Improving Patient Care, One Traveler at a Time

2020 has placed unprecedented strain on medical facility administrators responsible for staffing, requiring quick pivots to respond to the evolving pandemic without sacrificing quality of care. Medical Solutions CEO Craig Meier shares his perspective on how the right Managed Services Partner and focus on the ‘perfect fit’ when evaluating candidates can be critical to saving care teams time and money, while also expanding their capacity to provide excellent patient care.

CM: In today’s environment, hospital administrators need to rapidly deploy a growing list of clinicians and support staff to adequately address the patient influx. But while a candidate may look great on paper, they won’t always be a strong clinical or cultural fit. A poor fit means more turnover, more time spent finding replacements, and risking their ability to meet patient care needs.

We know that not evaluating candidates thoroughly costs medical facilities in time, money and patient care quality. Now more than ever, hospitals need a staffing partner who understands their evolving needs. That’s why it’s so important to align with a Managed Services Partner who can deliver a total custom workforce solution that works the way you do.

CM: The COVID-19 pandemic has put a spotlight on the nursing shortage in our country and changed the way the healthcare industry finds quality talent. Hospitals and medical facilities are realizing that using an MSP helps fill roles quickly and has a positive impact on finances and patient care. We’ve developed benchmarks based on nearly 20 years of historical data to determine and predict staffing needs that ultimately save our clients money by helping them hire the right people, right when they need them.

CM: If you’ve worked with a staffing partner, you’ve likely discussed fill rates or time-to-fill rates. These metrics are crucial when evaluating an MSP, but another metric that deserves closer attention is the average assignment fall-off rate. The reality is that medical facilities don’t just need rapid deployment of staff. They also need the candidates they’ve invested in to fulfill their contracts.

At Medical Solutions, our average fall-off rate is 3%, which is significantly below the industry average of 20%. Behind this success is our Clinical Team, a group of professionals with clinical backgrounds tasked with interviewing and hiring travelers in 48 hours. This human-first approach relies less on technology and focuses more on finding the perfect cultural and clinical match by evaluating candidates on a professional and personal level, while considering their past unit experiences and working styles. A strong candidate who’s in alignment with your facility and care needs ensures the highest level of patient care.

CM: Culture is the secret sauce to any successful business, and it’s a primary focus of our hiring efforts both internally and externally. Our emphasis on culture continues to strike a chord with healthcare administrators looking for new solutions to save money while meeting the growing staffing needs for their organization. For example, our travelers want to make a difference in patients’ lives and believe in providing exceptional care – no matter the circumstances – while our clients want excellent candidates. It’s our job to make sure our travelers are engaged and supported, while ensuring we’ve presented the candidate that’s the best fit for our client.

As a company, it’s crucial that we prioritize culture internally as well, so our team can fully embrace our purpose of connecting care. By creating a positive work environment where our team loves what they do and understands the role they ultimately play in delivering exceptional patient care, we can develop close connections with clients and provide a distinguished, supportive service experience. We’re people-who-care helping people who care! It’s a win-win for everyone.
 

To learn more, please visit medicalsolutions.com.