The healthcare industry as a whole has seen significant volatility in its staffing challenges over the past decade. More recently, we've observed low demand and high supply, nurses and physicians leaving their positions in droves, and the rise of contingent labor, which is generally associated with higher costs.
Healthcare advisory solutions have proven to be an invaluable tool in navigating these challenges by guiding organizations and their hiring teams through recruitment, compensation management, contingent workforce management, performance data analysis, and more.
Here we'll go over what healthcare advisory services entail, how they can streamline tedious workforce management processes, and how you can think more strategically about these issues.
Healthcare advisory services are exactly what they sound like — an expert consults with you to understand your problems and creates customized solutions to meet organizational imperatives. Whether you're looking to grow, create more long-term sustainability, pivot into new territory, etc., an advisory service will help.
No two facilities are the same, so exact methodology will vary greatly. But some of the more common solutions advisory services provide include, but are not limited to:
One of the most important aspects of running any healthcare organization is full transparency into data so that you can glean insights and formulate more effective strategies. HWL's advisory services, for instance, utilize a VMS platform that centralizes all critical data into one place, complete with easily accessible reporting dashboards and business intelligence integrations. It is built on a next generation platform with architecture that supports custom workflows, easy integrations with client systems, and robust reporting systems that empower decision makers.
Other key features include:
They say knowledge is power, and the first step toward efficiency is full transparency throughout the organization.
Maintaining a contingent workforce without an MSP or VMS is like trying to change a tire without a jack — you may be able to do it, but it'll take a whole lot of manpower and it won't be fun. Any healthcare advisory service that knows what they're doing can attest to that. There are a number of ways to achieve this, such as:
Advisory services may sound great in theory, but how do they fare in practice? Well, ask any of HWL's partners to find out. Lee Health, for example, had experienced a surge in the usage of travel nurses since 2020 as the system responded to the pandemic, further exacerbated by Hurricane Ian and continued into the early months of 2023. They had no way to access market rates to remain competitive, found that managing contract labor was too time consuming, and struggled with their onboarding processes.
Once they partnered with HWL, we helped them build an internal agency called TraveLee Health Staffing in order to streamline the hiring process for their facilities. Our platform managed existing and incoming contingent workers, their credentials, and onboarding. It also improved screening and interviewing workflows, ensured compliance, and streamlined timekeeping, invoicing, and reporting processes.
The results were nearly immediate:
This is just one success story of many; and you could be next!
Get in touch to find out how HWL's healthcare advisory services can help today.