As healthcare staffing grows more complex and challenging, facilities and organizations are turning to vendor management systems (VMS) to control costs and resources. Offering the prospect of fewer expenses, greater efficiency and the power to do more with less, VMS is now widely embraced in clinical settings. With that in mind, here’s a look at 7 key benefits of VMS in staffing for healthcare providers.
> Quick Read: What Is a Healthcare VMS, and How Does It Work?
7 Benefits of VMS in Staffing for Healthcare Facilities and Organizations
Staffing and labor challenges have hit the healthcare industry hard in recent years. There’s been an enormous increase in turnover across the board, for hospitals, SNFs, clinics and home care providers and everyone in between. This turnover is being fueled by early retirements and job changes brought on by burnout related to Covid-19—and it’s causing healthcare wages to spike at a time when many providers can least afford it.
Given these challenges, the ability of a vendor management system to cut costs, boost efficiency, and help organizations do more with less labor is a huge benefit. Here’s a rundown of some of the specific, measurable ways that VMS can benefit staffing for healthcare facilities and organizations.
Benefit #1: Better operational efficiency.
It’s not uncommon for healthcare organizations to rely upon a variety of third-party vendors to fulfill certain aspects of their staffing and recruitment needs more effectively and efficiently. Given the current labor environment, that role is more important than ever. But as things have grown more complex, the need to manage those vendors in a way that maximizes returns has become urgent.
By applying a single system of oversight across key components of staffing and recruitment — including sourcing, billing, invoicing, scheduling and more — leaders can operate much more efficiently. And at a time when margins are tighter than ever, that increased efficiency can translate into actual revenue.
Benefit #2: Better organization & oversight
With a healthcare VMS partner, you’ll have complete oversight of every aspect of your labor spend. Instead of receiving sporadic reporting from a variety of vendors, you’ll have constant access to a global dashboard that lets you see everything, all in one location. And that streamlining helps leaders make better-informed decisions on where, when and how to source, place and pay essential workers.
Benefit #3: More room in the labor budget
The ability to automate key parts of the sourcing and recruitment process is one of the most important benefits of VMS in staffing for the healthcare industry. By freeing on-site staff from time-consuming duties related to billing and invoicing, for instance, employers can get far more productivity from their current staff.
And that means more room in the budget is made available for investing in other aspects of the workforce in need of cashflow. That could include meeting higher payment standards or providing the benefits that can attract workers and keep them happy, or whatever your specific need may be.
Benefit #4: Better analytics & reporting
Automating key elements of the staffing process doesn’t just help free up time for full-time staff, but it can also help organizations reduce errors made from manual entry. And by monitoring every piece of data involved in the entire process, other errors or inefficiencies can be weeded out of the process, and unwanted or unforeseen trends can be dealt with at an early stage.
Getting regular, easy-to-process reporting on all of these elements also helps leaders make better informed decisions not only about their staffing and recruitment efforts, but also about elements that could directly impact patient care and outcomes.
Benefit #5: Continuous improvement
This constant monitoring and oversight of data empowers leaders to continuously refine the details of their labor spend. That means using both essential and contingent workers more efficiently and effectively — not just today but next year, and every year after that. In the long run, that can save an organization serious money, and can even improve patient outcomes.
Benefit #6: Access to top technology and expertise
Partnering with a healthcare VMS provider can also help ensure that a facility is using the best possible technology, systems and processes for each task. Especially for organizations that may struggle with healthcare IT, partnering with a VMS provider can be an effective (and budget-friendly) way to place the burden of tech expertise on the shoulders of experts in a way that best serves their specific needs.
A sophisticated healthcare VMS will customize a solution that integrates into an organization’s existing systems and workflows in a way that isn’t burdensome for workers. It’s also a way to help ensure that all hiring processes and personnel are optimized and regularly tested — both of which are essential when it comes to digital security.
Benefit #7: Help with compliance
Finally, one of the most important benefits of VMS in staffing for healthcare providers is help staying compliant with the many regulatory protocols mandated by the government. On top of helping organizations avoid unwanted fees or fines, it’s also a better way to meet the standards of value-based care reimbursement and other CMS mandates.
> Deeper Dive: What’s the Difference between VMS and MSP?
Seize the Benefits of VMS in Staffing with CareerStaff Unlimited
The use of third-party vendors has become a sheer necessity for many healthcare organizations. But managing all these vendors can be a job in and of itself. With a qualified healthcare VMS partner, leaders can get complete oversight of all these essential processes in a way that enables better-informed decision making, a better use of the workforce budget, and potentially better outcomes, too.
If you’re looking for help or guidance with getting the benefits of VMS in staffing for your healthcare organization, our experts are standing by to help. You can contact us here or request a consultation now to get the ball rolling.