to be an “all or nothing” proposition. Many physicians and advanced practitioners opt to do locum tenens solely on weekends or during vacation breaks. By accepting a few short-term assignments, you can better establish whether locum tenens practice is something you would like to pursue and, if so, whether you want to do it on a full- or part-time basis. 

If you vowed to make some changes in your life or career before or after the ball dropped on January 1, 2022, you are not alone. This year, ensure your success and differentiate yourself from those who abandon their resolutions a couple of weeks into the New Year—by taking the measures necessary to achieve it realistically! 

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The holiday season is typically reserved for loved ones, but maybe you are choosing to help communities who need your care this season! Since many permanent staff members want time off during the holidays, you may find a wider array of locum tenens opportunities to choose from. This is especially beneficial if you are interested in practicing at a specific healthcare facility or looking for an assignment in a highly desirable destination! 

No matter your motivation for practicing, being away from family and traditions can be challenging. Here, we offer some suggestions to bolster holiday cheer when you’re working locum tenens during this season. 

Video Chats & Social Media.  

With technology right at our fingertips, communication has never been more accessible. This holiday season, plan a video call with your friends and family! If you’re on social media, digital platforms are a great way to share holiday updates and help you stay connected. With some help from technology, you’ll have no problem getting into the holiday spirit – even if you are miles away from home. 

Bring Holiday Fun to Work.  

If you are working locum tenens during the holidays, this doesn’t mean you need to reinvent your traditions. In fact, you can bring them along with you. Do you have a favorite holiday movie? Bring it with you! Are you craving your aunt’s infamous apple pie? Get the recipe, head to your local supermarket, and try baking it yourself – your coworkers will also love this. No matter your holiday traditions, there’s always an opportunity to recreate them from the healthcare facility you are working at. Whether it be baking or caroling, window shopping, or watching holiday movies, the opportunity to participate in holiday festivities is almost endless. Don’t be afraid to create new traditions in the process! 

Creating New Traditions.  

Yes, there are old traditions you may have on the holidays; however, there are always new ones just waiting to be made! Play a game – this can be as easy as holiday bingo or everyone sharing their favorite moment of the holiday via text or over a video call. Even though you may not be in person with your family and friends this year, this doesn’t mean you can’t still be a part of the fun! Making new and old connections will help give you a sense of security and belonging this holiday season. 

Pick a New Day to Celebrate. 

While official holidays are traditionally celebrated on the date marked on the calendar – that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate on a day of your choosing as well. If what matters most to you is the time spent with family or friends, the date is not as important. Instead, consider scheduling a day before or after the official holiday to celebrate. Locum tenens offers complete control over your schedule – so pick a date and celebrate. By combining suggestions from above with an alternative date for celebrations, you can enjoy the spirit of the holidays over an extended period which can minimize the feeling of “missing out” while working locum tenens over the holidays.   

It’s normal to miss your family and friends during the holidays, especially while working or traveling for a locum tenens assignment. Whatever the holidays mean for you, with help from technology, bringing old traditions along, and creating new ones, you’ll feel festive in no time. Thank you again to all of our healthcare professionals working this holiday season! 

The post Celebrating the Holidays While Working Locum Tenens appeared first on Medicus Healthcare Solutions.

Finding the Perfect Career Path

Christine received her nursing degree and spent many years working the night shift. After ten years, she decided to continue her education and become a Nurse Practitioner. Christine specialized in Gerontology and Adult; this career path offered a more stable schedule with day shifts. After graduating, Christine enjoyed her job as a Nurse Practitioner but still felt something was missing from her life. Seven years later, Christine completed her Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) certification.  Christine loved working in psychiatry, she had finally found what she was meant to do. Christine worked in every type of psychiatry – outpatient, inpatient, detox – you name it. A memory Christine shared was when she was able to help a woman who was suicidal and homeless. The woman walked an hour to get to the hospital, and Christine helped care for her. Weeks later, the woman said that act of kindness and care saved her life. When Christine is not practicing, she is teaching students at Duke University and UNC School of Nursing. She loves inspiring young students – just like her father. 

An Unexpected Journey  

Christine’s passion for psychiatry stems from within. She is grateful to be able to provide inspiration and hope to her patients. Christine has been working locum tenens for over six years. Her life was forced to change when she had to face a harsh reality. Christine was diagnosed with stage four cancer. She was forced to move back home to South Carolina so her family could help her through chemotherapy. Christine continued to work locum tenens assignments, so she could still do what she loved but also have the flexibility to cut back on shifts during treatment. Christine shared, “What you go through in life is a journey, and cancer happens to be my journey. Having cancer has put a different light on how I work and what I do. This is a story I can tell when I am better. This is a story I can tell others to help them through hard times.”.

Always Have Hope

Her best advice to any nurse practitioner considering locum tenens is to love and respect yourself first. You can’t help another person if you don’t love yourself. Christine shared that it is important to get to know the team you’ll be working with and offer them the respect you also expect to be given. It is important to ask them if they need help and be a true team player. While Christine’s locum tenens journey may look different in the coming months while she battles cancer, she intends to use her story to encourage and inspire hope in others. Christine believes hope is the most important thing you can have – it doesn’t come from education; it comes from the heart. In January, Christine hopes she will be back doing what she loves, caring for her psychiatry patients.  

If you are a nurse practitioner in psychiatry, join our Facebook community: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners

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Read on for a few ideas and tips for appreciating nurse practitioners and shining a light on their many contributions this week!

Social Media #NPWeek: NPs have a passionate community of colleagues on social media. Join in on the fun, post a thank you message, or share an amazing story! Don’t forget to tag your NP colleagues and include the #NPWeek hashtag to reach millions of people celebrating.

Say Thank You: Start small; the best place to begin is by simply saying Thank You! Let your NPs know that their work, dedication, and expertise are appreciated. A simple card with words of gratitude will go a long way and make your NPs feel valued. You can make a selection of cards available for staff and others to write notes of thanks, too!

Gift Cards: Everyone loves gift cards! Pick their favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or spa. This is a thoughtful gift for any budget that will be sure to make their day.

Team SWAG: Order new NP team SWAG. Get their size and place an order for North Face fleece jacket full zips, L.L.Bean quilted sweatshirts, or even a Sport-Tek pullover!

Host An Event: Ideas could include organizing a coffee bar with specialty drinks and treats, arranging a potluck and inviting other healthcare staff to make food to share, going offsite for lunch or dinner, renting a couple of food trucks, or setting up a mini field day with fun games and activities! Whatever the event, the point is to make less work for your NPs and show them how much your team appreciates them.

Chair massages: Consider organizing a visit from a licensed massage therapist. Often, the companies that offer this service present different packages that you can fit into a budget. The firm supplies the necessary equipment, and your NPs will leave the chair feeling refreshed. Other ideas include providing a mobile car wash service or dry cleaning drop off and delivery!

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Telehealth

Work from home and help your patients at the same time? Telehealth offers the best of both worlds. Telehealth work offers a sustained revenue stream while allowing you to see patients across the United States. There is also less exposure to illnesses and infections. Due to the many benefits, telehealth positions can be hard to uncover for PCPs. If you are looking for telehealth opportunities, be sure to start your search now!

It is important to note that you typically need to be licensed in the state where the patient receives your services. We recommend applying for the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) because it helps to simplify the cross-state licensing requirements. To learn more, please contact us, and we will connect you with our experienced licensing team.

Primary Care Shortage

Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas are among the top states experiencing Primary Care Physician and Advanced Practitioner shortages. By 2034, the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates the U.S. is expected to face a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians. Demographics — specifically our growing and aging population — continue to be the leading factors driving increased demand for PCPs.

The resulting burnout affects physicians and advanced practitioners across all specialties. However, PCPs experience higher than average rates.

Licensing Timelines Change by State

Locum tenens work gives PCPs the flexibility to overcome many of the above challenges, but there are important considerations to understand. The licensing process can last anywhere from 3-6 months. Further, you can expect 30 to 90 days for credentialing. For these reasons, it’s vital you plan in advance and consider what type of locum tenens schedule and patient demographics are right for you (for instance, weekdays versus weekends).

Of course, you don’t have to navigate the shifting medical landscape alone. Medicus Healthcare Solutions is ready to help. Begin your locum tenens job search today.

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