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Challenges Facing Critical Care Physician Staffing and How to Fix Them

Posted by VISTA Staffing on Nov 12, 2020 9:00:00 AM

Challenges facing critical care physician staffing and how to fix them

Since the spread of COVID-19, hospitals across the country have suffered a shortage of critical care providers due to the increased demand brought on by the healthcare crisis. The U.S. is projected to experience a shortage of over 7,900 critical care physicians due to COVID-19. Subsequently, many hospitals need critical care physicians, but it can be challenging to find the right candidates within the time they need them. 

Hospitals face particular challenges in critical care physician staffing, which VISTA's Rapid Response Recruitment Solutions can help overcome.

Top 3 Challenges of Critical Care Provider Staffing
There are three main problems that hospitals have to contend with when it comes to critical care provider staffing. With the right solution, you can avoid or overcome these challenges, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has increased its likelihood.

Intensivists Shortage
The principal goal of Intensive Care Units is to provide excellent care while monitoring patients who are critically ill. To help facilitate this, ICUs typically include adequate intensivist staffing to encourage faster recovery and shorter length of stay (LOS). 

Typically, over 5 million patients are admitted to ICUs every year. However, these are not normal times, and COVID-19 has led to an increase in ICU patients. A recent study found that the U.S. has seen higher rates of ICU admissions than patients in other countries, including China. As a result, the shortage of intensivists has led to delayed medical intervention, extended LOS, and increased treatment costs.

Physician Staffing Cost
Dedicated critical care teams are not only essential for providing adequate care to patients, but they are also cost-effective for high-volume ICUs. Hospitals can effectively achieve higher revenue with the help of a network of dedicated critical care clinicians. 

Hospitals can save up to $13 million in annual costs by implementing an intensivist-directed multidisciplinary team. Ultimately, if you want to save more money on staffing and other expenses, you should have a full staff of critical care clinicians available.

Non-ICU Intensivists
Emergency departments may also require critical care clinicians' assistance during unprecedented situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, you may need a team of multidisciplinary intensivists for providing emergency care, which may include pulmonologists, anesthesiologists, pediatricians and neonatologists, emergency medicine physicians, and surgeons. Other locum tenens clinicians may also be required to provide continuity of care. These specialists can help provide immediate and effective care of patients as soon as it's needed.

If you want to experience better outcomes and higher revenue for your hospital, you should optimize your network of critical care practitioners. With a cohesive team working at your hospital, you will provide patients with consistent and dependable care regardless of the situation, which may significantly reduce recovery times and LOS. At the same time, you'll be able to meet the increasing demand for care as more patients are admitted.

VISTA's Rapid Response Recruitment Solution
If you require a reliable dedicated team of intensivists in your hospital, VISTA can give you access to ample resources as a trustworthy staffing recruiter. Here at VISTA, we provide:
    • Urgent coverage in virtually any service line during COVID, flu season, or the holidays
    • Flex Up recruitment resources for any specialty in your region
    • Quality providers who are sourced and presented to provide the best available support for the continuum of care
    • Reliable on-site support
    • Best-in-class technology along with immediate and transparent activity data
    • 24/7 service you can count on

To provide hospitals with the rapid response deployment they need, we adhere to a strict procurement and deployment timeline that helps achieve the best results when our clients need them. 

You can experience several key benefits of working with VISTA for recruiting critical care staff, including:

Fast and Effective Matching
To begin the process, high-priority jobs are identified and flagged in our system, initiating the search for only the most qualified candidates. 

Efficient Delivery
Our diligent teams deliver, analyze, and address all outbound correspondence within a day of posting job listings to the job board.

Consistent Quality
All follow-up correspondence is sent within two days of the job posting, and we sync all activity with the CRM database.

Dependable Communication
We also offer a streamlined communication process and a single point of contact every step of the way. You'll never be left in the dark at any point throughout the procurement and recruitment process.

VISTA can meet all urgent coverage needs through our proven process, with over 500 recruiters ready for deployment. We work to balance cost and quality, with no minimum request and exclusive dedication you won't find elsewhere. If you're looking for the ideal solution to help staff your critical care teams and reduce staffing costs, VISTA is here to serve as a provider you can trust. Regardless of the number of patients you're admitting, we'll make sure you have the specialized staff you need to provide sufficient and consistent care.

Let VISTA Give You the Support Your Hospital Needs to Thrive
Whether you need a team of intensivists, non-ICU care teams, or want to increase revenue and reduce staffing expenses, VISTA has the resources to help you get the best possible results.

We understand how difficult it can be to care for a growing number of patients, particularly during times of high volume, like the current pandemic and cold and flu season. This is why we work to ensure that our clients have access to the best care providers whenever they're needed. With VISTA's Rapid Response Solution backing your hospital and helping with the recruitment process, you'll be able to overcome any challenges you face with plenty of expertise and efficiency. Get started today!

 

Topics: Industry Updates, Facilities & Practices, Staffing Technology, workforce optimization

 

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About VISTA Staffing Solutions

At VISTA we’re dedicated to being our clients’ strategic workforce optimization partner. With our deep industry expertise and exclusive locums MSP technology, we help health systems, hospitals, practices, and government entities build and sustain effective workforce models that ensure patient access to care and organizational stability. Covering more than 60 specialties, we staff physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to help our clients preserve revenue and maintain profitability.