Looking to Hire for Locum Tenens Roles? Here’s Why You Should Consider Retired Physicians

Mike Plaskota

Looking to Hire for Locum Tenens Roles? Here's Why You Should Consider Retired Physicians

Many physicians aren’t ready to hang up their stethoscopes when retirement age arrives. Locum tenens allows them a way to continue their practice without committing to a traditional work arrangement. This couldn’t come at a better time, as the latest numbers show a significant physician shortage in the coming years. Can retirement-age locum tenens bridge this gap?

What benefits do doctors and companies have from partnering under a locum arrangement? We have answers.

Why Locum Tenens for Retirement-Aged Doctors?

Doctors seeking locum tenens arrangements receive several benefits from working in these part-time or short-term contract roles, including:

  • A sense of purpose in providing quality care.
  • Alleviate boredom in retirement.
  • Scheduling flexibility to work when they want.
  • Income potential balanced with time off to spend on retirement pursuits.
  • Travel potential—these roles are located all over the country or locally, depending on the doctor’s preference.
  • Fewer administrative burdens over managing their own practices.

Healthcare providers also experience the benefits of using retirement-aged doctors in locum roles. What are these benefits and why should healthcare organizations be excited about the possibilities of extending their workforce with locums?

Benefits of Locum Tenens for Healthcare Organizations

Retired or semi-retired doctors are the warhorses of the healthcare profession. They’ve seen it all, and that experience sets them apart from post-residency doctors. We’re not just talking about medical cases, either. Experienced locum tenens doctors are unflappable in their approach to clinical care. These reliable resources often have tremendous scheduling flexibility, which is very beneficial for healthcare organizations.

No matter the age of the locums, though, these arrangements also bring benefits to healthcare organizations in the form of:

  • Staffing up during peak caseloads, such as tourist or cold and flu season.
    From COVID to back-to-school, small practices to large hospitals use locums to staff up.
  • Covering for vacationing, ill, or maternity leave doctors.
    This offers a huge benefit to help improve work/life balance for existing teams.
  • Staffing up to help alleviate burnout in existing teams.
    With healthcare burnout at an all-time high, locum tenens can provide added support to an overburdened team.
  • Lessen medical errors caused by increased workloads.
    It’s a simple fact; when clinicians get tired, they make mistakes. The same is true for any job. But locum tenens lightens the load, so an existing team handles fewer cases in fewer hours.
  • Improving patient satisfaction scores.
    Of course, there is a correlation between overworking your doctors and patient satisfaction. Doctors are people first so your job is to take care of their mental and physical health by providing them with the support they need. This support allows them to spend more time nurturing patient relationships and improving their satisfaction.
  • Reducing staff turnover by lessening the workloads.
    Burnout leads to turnover. It’s simple. Lessening the workloads with locum tenens can keep your teams happier, healthier, and on the ground longer in your facility.
  • Helps with budgetary and scheduling constraints.
    Hospitals are increasingly tasked to do more with less. Locum tenens is the perfect solution to cover both of these bases.

The benefits of locum tenens work for retiring doctors and the healthcare facilities they serve are individualized.

Do You Need Hiring Assistance for Locums Roles?

MedSource Consultants has placed thousands of locums over the years and we’re here to help you with qualified physicians, no matter their age. Call us to discuss exploring this critical workforce strategy today.