When most people think of healthcare staffing, the first locations that come to mind are physician offices and community hospitals.  Certainly, these types of healthcare organizations are regularly in need of qualified doctors, nurses, therapists, lab techs and other professionals.  But that’s just the start of the career opportunities now available in the healthcare field.

Today, qualified professionals are needed at every point on the continuum of care, including pediatric clinics, adolescent counseling centers, senior living facilities and specialized treatment providers.  For example, nursing homes and assisted living facilities like to hire healthcare professionals who enjoy working with their residents on an ongoing basis.  Unlike a hospital or physician office where the patient population changes every day, an assisted living facility may house the same residents for months or years at a time.  That’s an important consideration for nurses, therapists and other professionals who would like to build long-term relationships with facility residents.

Another option is going to work in the home care sector, which continues to be one of the fastest growing areas of the healthcare industry.  Since home care is typically much less expensive than acute hospital care or 24/7 residential care, staffing demand is expected to increase substantially over the next decade.  Greater independence and flexibility in scheduling are among the advantages of a position in home care.  So if you’re looking at the next step in your healthcare career, be sure to consider the many types of professional opportunities before making a decision.

In light of federal and state pressures to reduce costs, healthcare organizations will need to clearly demonstrate they are delivering better value.  That was one of the key findings in a recent report by the PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC) Health Research Institute.  In its study, the PwC institute forecast the top healthcare trends for 2012, along with consumer data from online surveys of 1,000 U.S. adults.

The PwC report found that 52 percent of respondents would be interested in a value-based insurance plan. For example, such a plan might have lower fees for treatments known to be effective, while new treatments with unproven benefits would cost more.

Another key finding was that 65 percent of the people surveyed believe that health plans should offer a wide range of choices in terms of hospitals, doctors and treatment options. That’s an important consideration for healthcare organizations now in the process of building integrated partnerships and alliances to deliver more cost-efficient care.  In the last year, health insurers committed more than $2 billion to acquire or align with physician groups, clinics, and hospitals, according to PwC.

Finally, the PwC report also noted that more than half of respondents (52 percent) who were familiar with the health insurance exchange concept said they believe it will be easier to find and purchase a competitive health plan when the exchange markets open to consumers in 2014.

So it’s clear that consumers want value and choice from their providers, along with a lower cost of care.  Finding the right balance will be a continuing challenge for healthcare organizations of all sizes.

If you’re interested in downloading the full PwC report, click here.

Locums physicians are as unique as the positions they are placed in; however there are four main categories that comprise the majority of locums physicians.

The New Grad

After completing their residency or fellowship programs, physicians often want to work locum assignments to determine what type of practice setting they would like to eventually be in.  Working locum tenens is also a good opportunity to travel and determine where they would like to settle down permanently.

The Full Time Practice

The majority of locums physicians are in a full time practice, but utilize some of their vacation weeks or days off to supplement income, travel and assist other facilities and groups in need of coverage.

The Full Time Locum

Many providers have chosen the locum lifestyle because they enjoy traveling to different locations and practicing without the stressors of a medical practice.  A full time locum can make their own schedule, choose what assignments they will accept and at what rate.

The Semi Retired

Physicians that have retired from private practice often are not ready to completely leave the medical field.  Locums is a great way to keep skills sharp, supplement retirement funds and travel all while helping facilities in need.

All Medical has a flexible and customized approach to locum tenens staffing to accommodate all types of physicians and opportunities.