According to CHG’s 2025 State of Locum Tenens Report, Plan B is becoming Plan A.
Welcome to Locums Digest, Locumpedia’s free bi-weekly roundup of industry news and trends that helps locum tenens agencies and healthcare facilities make informed business decisions.
In this edition: CHG Healthcare’s 2025 State of Locum Tenens Report reveals that 67% of healthcare facilities are using locums primarily to backfill, down from 82% in 2023. Instead, more leaders are building locums into long-term staffing plans. With demand for specialties like anesthesiology skyrocketing and burnout still widespread, the locum model is evolving into a proactive solution rather than a last resort.
Also in Digest 104: What stalled physician pay means for staffing firms, how leaders are addressing the psychiatrist shortage, and why locums are essential for sustaining patient trust. Plus, Trio Workforce Solutions debuts its new brand, and H-1B visa fees complicate rural healthcare.
CHG’s 2025 Report Reveals Strategic Shift in Locum Tenens Use
October 29 | CHG Healthcare
CHG Healthcare’s 2025 State of Locum Tenens Report dropped in late October, offering a data-rich look at trends reshaping the locum tenens industry. From the evolving profile of today’s locum physician to the growing influence of technology, the report touches on everything from staffing use cases to strategic workforce planning.
One of its most striking findings? The way facilities use locum tenens is shifting. While backfill coverage remains the most common use case, its dominance is declining, down from 82% in 2023 to 67% in 2024. This, paired with a 25% year-over-year increase in overall locum use, signals that more healthcare leaders are building locums into their long-term staffing models, not just plugging short-term gaps.
And that’s just the start. With anesthesiology demand up 55% and burnout still widespread, the report confirms what many industry insiders have long emphasized: locum tenens isn’t a catch-all solution, but it can’t be treated as a last resort either. For facilities focused on sustainability, strategically integrating locums is becoming essential.
La Vida Locum
Keep Patient Trust Intact With a Smart Locum Strategy
October 9 | Jackson and Coker
When a key clinician goes on leave, the scramble to find coverage can rattle facilities’ schedules and, worse, patient confidence. Gaps in care, long waits, or unfamiliar faces can lead patients to seek care elsewhere. But with the right locum tenens plan in place, provider transitions don’t have to disrupt the patient experience. Facilities that plan with locum support show patients they have a strategy, and that inspires trust.
Continuity is central to patient satisfaction. Canceled visits or rushed handoffs signal to patients that their care isn’t a priority. On the flip side, a well-prepared locum provider who’s looped in and trained can keep care consistent and patient relationships strong. Locums also shield permanent staff from burnout by absorbing excess workload and keeping care standards intact during transitions.
The key is planning. From structured onboarding to proactive patient communication, prudent locum use helps prevent gaps and build loyalty. With experienced locums ready to step in, facilities can avoid chaos and deliver on their promise to care for patients no matter what.
How Locum APPs Strengthen Care Teams
September 17 | Hayes Locums
With the physician shortage intensifying and an aging population driving up chronic care needs, health systems are finding relief from APPs of all stripes. From CRNAs to PAs and NPs, APPs are extending the reach of physicians, keeping ORs running, and delivering high patient satisfaction without compromising care quality or blowing up the budget.
Care teams are evolving, and APPs are at the center of that shift. By clearly defining roles and fostering collaboration, facilities are giving APPs the autonomy to handle less acute cases while freeing physicians to focus on high-complexity care. That means more patients seen, fewer readmissions, and less strain on clinical staff. States are increasingly expanding the scope of practice for APPs, and health systems are following suit.
Anesthesia leads the charge, with CRNAs and CAAs now in the highest demand for locum assignments. But across every specialty, locum APPs are stepping in to support continuity, prevent burnout, and help facilities keep up.
Locums as a Lifeline: Staffing for a System on the Brink
October 9 | AllStar Healthcare
Hospitals and health systems are racing to keep up with full inpatient units, stretched EDs, and staffing budgets under stress. But running harder isn’t the answer. With the physician shortage expected to reach 86,000 by 2036 and burnout already affecting nearly half the workforce, it’s clear the status quo is unsustainable. What’s needed now isn’t more hustle, but strategic planning.
Locum tenens providers can do more than just plug holes. Used deliberately, they help stabilize patient access, prevent revenue loss, and protect your core staff from stress and fatigue. Think targeted relief during high-acuity call schedules, seamless coverage during vacancies, or added support to clear discharge backlogs. When locums are part of the plan instead of a panic purchase, they become a tool for financial resilience and team sustainability.
Real ROI happens when clinics stay open, operating rooms stay booked, teams stay intact, and patients stay satisfied. Rather than a break-the-glass option, locums are how savvy systems stay ahead without running their clinicians into the ground.
Locum Leaders
Floyd Lee Locums Named South Carolina’s Best Place to Work, Again
October 27 | Floyd Lee Locums
For the second year in a row, Floyd Lee Locums has secured the top spot on SC Biz News’ Best Places to Work in South Carolina list, earning first place in the medium employer category. The recognition reflects a combination of strong organizational metrics and consistently positive employee feedback, highlighting the company’s continued investment in its internal culture.
Employees point to leadership accessibility, wellness perks like gym reimbursements and mental health resources, and a collaborative work environment as key drivers of satisfaction. In an industry known for its intensity, Floyd Lee’s focus on supporting both internal teams and clinical staff stands out.
Floyd Lee Locums’ approach serves as a reminder that investing in people, whether on assignment or at headquarters, remains one of the most effective ways to drive long-term success.
MPLT’s Liz Hale Lands SIA Global Power 150 Honor for the Third Year Straight
October 22 | MPLT Healthcare
MPLT Healthcare CEO Liz Hale has once again earned a spot on Staffing Industry Analysts’ Global Power 150 Women in Staffing list, making it her third consecutive year receiving the honor. The annual list recognizes trailblazing women whose leadership is reshaping the staffing and recruitment world, and Hale’s three-peat highlights her sustained influence in healthcare staffing.
At the helm of MPLT, Hale has led the company’s growth by sharpening talent acquisition strategies, boosting operational efficiency, and cultivating a high-performance culture. Beyond MPLT, she’s also making moves as President of NALTO and chair of its Credentialing Committee, helping set ethical standards and best practices for the entire locum tenens arena.
In a space that thrives on connection and credibility, Hale’s leadership is a steady force. For the teams she leads and the industry she represents, Hale’s impact is both measurable and lasting.
Trio Workforce Solutions Launches Unified Brand to Streamline Healthcare Staffing
October 28 | Trio Workforce Solutions
Trio Workforce Solutions has officially rebranded, uniting AHSA and Trio VMS under a single identity with the goal of simplifying healthcare workforce management. The move consolidates two decades of experience into a comprehensive platform that combines vendor-neutral managed services with proprietary VMS technology.
Originally established in 2003 as AHSA, the organization has long focused on providing healthcare systems with flexible, transparent staffing solutions. As demand for workforce agility has grown, its Trio VMS platform has emerged as a key tool for enabling data-driven decision-making and improving operational visibility.
Now operating as Trio Workforce Solutions, the company supports more than 3,000 healthcare facilities and collaborates with nearly 500 staffing agencies nationwide. The rebrand reflects an effort to deliver a more integrated client experience that balances technology, service, and strategic insight. With industry recognition from groups like SIA, Trio is positioning itself to meet the evolving needs of healthcare organizations.
Hire Power
Physician Pay Stalls, And It’s Fueling Burnout and Turnover
October 16 | CompHealth
The numbers are in: Physician compensation rose just 3% in 2024, barely keeping up with inflation for the second year in a row. Medscape’s 2025 Physician Compensation Report reveals deepening pay frustration, a widening gender gap (now at $96,000 overall), and a growing sense among physicians that the profession simply isn’t paying off. Only half of physicians say they feel fairly compensated, and even fewer think the profession itself is.
What’s behind the stagnation? Slim hospital margins, years of CMS cuts, fading COVID-era pay boosts, and flat patient volumes in some specialties. Combine that with an over $500,000 price tag to replace a single physician, and health systems face a challenging mix of rising burnout, stalled wages, and soaring turnover risk. Unsurprisingly, 40% of physicians now supplement their income through side gigs, including locum tenens, with 47% citing it as a way to boost core pay.
The fix? Rethink comp strategies. That means regular benchmarking, equity audits, and incentive planning. It also means facilities should leverage locums strategically to protect staff from overload, offer schedule flexibility, and preserve retention in a tough financial climate.
CRNAs Take the Lead as 2026 Staffing Trends Take Shape
October 27 | LinkedIn
As 2025 wraps up, Jessica Fong, Director of Business Development at Locumsmart, shared key insights on shifting demand trends in locum tenens staffing. Anesthesia-related roles are dominating, with CRNA demand leading the pack at nearly 38,000 shifts, more than any other specialty. Anesthesiologists follow closely, overtaking hospitalists, who were the top-requested specialty last year.
Specialties consistently in demand include OBGYN, Gastroenterology, and Hematology/Oncology, showing continued need for specialized care. Even specialties like Emergency Medicine, Psychiatry, Cardiology, and General Surgery still represent thousands of shifts and remain essential, though they are lower on the volume list.
As 2026 approaches, these insights offer a clear direction for workforce planning. Healthcare organizations should align their staffing strategies with emerging demand patterns, prioritizing coverage for high-volume specialties while ensuring consistent support in lower-volume but still critical areas.
Proven Staffing Strategies To Navigate the Psychiatry Shortage
October 21 | Medicus Healthcare Solutions
The demand for psychiatric care in the US is surging, but supply just isn’t keeping up. By 2037, more than half of adult psychiatry needs will go unmet, leaving healthcare organizations scrambling to maintain access. Hiring timelines are dragging, with 55% of facilities actively recruiting psychiatrists but struggling to fill roles fast enough. As vacancies rise, so does the strain on emergency departments and inpatient units, making behavioral health one of the most urgent staffing challenges in the field.
Geographic disparities add another layer of complexity. Mental Health HPSAs (Health Professional Shortage Areas) show wide gaps in psychiatric care access across regions, particularly in rural communities. Even with the modest projected 6% growth in psychiatry jobs by 2034, that won’t be enough to meet the rising demand.
To fill the gap, innovative organizations are turning to psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners and locum tenens psychiatrists. These flexible solutions expand access, protect overburdened staff, and help systems stay responsive, enabling them to reduce financial (and personal) costs.
Making the Rounds
New H-1B Visa Fees Could Deepen Rural Doctor Shortages
October 28 | Insight News
A proposed $100,000 fee on employers sponsoring H-1B visas could deal a major blow to the US healthcare system, especially in rural America. While some government leaders have hinted that physicians might be exempt, the lack of clarity is already creating confusion. Foreign-born doctors make up one in five licensed US physicians and are a critical lifeline in underserved regions, where homegrown medical graduates often don’t fill available residency or practice positions.
Foreign-trained physicians have long filled gaps in primary care and hard-to-staff specialties, particularly in rural and shortage-designated areas. In 2025 alone, they filled nearly 10,000 residency slots, many of which were in communities most affected by physician shortages. These international medical graduates are nine times more likely than US-trained physicians to enter primary care, directly addressing decades-long access disparities.
If implemented, the new visa fee could make permanent recruitment financially untenable for smaller hospitals already struggling with tight margins and staffing gaps. Amid a projected national physician shortage, experts warn that further restricting foreign-trained doctors could turn a chronic access issue into a full-blown crisis.
117 Healthcare Leaders on the Trends Everyone’s Ignoring
October 28 | Becker’s Hospital Review
In a recent roundup from Becker’s Hospital Review, 117 healthcare leaders spotlighted overlooked trends shaping the industry in 2025. Top of mind? A projected 15% jump in patient healthcare costs, driven by inflation, rising labor and drug expenses, and consolidation pressures. Executives also called for more strategic investment in ambulatory care, infrastructure upgrades, and hybrid payment models that balance fee-for-service with value-based care.
Several leaders pointed to less flashy but deeply disruptive issues, like fragmented access, outdated behavioral health payment models, and the emotional toll of navigating a system built without patients in mind. Equity, trust, and access fatigue are gaining traction as operational concerns, not just buzzwords. Others argued that the real transformation lies in empowering staff, simplifying operations, and investing in leadership that fosters collaboration rather than just financial performance.
Whether through team-based care, AI that expands rural access, or equity-driven design, these underappreciated trends are reshaping the healthcare system, and they deserve more attention from leaders, funders, and policymakers alike.
Physician Recruiting Expands Across Diverse Practice Settings
October 28 | American Medical Association
As the job market evolves, early-career physicians have more practice settings to choose from than ever before. According to AMN Healthcare’s 2024–2025 recruiting data, traditional settings like hospitals (34% of physician searches) and academic centers (28%) are ramping up hiring, joined by private equity-owned groups, urgent care, telehealth platforms, and even insurance and pharmacy companies. This diversification reflects a growing demand for physicians across all specialties.
Academic medical centers are adopting business-minded strategies to expand their reach, while newer models like telehealth offer better work-life balance. Still, private practices remain active, often seeking recent graduates to replace retiring partners. Despite their differing recruitment strategies, all these settings compete for the same talent pool.
For residents exploring their first job, choosing the right setting depends on their priorities, whether it’s higher compensation, patient volume, teaching, or lifestyle. Employers are responding by enhancing overall compensation packages, especially in rural areas, where loan repayment, schedule flexibility, and work-life balance can tip the scales in recruitment.
Sponsored Content
Flexible Staffing Models Offer a Cure for Physician Overtime
October 28 | OnCall Solutions
As physician stress and turnover rates rise, many healthcare systems are rethinking the reliance on overtime to cover staffing gaps. While assigning extra shifts to full-timers might seem like a quick fix, it can lead to long-term financial strain, emotional exhaustion, and care disruption. Flexible staffing strategies, including locum tenens, per diem shifts, and reduced FTE models, are proving to be better alternatives, offering both fiscal sustainability and improved workforce stability.
Locum tenens coverage may appear to carry higher hourly rates on paper, but when compared with the hidden costs of overtime (burnout, recruitment churn, medical errors), the ROI becomes clear. Strategic scheduling, predictive workforce analytics, and a mix of part-time or job-sharing roles help hospitals maintain care continuity while minimizing stress on core teams. Even temporary coverage, whether for parental leave or seasonal surges, can prevent costly clinician fatigue.
A gradual rollout, supported by pre-credentialed clinician pools and data-informed planning, ensures success. The bottom line is that sustainable staffing models aren’t just good for budgets. They’re critical for retaining talent and delivering high-quality patient care.
Financial Support Is the New Differentiator: How CPA Partnerships Elevate Locum Agencies
May 13 | The Doctor’s CPA
In the competitive world of healthcare staffing, helping providers navigate their financial lives is quickly becoming a must-have, not a bonus. Locum tenens physicians face complex 1099 tax obligations, often without the tools to manage them effectively. By collaborating with an accounting partner like The Doctor’s CPA, staffing firms can offer expert financial guidance that helps providers minimize tax burdens, maximize deductions, and achieve long-term financial clarity.
This kind of value-added support goes beyond compensation packages. It enhances recruitment and retention by offering physicians something they truly need: peace of mind. Services like proactive tax planning, retirement optimization, and income structuring through S-Corps or SEP IRAs can boost take-home pay while reducing stress. When clinicians feel financially secure, they’re more likely to stay engaged and loyal to your agency.
Best of all, integrating CPA services into your firm’s offerings is seamless. The Doctor’s CPA handles the financial complexity, so you don’t have to, allowing your team to focus on placing top-tier talent. It’s a win-win that builds trust, strengthens retention, and sets your agency apart.
