At a time when clinical workforce dynamics have been stretched almost to their breaking point, many leaders are rethinking their staffing strategies. Procedures that worked well in the past are proving powerless in the face of a global pandemic and economic crisis. Today’s challenges require no less than a complete mastery of healthcare workforce logistics on an organization-wide basis
For some facilities, focusing on healthcare workforce logistics may have seemed like overkill in the past. But with the pressures of a global pandemic on top of widespread shutdowns and the freer movement of clinicians across state lines, that’s no longer the case. On a basic level, all facilities in the U.S. share a national workforce of nurses and clinicians. And having a pipeline into that network — and a partner who can integrate it into a flexible, scalable solution — has become crucial. (And not just because of Covid-19.)
Many organizations have turned to healthcare managed services providers (MSPs) to meet this need. By offering access to a nationwide network of clinicians at a rate that’s substantially lower than average recruitment costs, and offering the range of fill-in services like billing, interviewing, vendor management and more, MSPs can help organizations of all types meet their healthcare workforce logistics needs, and then some.
Checklist: What to Look For in a Healthcare MSP
At their heart, MSPs aim to drive efficiency and value by shoring up all aspects of healthcare workforce logistics. For some facilities, that may mean patching up current difficulties or specific operational pain points like sourcing or vendor management. Other organizations may benefit from a complete strategic overhaul, condensing all billing into a single line item and ensuring that the most challenging aspects of recruitment are in the hands of seasoned experts.
At CareerStaff Unlimited, our decades of experience providing total healthcare workforce solutions informs our approach. We go step-by-step through all the essential components of healthcare workforce logistics:
✓ A nationwide network of talent. A comprehensive approach to logistics requires a nation-wide footprint, to ensure that you have access to the professionals you need, at any given place and time.
✓ A quality portfolio of vendors. Ensuring administrative efficiency with a diverse pool of vendors to choose from is an essential feature of any MSP solution. Look for a partner who can not only integrate your preferred providers, but also recommend other vendors and specialists as needed.
✓ Advanced recruitment procedures and technology. Effective mastery of healthcare workforce logistics requires a powerful internal network of regional leadership serving nursing, therapy, pharmacy and interim management verticals. System-aided collaboration between internal and external niche providers, a central fulfillment hub and a supply of seasoned individual recruitment specialists are all key factors to look for here.
✓ VMS implementation. You’ll want to find a partner who can implement a web-based vendor management system (VMS). This is important because automating the management of staff, invoicing, compliance and reporting can save a significant amount of labor-intensive hours (and free up your staff members for more important tasks).
✓ IC compliance and payroll services. Leading MSPs should offer a fast, easy and free way to payroll contingent workers, as well as recommend the most appropriate engagement solution for each.
✓ Employer of record service. To assure compliance, it’s essential to find a partner who can serve as an employer of record, converting non-compliant contingent workers to warranted W-2 employees who are contracted under the terms of a standard work-for-hire agreement.
✓ Integrated talent solutions. Maximizing workforce logistics begins with visibility and insight into every form of talent that enters your facility. Your MSP partner should have the power to monitor this data in real time, helping you maximize your labor supply chain for optimal efficiency and resource utilization.
✓ Reporting and analytics. The more data you track related to your workforce, the more knowledge you’ll have to drive the kind of strategy that ensures continuous improvement. Choose a partner with the capacity to offer reporting on a standard basis and any additional required frequency, and who can walk you through the steps of using that info to your best organizational advantage.
✓ Risk management and compliance. Are your current workforce systems actively working to reduce risks, increase visibility and ensure compliance? This should be an area of emphasis for any MSP you partner with; some offer automated solutions to ensure constant up-to-date operations.
We Can Help You Master Healthcare Workforce Logistics
If the idea of keeping up with healthcare workforce logistics seems daunting, we can help you get the job done. At CareerStaff Unlimited, we understand the challenge of adapting systems to the needs of the current moment. To that end, our MSP solution leverages more than 30 years of expertise to help organizations make sure they’ve got every box checked.
Interested in learning more, we’re standing by to fill in the details! Contact us today. to discover how our customizable healthcare MSP solutions can help you meet your workforce needs, today and in the years to come.