- The one that started it all
- Addressing a need for physicians in underserved areas
- Physician staffing with the physician in mind
- A locum tenens platform that takes out the middle-man
- Breaking down locums barriers with technology
Locum tenens has addressed temporary physician staffing needs for decades. Much of its success is attributable to physicians who’ve pinpointed a need for temporary physician staffing and started companies to address the need. The best locum tenens companies for physicians that are also founded by physicians have taken an innovative approach to the problem of physician under-staffing and vacancies.
Anyone who’s worked in an understaffed hospital or outpatient center is keenly aware of the toll this can take on the workflow, efficiency of care delivery, and even the overall culture of the workplace. This is especially pronounced when the understaffed positions are physicians and other medical providers.
Physician recruitment strategies depend on a knowledge of the healthcare industry, and physicians have this first-hand. Here’s a look at locum tenens staffing companies founded by doctors. They’ve helped make the temporary healthcare staffing industry what it is today.
The one that started it all
CompHealth. We’ve all heard the name. They’re a force in locum tenens placement. In fact, they essentially started the locum tenens industry in the late 1970s. They are now operating as CHG Healthcare Services and will continue to be a leader in physician staffing – both permanent and temporary.
Therus Kolff, MD founded and ran CompHealth for 15 years, and has since gone on to hold several impressive CEO and Board of Directors positions.
Addressing a need for physicians in underserved areas
Soon after CompHealth began, Ten Teufel, MD founded Physicians Relief Network. He had practiced obstetrics and pediatrics in Texas and saw a significant need for physicians in rural, underserved areas within the state. His business was later acquired and is now known as Interim Physicians, where he’s still the medical director.
Physician staffing with the physician in mind
Any locums company with tunnel vision for filling vacancies is bound to fail. But one that considers the needs of physicians as seriously as the needs of their organizational clients has a much better chance of success.
Onyx M.D. was founded by Robert Moghim, MD, a pain medicine specialist, with a mission to provided healthcare staffing services with a focus on the physician. Their success is evident by their recent acquisition by Health Carousel earlier this year.
A locum tenens platform that takes out the middle-man
Alexi Nazem, MD, is the founder and CEO of Nomad Health. Nomad connects physicians to short-term physician jobs without involving third-party agencies. They make it easier than ever for physicians to find temporary work through an simple, searchable online platform. Alexi saw that the traditional locum tenens agencies made it difficult for physicians to work on their own terms, so started a company with a different approach.
Breaking down locums barriers with technology
Haneen Abu-Remaileh, MD initially wanted to practice locum tenens to have more control over her workload and schedule. What she got was the opposite. Using her own experience, she started Locumunity to help physicians avoid the same frustrations that she went through.
Locumunity, like Nomad Health, operates on an online platform that connects companies directly with physicians. They set themselves apart from traditional staffing agencies by using technology to enable healthcare physicians and providers to interact, schedule work, set their availability, and otherwise connect.
We applaud the physicians who’ve molded the locum tenens industry and strive to make it better, more efficient, and more rewarding for medical professionals.
These are just a few examples of some of the best locum tenens companies for physicians. There are more out there that are working to innovate the field. These demonstrate how physicians can use their experience in medicine to thrive as entrepreneurs outside of a clinical practice setting. If you want to start a flexible business that you can run from home and potentially with low startup costs, physician staffing or recruiting are areas to consider.
For physicians considering a career transition, perhaps these will inspire you to consider trying out locum tenens work.