Physician burnout. Rural care gaps. Staffing shortages. Healthcare leaders are discussing systemic issues and offering a simple solution: locum tenens.
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 issue: Lisa Grabl, CHG’s Group President, recently told Medical Economics that locum tenens isn’t just a stopgap. It’s a strategic fix to systemic problems. With 72% of locum assignments in Health Professional Shortage Areas, she argues that locums are doing the real work of keeping underserved communities afloat. The payoff? Better patient outcomes, happier clinicians, and a stronger system overall.
Also in this edition of Digest: APPs are stepping into more complex roles, recruiters reveal what they wish physicians understood before reaching out, and radiology shifts continue in 2025. Plus, we break down what it really takes to retain top talent and explain how to recognize and respond to physician burnout before it escalates.
Lisa Grabl on the Future of Locum Tenens, from Burnout, Rural Staffing, and More
May 28 | Medical Economics
In a recent interview with Medical Economics, Lisa Grabl, group president of CHG Healthcare, emphasized the critical role locum tenens physicians play in addressing healthcare disparities.
She highlighted that 71% of locum assignments are in Health Professional Shortage Areas, underscoring their importance in ensuring access to care in underserved regions.
Grabl noted that CHG Healthcare was founded to staff rural medicine in Utah, and the need for such services remains unchanged. Locum tenens physicians not only fill essential gaps but also bring fresh perspectives and expertise to communities that need them.
Grabl also discussed how locum tenens work offers physicians flexibility and autonomy, which are increasingly valued in today’s healthcare landscape. She pointed out that many physicians are seeking alternatives to traditional employment models to achieve better work-life balance and reduce burnout.
Locum tenens positions enable doctors to select assignments that align with their personal and professional goals, offering opportunities to explore various practice settings and patient populations. This flexibility can lead to increased job satisfaction and longevity in the medical profession.
Furthermore, Grabl addressed the evolving dynamics of the healthcare workforce, noting that locum tenens arrangements can serve as a strategic solution for both providers and healthcare organizations. For physicians, these roles offer a chance to maintain clinical skills while enjoying greater control over their schedules.
For healthcare facilities, especially those in rural or underserved areas, locum tenens physicians provide essential coverage, ensuring continuity of care. Grabl emphasized that embracing locum tenens models can lead to improved patient outcomes and a more resilient healthcare system overall.
La Vida Locum
APPs Continue To Redefine Locum Tenens Staffing
May 28 | MPLT Healthcare
Advanced practitioners are transforming the locum tenens industry. Once a physician-dominated space, locum work now includes nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified registered nurse anesthetists who are stepping into critical roles across all types of clinical settings.
As facilities navigate staffing shortfalls and rising patient demand, these providers are filling the gaps. And it’s not just in rural or underserved regions. Locum agencies report growing interest in these roles, and APPs are responding by choosing assignments that offer autonomy, competitive pay, and career variety.
What’s driving this shift? Choice. Increasingly, APPs are turning to locum tenens to escape burnout, sidestep bureaucratic burdens, and reclaim their time. They’re creating custom schedules, exploring new care environments, and focusing on patient care.
For many, it’s not just a temporary fix. It’s a sustainable and fulfilling career model. Agencies that understand the nuances of APP locum work, from credentialing to multi-state licensing, are helping make the transition easier and more attractive.
Staffing firms should take note. Demand for advanced practice locums is climbing in primary care, behavioral health, emergency medicine, and surgical support. These providers have demonstrated their ability to integrate quickly and deliver high-quality care. Facilities are adjusting their hiring strategies, and smart agencies are stepping up to provide better support and well-matched assignments for this essential workforce.
Locum Tenens Work as a Launchpad to Healthcare Leadership
May 20 | Integrity Locums
Does ‘locum tenens’ mean stepping off the leadership path? It might be the fastest way forward. Instead of settling into a single system, locum providers move across institutions and encounter a range of governance models, operational workflows, and leadership philosophies.
That variety builds a richer understanding of healthcare management than many full-time roles ever offer. As a result, more physician leaders are emerging from the locum space, bringing diverse insight, adaptable strategies, and broad experience to the C-suite.
Each assignment is a crash course in healthcare administration. Locums negotiate contracts that sharpen their financial literacy, work within systems that test their adaptability, and build relationships with leaders across departments and regions. These “weak ties” (professional connections outside a provider’s inner circle) often become critical career assets, leading to referrals, collaborations, and even leadership offers. In many cases, a temporary assignment serves as an extended interview, giving decision-makers a first-hand look at how a provider fits their team.
For agencies placing top talent, this is a powerful story to tell. Locum tenens providers aren’t just filling gaps. They’re developing the exact competencies healthcare boards want in future leaders: systems thinking, change management skills, financial fluency, and collaborative leadership.
Agencies that align locum assignments with these goals not only serve their clients but help providers build careers that shape the future of healthcare.
Telemedicine Opens New Doors for Locum Physicians
May 13 | ProLocums
Locum staffing doesn’t stop at the state line anymore. Telehealth makes it possible to fill hard-to-staff roles without the cost or mental toll of constant travel. Today, locum providers can deliver high-quality care from a home office while supporting facilities and patients across the country.
For physicians looking to regain control of their time, income, and workflow, telehealth is no longer a fringe option. It’s a practical, high-demand model that aligns with how many providers want to work right now.
Telemedicine pairs especially well with locum assignments. It allows providers to maintain licensure in multiple states, serve overextended facilities, and deliver care to communities without local access. Working in virtual environments also adds variety, exposing clinicians to new platforms, diverse patient needs, and evolving care procedures.
That kind of breadth is good for preventing burnout, but it’s also a serious career booster. Agencies that specialize in remote locum staffing are helping providers build richer, more sustainable careers without sacrificing work-life balance.
But before jumping in, physicians need to be prepared. Multi-state licensure, HIPAA-compliant tech, and a polished virtual bedside manner are all essential. Staffing agencies that offer comprehensive support with licensing, onboarding, and technical training have a significant advantage over the competition.
With that guidance, locum physicians can confidently step into remote roles that expand their reach, strengthen their skills, and make space for the kind of balance that’s hard to find in traditional clinical work.
Locum Leaders
Prominent Healthcare Staffing Firms Join Forces
May 29 | Finsmes, TNAA, PR Newswire
In a bold move to expand its national footprint, Care Career, Inc. has acquired four prominent healthcare staffing firms: Alliant Personnel Resources, Amare Medical Network, MedUS Healthcare, and Next Move Healthcare.
Each company brings unique strengths, ranging from correctional facility placements to nationwide travel nurse staffing, while retaining their individual brands under Care Career’s umbrella. This strategic consolidation positions Care Career to approach nearly $100 million in annual revenue, thereby enhancing its ability to deliver comprehensive staffing solutions across a diverse range of clinical and non-clinical roles.
In a significant industry development, Travel Nurse Across America and TotalMed have announced a strategic merger, uniting two of the nation’s leading healthcare staffing agencies. This merger combines their extensive resources to offer a broader range of services, including travel nursing, allied health staffing, locum tenens, and workforce solutions. The integration aims to provide enhanced support and expanded opportunities for healthcare professionals while delivering innovative, cost-effective staffing solutions to healthcare organizations nationwide.
Further strengthening their position in the healthcare staffing sector, SimpliFi and Staffency have merged to create a powerhouse in workforce solutions. This union combines SimpliFi’s expertise in managed services with Staffency’s robust staffing capabilities, enabling the combined entity to deliver comprehensive, technology-driven staffing solutions to over 2,200 care sites across the US. The merger is set to enhance service offerings, streamline operations, and provide healthcare facilities with agile, data-driven workforce strategies.
How Culture-Driven Leadership Can Supercharge Staffing Firm Performance
May 29 | Access Capital
At a recent speaking event, staffing strategist Thomas Kosnik presented a playbook for firms seeking to elevate their culture and performance. With the industry facing 39 straight months of declining penetration rates, Kosnik didn’t sugarcoat the challenges.
But he made a bold case that the firms that thrive will be the ones investing in culture, not just sales training. His message: focus on developing A-players, engage your B- and C-tier performers, and align every people strategy with your growth goals.
A strong employee value proposition is the cornerstone of that strategy. Kosnik advised firms to start by interviewing their top recruiters, distilling what keeps them engaged, and turning those insights into a clear EVP that’s reflected in every hiring and onboarding conversation. From there, tools like personality profiles and culture surveys can ensure that new hires not only possess the necessary skills but also fit culturally. On the performance side, Kosnik recommends ditching vague job descriptions in favor of one-page competency-based profiles with clear KPIs and built-in feedback loops.
The ultimate ROI, according to Kosnik, comes from leadership development. Sales training has its place, but great managers are what drive long-term revenue and team retention. Equip your top 20% with coaching and conflict resolution skills, align their goals with the business strategy, and empower them to lead the culture from within. For staffing firms ready to grow intentionally, Kosnik’s session was a masterclass in transitioning from firefighting to future-proofing.
Hire Power
What Healthcare Recruiters Wish More Candidates Knew
May 29 | allMedical Personnel
Strong provider-recruiter relationships don’t just speed up placements. They shape providers’ careers. That’s the message from All Medical Personnel’s recruiting team, which recently shared what they wish more clinicians understood before embarking on a job search. Their insights offer a valuable reminder: even great providers need coaching, clarity, and a little structure to land the right roles.
It starts with the basics, like a sharp, tailored resume. But recruiters say it’s often soft skills, transparency, and communication that determine whether a placement goes smoothly. When providers are upfront about their preferences, scheduling limits, and credentialing status, recruiters can focus on finding a good fit instead of damage control. The biggest disruptors? Delayed paperwork, mixed signals, and disappearing acts.
Staffing firms that educate candidates on what makes the process work, like timely follow-ups, honest communication, and a proactive mindset, aren’t just improving efficiency. They’re increasing retention, building trust, and creating long-term value on both sides of the desk. A prepared clinician is a faster placement and a stronger ambassador for your brand.
Radiology’s Shifting Ground: What Job-Seekers and Staffing Firms Should Know in 2025
May 29 | BenWhite.com
The radiology job market is buzzing, and not just with RVUs. In a recent roundup of FAQs, leading radiologist Ben White provided candid insights on the viability of private practice, the staying power of teleradiology, and why breast imaging is both red-hot and on shaky ground.
The verdict? Opportunities abound for locums and tele-focused providers, but long-term satisfaction will hinge on more than high pay and remote perks. Staffing firms seeking to place radiologists must track not only demand but also the more profound structural changes transforming the field.
Teleradiology continues to grow, especially for off-hours shifts, but it comes at a cost. Remote-only setups are reshaping group dynamics, resulting in dual-class structures and widening cultural gaps. Younger radiologists may love the freedom, but some are chasing lifestyle over meaning, which Ben calls a gamble that could leave them isolated or unfulfilled over time.
Locums, meanwhile, remains lucrative, especially for those who are flexible. However, as hospitals seek short-term solutions without long-term commitments, recruiters and providers alike must stay agile and realistic about the trade-offs.
And then there’s breast imaging. Demand is high, reimbursement remains attractive, and remote “telemammo” roles are pulling in talent. But the field may be first in line for AI-driven disruption, with high-volume, standardized workflows making it a prime target for automation and corporate investment.
Bottom line: Radiology is evolving fast. Firms and physicians who prioritize adaptability, whether through flexible licensing, diverse experience, or willingness to shift roles, will be best positioned to thrive in the next wave of market changes.
7 Healthcare Staffing Trends Every Firm Should Be Watching in 2025
May 29 | Alumni Staffing
The rules of healthcare staffing are shifting rapidly in 2025, and the firms that adapt quickly will emerge as winners. Clinicians are demanding more control over their schedules, and facilities are responding with flexible roles, such as per diem shifts, part-time telehealth services, and short-term contracts.
Locum tenens continues to rise as a go-to career choice, not just a fill-in option, with specialties such as emergency medicine and psychiatry leading the charge. As technology reshapes how agencies operate, staffing firms are embracing AI, mobile platforms, and credentialing automation to expedite placements and minimize friction for both clients and providers.
Mental health staffing is now a critical priority. With rising behavioral health needs, demand for psychiatrists, therapists, and psychiatric NPs is exploding, especially in schools, community clinics, and underserved areas. Meanwhile, an aging workforce is prompting firms to take succession planning and early-career recruitment seriously. Interstate compacts and automation are helping speed up credentialing, but it remains a common bottleneck. Agencies that can onboard quickly will outpace the competition.
DEI is also taking center stage. Health systems want talent that reflects the communities they serve, and they’re looking to staffing partners for help. That means expanding candidate pipelines, reducing bias, and tracking real progress, not just checking boxes. For agencies ready to combine agility, tech innovation, and inclusive hiring with a deep bench of qualified providers, 2025 presents a wide-open opportunity.
The Real Key to Retention? Strategic Hiring with Heart
May 15 | Winston Resources
Hiring top talent is only half the battle. Keeping them? That takes more than job titles and credentials. According to Winston Resources, high-performing teams tend to stay when employers prioritize both technical skills and cultural fit during the hiring process. It’s not just about what a candidate can do, but whether they believe in the work.
Companies that prioritize alignment with their mission see stronger engagement, fewer exits, and better performance across the board. For staffing firms, that means asking sharper questions upfront and focusing as much on emotional intelligence and adaptability as on hard skills.
A supportive culture, empathetic leadership, and crystal-clear communication turn good hires into loyal contributors. Industries, from healthcare to construction, benefit when organizations go beyond flashy perks and focus on genuine connections.
Think regular check-ins, transparent expectations, and onboarding that lasts longer than a welcome lunch. Strategic investments in learning opportunities, from cross-training to low-cost workshops, demonstrate to employees that they’re valued as long-term assets, not short-term solutions. And that kind of respect drives retention.
Partnering with a recruitment expert can streamline this process, especially for firms without in-house HR firepower. Whether placing nurses, techs, marketers, or analysts, staffing agencies that understand cultural alignment and back it with structured support are helping employers build teams that perform well and actually stay.
Making the Rounds
The Future of AI in Healthcare Is Practical, Not Flashy
May 20 | Healthcare IT News
There’s no shortage of buzz around artificial intelligence in healthcare. Still, according to Stanford professor and Qualified Health CEO Dr. Justin Norden, the future of AI won’t be defined by headline-grabbing diagnostics or shiny chatbot demos.
Instead, real value is emerging behind the scenes: in admin workflows, quality reporting, and revenue cycle improvements. Dr. Norden recommends that staffing firms focus on operational wins, not moonshots. The most innovative teams are starting small, embedding AI where it counts, and staying laser-focused on safety and ROI.
Norden warns that even as AI use quietly spreads across clinical teams, too many systems are still operating under “don’t ask, don’t tell” policies. That leaves room for data risks, compliance gaps, and future legal exposure. Whether it’s staff using personal ChatGPT accounts or vendors overselling tools without governance plans, the pitfalls are real. Instead, successful organizations are deploying HIPAA-compliant AI tools internally, keeping humans in the loop, and setting clear thresholds for performance and oversight.
The biggest AI mistake in 2025? Trying to do too much or waiting too long. Hospital systems chasing 15 vendor pilots or sitting idle while their EHRs catch up risk getting stuck in neutral. Norden’s advice is to pick high-impact use cases. Start small. Scale what works. And don’t forget your people. Training, clarity, and trust matter just as much as tech. The future of AI in healthcare won’t be built on hype but on smart bets, strong policies, and empowered teams.
The Quiet Force Fighting Physician Burnout
May 27 | American Medical Association
Physician burnout isn’t just a scheduling issue or a staffing shortage; it’s also a matter of recognition. According to 2024 data from the AMA, 55% of physicians reported feeling valued by their organizations, up from just 46.3% two years prior. That’s progress worth celebrating. But it also reveals how far the industry still has to go.
The AMA’s Organizational Biopsy gathered insights from nearly 18,000 physicians across 43 states, tracking key indicators like burnout, job satisfaction, and intent to leave. Specialty-level results show modest differences, with family medicine and pediatrics topping the “feeling valued” charts, while hospital medicine lags slightly behind. While gender disparities persist (58% of men report feeling valued vs. 52% of women), the majority of physicians also said they feel they’re making a meaningful impact and using their strengths at work.
So, what helps doctors feel valued? Examples from AMA partner organizations include simple but powerful shifts: scrapping the term “provider” at Bayhealth, boosting peer connections at Hattiesburg Clinic, and opening lines of communication at Texas Children’s Pediatrics. Whether it’s leadership training, regular recognition, or system-wide listening efforts, the message is clear: supporting physician well-being starts with culture, not perks.
How to Spot and Prevent Severe Physician Burnout Before It Takes Hold
May 20 | Physician’s Weekly
Burnout has become a fixture in modern medicine, but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence. In a recent piece, Dr. Linda Girgis shares candid advice on how to recognize and manage severe physician burnout, an increasingly common condition fueled not just by clinical load but by a pile-on of administrative headaches: insurance hoops, prior auths, endless charting, and decisions made by people far removed from the exam room.
When the joy of medicine fades into dread, it’s time to act. Red flags include chronic exhaustion, irritability, mood swings, and a sense of hopelessness about work. Dr. Girgis offers a straightforward action plan: schedule real-time off, protect your energy by saying no, and reconnect with what brings you joy. Perhaps most importantly, she urges physicians to speak up about how they’re feeling and get support when needed.
Yes, the system needs reform. But while that long game unfolds, clinicians can take steps now to protect their mental health and prevent burnout from taking over because loving medicine shouldn’t mean sacrificing yourself to practice it.
Sponsored Content
Gen Z and Millennial Docs Are Redefining Work, And Locums Is Leading the Way
May 30 | OnCall Solutions
Today’s early-career physicians aren’t chasing corner offices or 30-year tenures. They’re prioritizing flexibility, autonomy, and a sustainable lifestyle, and many are turning to locum tenens, telehealth, and hybrid roles to get there.
According to Deloitte, work-life balance is the top priority for both Gen Z and millennial professionals, with many willing to leave jobs that don’t support it. For hospitals hoping to attract this next generation, flexible scheduling, remote options, and robust career development aren’t perks, but requirements.
Burnout prevention, meaningful autonomy, and the freedom to explore different practice environments are shaping how younger physicians choose (and leave) jobs. Most people don’t view career shifts as disloyalty, and they want a say in how they practice medicine.
Healthcare employers can meet this moment by offering short-term contracts, embracing remote care when possible, and investing in professional development that goes beyond productivity metrics. Locum tenens remains a standout option, offering schedule flexibility and diverse clinical experiences without the long-term commitment.
The takeaway? Gen Z and millennial physicians are changing the playbook, and that’s a good thing. When clinicians are supported in building sustainable careers, everyone benefits.
Want to Boost Locum Physician Retention? Start With Their Finances
May 13 | The Doctor’s CPA
In today’s competitive locum tenens market, offering a strong hourly rate isn’t enough. Locum physicians navigating 1099 income and self-employment taxes need smart financial guidance. That’s where partnering with a specialized CPA comes in.
Staffing agencies that offer access to trusted financial pros give their physicians the tools to minimize tax burdens, optimize deductions, and build long-term wealth. And that support pays off: less stress, more thoughtful planning, and greater loyalty. From structuring income as an S-Corp to maximizing retirement savings through SEP IRAs or Solo 401(k)s, a CPA can turn financial uncertainty into confidence and help your firm stand out.
With a plug-and-play partnership model like The Doctor’s CPA, agencies can offer this high-value benefit without incurring additional administrative work. It’s a simple way to show physicians you’ve got their backs beyond the assignment. And in an industry built on trust, that kind of added value goes a long way.
