Posts By: Sarah Sebesta

Critical care locum tenens doctors get the opportunity to work at some of the country’s best medical facilities. Whether they want to live and work in a quiet country town or a bustling metropolis, The Talent Society can help them achieve the lifestyle that works best for them. With this guide, health care professionals will learn more about critical care locum tenens opportunities, so keep reading.

What Is a Critical Care Locum Tenens?

A critical care locum tenens takes the place of an absent medical provider. It’s a temporary position that can last days, months, and sometimes even years, depending on the facility. These positions are in high demand, especially in rural and underserved communities. A typical schedule runs 12 hours daily, Monday through Monday, with the potential for a mix of day and night shifts. There are open roles available for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners right now.

Average Critical Care Locum Tenens Salaries

While salaries for critical care locum tenens jobs vary based on factors such as location, facility, shift, and need, temporary physicians typically earn between $225 and $275 an hour. Increased pay may also be available for certain shifts or based on the hospital’s budget.

Critical care locum tenens physicians commonly earn more per hour than permanent colleagues across all specialties. On average, they can make $32.45 per hour more than their full-time counterparts. Some states also pay better than others. The areas that yield the highest salaries include Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.

Many doctors work full-time locum tenens positions, while some accept temporary placements between permanent employment. Physicians can accept critical care locum tenens jobs in addition to a full-time assignment, as some appointments can be as short as a few shifts, making it an excellent way to earn additional income.

Perks for Critical Care Locum Tenens

As a talented medical practitioner, there are numerous factors to consider when deciding if this is the right career path. Physicians cite many reasons to work as a locum tenens, from more schedule control to higher-paying jobs — and this position comes with many benefits. The Talent Society curates and delivers only the best assignments to team members because their practice focuses exclusively on the health care industry.

This opportunity is about adding variety and flexibility to an already extraordinary profession. That’s why The Talent Society designed its placement process to suit each practitioner. This agency’s proprietary Candidate Synopsis ensures that staff understands what makes each individual unique so they can prioritize their team’s goals and respect their preferences.

Medical professionals get the opportunity to collect an excellent hourly rate, along with the ability to choose facility types and locations that meet their lifestyles and career goals. They’ll also get to experience extraordinary perks while working these critical care locum tenens jobs, including:

• State licensing assistance.
• Fee payments.
• Complimentary malpractice insurance.
• Housing per diem.
• Travel accommodations.
• Consistent pay.

The Talent Society’s expert placement counselors specialize in connecting brilliant physicians with outstanding facilities that reward their expertise. As a national firm, this company places locum tenens across all specialties, including critical care. Discover why providers trust them with their ambition and contact The Talent Society today.

Health care is evolving faster than ever, and so is the industry’s professional landscape. Keeping up with the latest trends is essential for finding opportunities that reward talented medical practitioners. Keep an eye on the biggest locum tenens trends in 2022 with this guide.

What Is the Course of Locum Tenens Opportunities?

The biggest locum tenens trends in 2022 are the vast number of doctors, physician’s assistants, and nurse practitioners who are “holding the place” for another provider. Today, 50,000 physicians work temporary assignments each year, and this practice is changing the lives of patients who count on them. If fact, more than 90% of health care facilities in all 50 states and countries like New Zealand and Australia hire locum tenens.

America’s communities are facing a critical shortage of health care workers, resulting in a growing patient-to-provider gap. That’s why 25% more health care facility managers hired locum tenens physicians in 2021 than just five years ago. These providers fill in where they’re needed to relieve burnout, maintain patient satisfaction, and offset personnel shortages in underserved areas so facilities stay fully staffed.

Who Are the Locum Tenens Currently Trending?

The practice of one doctor filling in for another is a long-standing tradition. Whether the medical professional is ill, traveling, or away from their practice, this time-honored courtesy is now a viable option for a full-time career. Locum tenens can be almost any medical professional, regardless of specialty.

Most locum tenens are physicians. However, 16% of providers are physician assistants and nurse practitioners. It can also be a fulfilling path after retirement. 58% of physicians over 55 reportthat they’ll continue to serve as locum tenens after leaving full-time practice. Even newly licensed doctors find this career path rewarding, with 16% of locum tenens starting this right after training, and 90% are satisfied with their career choice.

Biggest Locum Tenens Trends By Specialty

Locum tenens opportunities are trending for 2022, and many specialties are in high demand. For example, a cardiologist can earn up to $200 an hour working a traditional Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. position, while a pediatric surgeon can secure a job making $3,500 a day over a three-day weekend while on-call. A critical care locum tenens can also find a terrific assignment, like a week-long position that starts at $225 hourly.

Locum Tenens Trends in the IMLCC

The purpose of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLCC) is to provide physicians with an expedited pathway to licensure in multiple states. Founders created this voluntary program in 2017 for medical professionals with exemplary practice histories.

The IMLCC currently serves 35 member states, the District of Columbia, and Guam. More than 12,000 physicians have used the program to secure over 32,000 licenses through March 2021. The organization also reported a considerable increase in the number of completed applications in 2022. That figure rose to 4,510 — a tremendous leap from just 654 hopefuls in 2018.

Some of the biggest locum tenens trends in 2022 are happening around the country. Become a part of this essential and growing health care industry. Find out more by contacting expert placement counselors today.

More than four decades ago, a new concept came up in the health care industry. This concept links back to physicians who recognized the need for doctors working in rural areas to take time away from their jobs. Prior to the launch of this new idea, rural physicians who worked in their own practices couldn’t get away, leading to burnout and other issues. This concept, called locum tenens, transformed the industry and offered new opportunities to physicians who want to travel.

The Creation of Health Systems Research Institute

The history of locum tenens, a Latin phrase meaning “to hold the place of,” traces back to the mid-1970s when Intermountain Healthcare and the University of Utah’s College of Medicine worked together to create Health Systems Research Institute (HRSI). The two Utah-based organizations received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which aimed to reduce burnout among physicians practicing in rural areas. Many burned-out physicians were abandoning their practices at this time, leaving residents of these areas without access to medical care.

The burnout among rural physicians often resulted from a lack of resources to take time away from their practices. They didn’t have medical professionals to cover for them, which meant they couldn’t take days off for illness, vacation, or even to complete continuing medical education (CME) courses in person. In response, the creation of HRSI led to the launch of a program called Rural Outreach Physician Education (ROPE), which brought rural doctors to the University of Utah for classes focused on running their practices more efficiently.

Physicians in the Program

Many physicians took advantage of the courses offered through the ROPE program to improve their practices, but they still needed coverage. Alan Kronhaus, a physician practicing in a small mining town in Nevada, established and operated a health care system in Yellowstone National Park. His success led to him becoming the medical director of the HSRI. He partnered with another physician, Therus Kolff, to create a service known as locum tenens, which involved creating a network of doctors who wanted to work part-time and serve rural communities.

Although the program started in the West, the two physicians soon recognized the nationwide need for support in the medical field. They expanded the program, which allowed physicians to serve as replacements for those who wanted to take time off for vacation or attend CME courses.

The Launch of New Organizations

Kolff later created his own locum tenens organization, which originally focused on primary care but later expanded to include various medical specialties. Kolff’s organization was first known as Comprehensive Health Systems, which became a national health care placement company. Kronhaus also started his own organization and received many responses to an ad he placed in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Since the launch of the locum tenens physician program, thousands of physicians have taken advantage of the unique opportunities afforded to them. A physician who feels burned out can receive support and backup from a doctor who can take over their practice for a period.