HWL Insights

Healthcare never stops, and neither do the challenges that disrupt staffing. Pandemics, natural disasters, sudden medical group transitions, and unplanned leaves of absence can strike without warning, putting patient care at risk. When these moments hit, healthcare organizations need skilled, compassionate providers who can step in immediately and maintain continuity of care. This is where locums agencies shine. 

Healthcare demand for locum tenens and contingent staffing has never been higher. The pandemic highlighted how critical staffing agencies are for delivering qualified providers quickly, but also exposed weaknesses in service quality, compliance, and transparency. As healthcare organizations rely on external staffing partners, vendor-neutral VMS/MSP platforms must streamline talent access while holding agencies accountable to higher service standards.

When you're responsible for serving over three million patients annually across 700 care locations, operational efficiency isn't just a goal - it's essential for patient care. RWJBarnabas Health (RWJ), New Jersey's largest integrated healthcare system, discovered this firsthand when their locum tenens program became a source of administrative burden rather than strategic support. 

The cornerstone of exceptional patient care in modern healthcare systems lies in the effective management of a skilled and adaptable workforce. For large health systems, this challenge is magnified when it comes to coordinating temporary physician coverage, known as locum tenens. The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group (UVMHN) recently faced this challenge head-on, embarking on a transformative journey to revolutionize its locum tenens management. It is the story of how a fragmented system evolved into a streamlined, unified program that not only improved operations but also enhanced patient care.