Imagine your urgent care is in the thick of it. The waiting room is full, the staff is running around and you’re trying to keep up with the demand. You know that if you could just get a little help, things would run more smoothly. But finding quality providers can be difficult and expensive.

That’s where locum tenens work comes in. Locum tenens are short-term providers who can come in and help with the patient load when needed.

They can be a great solution for short-staffed urgent care centers, including those that need coverage for vacations or other time off. A 2020 survey states that 85 percent of healthcare workforce management used locum tenens providers in the past 12 months. Here’s how locum tenens benefits urgent care centers.

They fill in for regular staff

Several benefits come with using temporary providers at urgent care centers. First, it can help to ensure that patient care is not interrupted when regular staff members are unavailable. That is because locum tenens providers can step in and provide the same level of care as the regular staff.

Urgent care facilities often have to provide coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This schedule can make it difficult for staff members to take vacations. However, with locum tenens providers, you can have coverage while your regular staff is away on vacation.

There will be times when your regular staff is unavailable, whether it’s because of vacation, illness or other commitments. Locum tenens providers can help fill in the gaps so that your urgent care center can continue to provide quality care to your patients.

Using their labor can help reduce costs

Second, using temporary providers can help to reduce costs associated with staffing an urgent care center. That’s because locum tenens providers typically work on a per-diem basis. Meaning they are only paid for the days that they work. It can help to save the center money on payroll costs.

They can provide coverage in rural areas

Another benefit of using locum tenens providers at urgent care centers is that they can provide coverage in rural areas where it may be difficult to find regular staff members. That’s because locum tenens providers are often willing to travel to different locations to provide care.

They can offer specialized expertise

Locum tenens providers can offer specialized expertise that may be beneficial to an urgent care center. For example, if an urgent care center is located in an area where there is a high incidence of a certain disease, a locum tenens provider with experience treating that disease can be a valuable addition to the staff.

They can help you experiment with new services

If you’re considering adding a new service to your urgent care center, locum tenens providers can be a great way to test it out. When using a locum tenens provider for the new service, you can see how it goes without keeping them on payroll permanently.

You can try them out as a provider without committing

If you’re thinking about hiring a new provider, but you’re not sure if they’re a good fit for your urgent care center, you can use locum tenens to try them out. This way, you can see how they work with your staff and patients without making a long-term commitment.

They can help during busy seasons

If your urgent care center is busy and you need extra help, locum tenens providers can be a great solution. They can help you keep up with patient demand and avoid burnout among your staff.

They can help lower patient wait times

Another way locum tenens benefit urgent care centers is by lowering patient wait times. If your center is consistently running behind schedule, locum tenens physicians can help you get back on track. Providers seeing more patients each day can help lower patient wait times and improve overall patient satisfaction.

They can help maintain a steady revenue

If your center is struggling to meet its financial goals, locum tenens providers can help you maintain a steady revenue stream. Having more providers seeing more patients and generating more billable hours can help improve your bottom line.

How a healthcare staffing agency can help

Locum tenens providers can be a wonderful solution for urgent care centers that need extra help. Locum tenens provide many benefits, including increased patient capacity, lower patient wait times and continuity of care.

If you are considering using locum tenens physicians, TinkBird Healthcare Staffing can help you find the right providers to fill your locum tenens urgent care job. We can provide you with access to a large pool of qualified candidates to help meet your needs. We can also help you manage all the details of the hiring process.

So, when you’re ready to hire locum tenens, contact our offices today.