According to a recent study, 71 percent of physicians searched for jobs online. Establishing an online presence—including on social media platforms—is more important than ever for medical facilities and the staffing firms that serve them. Here’s what we’re doing at Concorde.

Concorde recently launched a presence on two social networks to connect with clients and candidates. Come visit us on:

• LinkedIn
• Twitter

We’re using these platforms to make and maintain personal connections, as well as to participate in ongoing discussions with professionals throughout the medical staffing industry.

Under increasing economic pressures, many medical facilities are struggling to advance important quality and performance initiatives. But independent physicians are feeling the same pinch, and they’re uneasy about taking on additional responsibilities for less money. What can be done to improve these tenuous hospital-physician relations?

Medical facilities would probably prefer to employ all their physicians and specialists if they could. However, for many reasons (including the looming potential jump in demand), that’s simply not feasible. Instead, their staffs are patchworks of full-time employees, independent physicians providing care through contractual arrangements and supplemental staff.

Getting all these people on board with mission-critical strategic initiatives is a multifaceted challenge. But broadly speaking, it’s a matter of fostering a greater understanding between medical facilities and all the physicians with whom they work. That begins with the staffing process.

Perfecting the Cultural Chemistry

At Concorde, we believe in taking the time to make sure every physician—full-time, independent or supplemental staff—fits with the culture and mission of a medical facility. It’s a key aspect of what we mean by “Holding Ourselves to Higher Standards.”

We work hard to understand not only the unique job requirements, but also the cultural nuances of each position. It also involves considering personality – including extensive reference checks. We talk with former employers as well as former colleagues and support staff, who often provide the most candid insights about the way a physician, PA or NP interacts with patients and other people.

In addition to our stringent certification process, Concorde also seeks candidates who are deeply connected to a facility’s community and will relate better to the local patients. The result is that the supplemental staff we provide are more committed to and happier in their work.

That’s important to a medical facility’s brand, because the people who provide the care are the face of the organization. And overall, those who are satisfied in their positions will cause less turnover, work more efficiently and be far more willing to get behind the latest quality or performance initiative.

With the number of staffing firms servicing the health care industry, choosing a locum tenens partner can be difficult. Here are four key questions you can ask that will help you identify an LT staffing firm that makes sense for your organization.

How do you recruit your physicians?
Choose an LT firm that fills positions with physicians who live in or have connections to your area. Doctors with close ties to your region relate better to your patients. Plus, they present a lower malpractice risk, because patients are less likely to sue a doctor they’re comfortable with.

How do you screen your LTs?
Traditionally, staffing firms have only asked for references from a doctor’s peers. To ensure you get the best match, you’ll want your LT partner to go a little deeper, including talking to nurses, technicians and physician assistants. They can provide important insights on a physician’s communication skills, personality and more.

What is your billing process?
If you’ve used an LT staffing firm before, you’re probably accustomed to seeing the firm’s charges and the physician’s charges lumped into one bill. But the best firms give you itemized quotes and invoices. This way, you don’t have to wonder what you’re paying for.

Will you be my contact throughout the entire process?
Many locum tenens firms’ sales teams don’t work closely with the recruiters who find your physicians. The particulars of your unique situation may get lost in translation, making it hard to deliver doctors who are a good fit. That’s why a single point of contact is the best way to ensure that your precise staffing needs are met.

Everybody wants to fill physician openings as fast as possible. But doctors are the face of your organization. It’s worth it to make sure you find the right locum tenens doctor for your situation. And that takes higher standards. Here are some of the ways Concorde Staff Source finds physicians who fit best with your practice and your patients.

Insist on More Selective Recruiting
Your patients and the public don’t differentiate between a locum tenens doctor and a physician on your staff. He or she represents your group or hospital, either way. You want doctors who are committed to their work—not the glamorous globe-hopping lifestyle advertised by some locum tenens recruiters.

That’s why Concorde is much pickier about candidates than many firms you’ll encounter. We’re focused on finding a talented, dedicated physician who’s connected to your region. Doctors with close ties to your region relate better to your patients. Plus, they present a lower malpractice risk, because patients are less likely to sue a doctor they’re comfortable with.

Seek a Single Point of Contact
Larger locum tenens firms tend to deploy sales teams that don’t work closely with the recruiters who are charged with finding your physicians. They may lose sight of your needs in the process, making it hard for the firm to deliver doctors who are a good fit.

When you work with Concorde, you deal with the same person every time. We provide more personalized customer service while steering clear of the profit pressures of a large, public company. And the benefits to you include greater consistency, communication and accountability for good results.

Look for a Thorough Screening
All locum tenens firms engage in a screening process. Concorde does more.

Our screening process doesn’t just look at skills, experience and continuing medical education. It also involves considering personality fit, including extensive reference checks. We talk with former employers as well as former colleagues and support staff, who often provide the most candid insights about the way a physician interacts with patients and other people.

You Deserve the Highest Standards
Patients’ safety and satisfaction—not to mention your organization’s malpractice liability—are at stake with every medical staffing move you make.

At Concorde, we are fiercely committed to holding both our physicians and ourselves to higher standards. You need to be confident that your locum tenens firm will help you find physicians you’d trust your own family’s care to. Through responsive service, transparent billing practices, careful recruiting and more, that’s the assurance we deliver every day.