When healthcare facilities face gaps in coverage, the first thought may be to treat locum tenens staffing as a temporary fix or a necessary but costly patch. What if that thinking is actually costing your facility more than it’s saving?
In today’s healthcare landscape, where provider burnout is high, credentialing timelines can be long, and patient expectations are high, locum tenens providers are not just a stopgap. They can be a powerful tool for healthcare workflow optimization. It’s no longer about whether or not you will use locums. It is about how your facility will use them well.
Ready to learn how your facility can shift from reactive staffing to a proactive partnership that reduces cost, improves care continuity, and builds a more resilient workforce in the process?
Common pitfalls in staffing.
Even if your facility recognizes the need for locum tenens support, the experience does not always go as planned. Many of the common frustrations don’t stem from physicians and advanced practitioners, but from miscommunication, misalignment, and misunderstanding.
Inconsistency in patient care.
When locum tenens professionals rotate frequently or enter the facility without proper onboarding, it can affect the consistency of care. Both patients and permanent staff will notice this miscommunication and lack of proper planning. This can erode trust, disrupt your business, and make it even harder to maintain standards across the organization.
Cultural misalignment.
A physician or advanced practitioner might be an excellent clinical fit but still be the wrong cultural fit. When locums don’t align with a facility’s values, communication style, or pace, it may create friction. This friction can lead to dissatisfaction among all staff, poor patient experience, and even early contract terminations.
High short-term cost.
On paper, locum tenens rates can look steep, but sticker shock often overshadows the hidden costs of doing nothing such as lost revenue from unfilled shifts, overtime costs, and the long-term impact of turnover. Without a strategic point of view, these short-term costs can feel like a burden rather than an investment.
Debunking the cost myth.
The idea that locum tenens is too expensive is one of the most common misconceptions in healthcare staffing.
The daily rate can look high at a glance, but that number does not account for the cost of an unfilled roll. It does not reflect the revenue lost when patients are diverted, or the toll on your permanent staff who are stretched thin. It also does not show the ripple effect of burnout and turnover.
When used strategically, locums won’t drain your budget; it will protect it. They can keep your service lines open, stabilize care delivery, and give your staff the breathing room they need in order to stay engaged and efficient. In many cases, locums professionals are the difference between reactive staffing and sustainable operations.
The question is not whether locums cost too much. It is whether your facility can afford the cost of not using them.
Long-term strategy for underserved facilities.
In rural and underserved communities, staffing can be a constant challenge. Recruiting permanent staff to these areas can take months or years, and even then, retention is not guaranteed. That is where locum tenens can offer more than just a temporary solution.
When used intentionally, locums can become a sustainable part of a long-term workforce strategy – one that reflects the kind of practical innovations in healthcare needed to meet today’s staffing challenges. They can bring flexibility without sacrificing care, and they can allow your facility to maintain access to care while navigating permanent staff recruitment. For communities that struggle to attract permanent staff, locums can be the bridge that keeps your service lines open, and patients satisfied.
However, success depends on fit. The right clinician does not just fill a shift. They integrate into the team, understand the community, and deliver care that feels consistent and connected to your values. That kind of alignment does not happen by accident. It takes a thoughtful approach to matching, onboarding, and ongoing support.
Measuring ROI and agency performance.
Not all locum tenens partnerships are created equal. To move reactive staffing to strategic workforce planning, your facility needs more than anecdotal success. You need data.
Understanding how to improve hospital efficiency starts with tracking the right data. Performance metrics can help your team evaluate agency performance, identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions about where to invest money, time, and trust.
Here are a few of the most telling indicators:
- Fill rate. A high fill rate shows that an agency can consistently place locums, but this is only part of the story.
- Presentation rate. This metric reveals how many candidates are being submitted for an open opportunity. However, it is important to note if the presentations match what your facility actually needs. It can be a red flag if you are being presented with unqualified candidates.
- Credentialing efficiency. Delays in credentialing can stall your continuity of care. Your agency partner should know the process well enough to catch issues early and communicate effectively with you.
- Booking rate. Of the candidates presented, how many are booked? This will speak to candidate fit and how well the agency listens to your needs.
When metrics like these are consistently tracked, they become more than numbers. They become your guide for smarter staffing and stronger partnerships.
The value of true partnership.
Metrics matter, but they are only one part of the equation. Behind every successful locum tenens engagement is a partnership built on trust, transparency, and shared values.
When agencies operate as transactional vendors, your facility is left to manage the fallout of hidden fees, poor communication, and candidates who don’t meet your expectations. However, when agencies act as a true partner who has your best interests in mind, the experience changes. Communications improve, credentialing goes smoothly, and physicians and advanced practitioners arrive at your facility prepared to deliver care that aligns with your organization’s standards.
A healthy partnership means more than just filling roles. It means candid conversations about what is working and what is not. It means proactive support, not just transactional fixes, and it means having a team that is invested in your long-term success.
Connect with us to explore smarter locum solutions.
