What is an Onsite Healthcare Facility?

Imagine yourself at work, you are beside yourself coughing, sneezing and blowing your nose relentlessly into hysterics. You feel a chill, some goose bumps, and a slight dizziness.  Your phone rings, it’s your primary care physician saying “Dennis, please come see me as soon as possible.”  You gather yourself, dreading the move out of your seat and you make your way down the hall into an adjoining office.  You are greeted by your primary care physician.  Does that sound too good to be true? Onsite healthcare facilities are starting to populate within the core work environment and surprisingly they are becoming an employer’s best friend.

With the new Affordable Care Act, companies with fifty or more employees must provide adequate healthcare for all full-time workers.  This leads to the question, “will companies pay more money to supply healthcare to all?”  What if your company could combine saving money and delivering healthcare access without your employees leaving work?  Think of the benefits this would provide. 

First, employees with access to a provider at their office would develop a personal relationship with that provider, and would be able to identify concerns, create healthy strategies and encourage a change in patient behavior.  Providers will be fully aware of each case and highly sensitive to each patient’s needs.  Detecting symptoms early is paramount to minimizing (or possibly eliminating) any illness.  With daily visits and ongoing diagnosis, you could attack symptoms at the most treatable stages.

Secondly, with access to onsite providers your employees will live a healthier lifestyle.  With preventative measures and wellness programs, your employees will have less sick days away from their job and more time being productive at work, therefore reducing healthcare costs.    

How does it work managing onsite healthcare?  Take for example Walgreens and its Take Care Health Systems subsidiary, which manages approximately 400 worksite health centers using the Complete Care and Well-Being Health Service Network.  They deliver personal primary care coverage based on the needs of their client using special short term providers, better known as “locum tenens” providers. 

These locum tenens providers are unique.  They are physicians and/or mid-levels who are board certified in different specialties and who have different healthcare experiences.  Locum tenens providers can work for a day, a week, a month or as long as you like. They deliver onsite health and wellness screenings, primary care, occupational medicine, medical exams, flu shots, x-rays, pain medication and physical therapy to address acute and chronic health conditions.  The benefit for the Walgreens Network is that they can add or subtract locum tenens providers based on what service is needed and how many providers are warranted. From the Walgreens perspective, “Together, we work to customize your health and wellness initiatives so they complement the specific needs of your company.”

In summary, companies should embrace the onsite healthcare model as a possible solution to reducing healthcare costs.  It will reduce the employee’s time away from their desk and create healthier employees while reducing healthcare costs due to fewer claims. On the flip side, employees will enjoy a better lifestyle benefiting from less time spent in waiting rooms, more opportunities to be productive at work while still having immediate access to their doctor next door.

Is it time to prescribe an Onsite Healthcare Facility for your company?  

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Written by: 

Dennis Webb, Director of Business Development at Medestar

Phone: 214-932-1414

Email: dennis.webb@medestar.com

Website: www.medestar.com 

Follow us on Twitter: @medestarlocums

Follow us on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/medestar

Check us out on Facebook: http://facebook.com/fidelismedestar 

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5 Great iPhone Apps for Medical Providers

With the release of Apple's  iPhone 5, we decided to do a roundup of some recommended iPhone apps for medical providers. Here are 5 great iPhone apps to try out:

1) English - Spanish Medical Dictionary by Word Magic Software (Paid - $5.99)

 
With translations for both English and Spanish, this is a great tool for medical travelers and those working with a Spanish speaking population of patients. It even detects misspellings and provides natural-sounding pronunciations.

2) ICD 10 Lite 2012 by iPremiumApps (Free)

ICD 10 Lite puts the complete, latest ICD 10 CM & ICD 10 PCS on your iPhone or iPod Touch or iPad. Easy to customize, share, print and even favorite certain codes.

3) Med-Mal by Cunnigham Group (Free)

Medical Malpractice Insurance Resources for physicians, medical groups and healthcare professionals. Search for medical malpractice quotes by specialty and state and find out how to lower med-mal costs.

4) Medscape by WebMD (Free)

Medscape (by WebMD) is a leading medical resource for physicians and other healthcare providers for news and clinical information. This app features safety information for prescribing, CME tracking, article databases and much more.

5) DG Apps by Doctor's Guide Publishing Limited (Free)

If you want to search for medical apps by your profession, then this is the app for you. Enter your areas of interest and DG Apps will compile a list of apps for you to consider indexed by popularity and featuring the latest apps available.


If you're a healthcare professional, share some of your favorite medical apps by tweeting us @MedestarLocums or by leaving a comment below.

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The Benefits of Locum Tenens to Fight Physician Burnout

burn·out/ˈbərnˌout/:

1. Physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.

 In a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine nearly half of physicians suffer from at least one symptom of burnout. The study used the psychological measurement of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to test physician exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy. Some physicians are tired, worn out, cynical. The increasing uncertainty of the future of healthcare coupled with a growing need for health services can lead to a sense of defeat or hopelessness. The study presents glaringly dismal findings, but there is hope: locum tenens. 

Locum tenens is Latin for “holding/possessing/maintaining the position." In the healthcare industry this term refers to a physician who is filling a temporary assignment. In March of this year, on the physician blog, kevinmd.com, Dr. Duane Gainsburg details how switching to locum tenens was his own personal solution to burnout. (Read more here.) Here are some simple benefits to practicing locum tenens:

No more practice management: Several physicians choose to switch to locum tenens because they no longer have to worry about managing their own practice. Dealing with insurance, hiring and managing employees, worrying about compliance  - all stressors that disappear with locum tenens practice.

Less work, more leisure: The study published in the Archives found that physicians work 10 more hours a week than the average working adult. Locum tenens practice grants physicians the freedom to schedule vacations whenever, travel throughout the country, and work as little or as much as they like - all while benefiting financially from typically higher earnings than salaried employees.

Your time and skill is rewarded: One of the main differences between locums work and permanent work is the way physicians are compensated. Their money is not tied to productivity measures but simply their ability to practice medicine and efforts to be made available. The rates are generous, and the appreciation is sometimes more readily felt.  

Are you a locum tenens physician who escaped burnout? Share your stories with us by commenting below, writing on our Facebook wall, or tweeting us @MedestarLocums. 

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Test your Critical Thinking Skills: Tough Interview Questions

As recruiters, we are always looking for ways to ensure our placements are lasting hires. There's a lot we can do prior to an interview to make sure the candidate is qualified and has a strong interest in the job, but what are we doing during the interview to test their fit?

Glassdoor.com recently collected data from over 80,000 job seekers to find the toughest companies for job interviewees. (Read the article: 25 Toughest Companies for Job Interviewees) The top companies subjected interviewees to brainteasers, timed tests, and skills assessments to determine their fit within the company.
A sample question given was "How many hotels are there in the United States?" (In case you are curious, you can find the actual answer here.) The point of a question like this is to see a candidates' critical thinking skills and his or hers ability to think quickly under pressure. When interviewing someone for a medical provider position, we recommend the following question to gauge this: Describe a clinical situation that didn't go as planned and how you resolved it. The second part of that question is important because you want to know that the provider can find solutions to problems, not just get through them.

Here are some more healthcare interview resources:
Physician Interview Tips
Interview Questions for the Physician
Tips for the First Interview
Top 7 Behavior Based Interview Questions

Did our recruiters make the cut? See how we answered some of the tough questions and test yourself:



What's the craziest question you have been asked on an interview? What are some examples of great interview questions?

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Honesty Throughout the Recruitment Cycle

We’ve all heard the saying “honesty is the best policy”. It sounds so elementary but it’s actually profound. Throughout my 6 years of recruiting, I’ve found that if honesty isn’t obvious from start to finish within all aspects of the recruitment cycle, it’s likely to leave all parties involved unhappy and unsatisfied. I have found that honesty makes for long lasting and trusting relationships, builds respect and rapport, and ultimately leads to a smoother and faster business process from start to finish. I wanted to share a few honest tips that physicians should do themselves and what they should be looking for during their next recruiting experience.

• Be honest with your recruiter or agency. Be upfront and provide documentation explaining all malpractice cases, losses of privileges, suspensions, as well as any other issues that may show up during the credentialing process. This will save all parties involved time and frustration. This will also preserve your reputation. Each facility or practice is different in what they are willing to accept and approve. If any issue or event is not presented upfront, the facility or practice will mostly feel that the physician or agency was trying to hide the issue.

• Be honest with yourself about what you are willing to do and how you are willing to compromise (travel time, location, rate). Look at the big picture more than just money or location. Are you making yourself more marketable for future opportunities by compromising? If yes, I feel you are making the right decision for yourself.

• Look for honest answers. The recruiter may not have all the answers but did they follow-up in a timely manner? Did they answer your question for you so you could make an informed decision?

• Look for honest follow-up. Sometimes the information that needs to be shared is positive and sometimes it’s negative. A good and honest recruiter will make sure you are fully informed on both positive and negative feedback.

• Look for honest and upfront full disclosure. By this, I mean how the recruiter describes themselves, the agency, the service they provide and the jobs they represent. Did they do what they said they were going to do?

• Build trust with honesty. Trust is the foundation of a strong working relationship between you and your recruiter and can lead to your success or failure in a job search. Make sure you trust who you are working with.

• Go with your gut. It’s your choice who you decide to work with. I’ve found normally if you feel you can’t trust someone or get a bad feeling about someone, most of the time it was right.
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Todd Cadenhead is a Senior Physician Recruiter at Medestar.
Connect with Todd:
Biography
LinkedIn
Email  

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What is your stance on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act?

After the release of the Supreme Court’s decision last Thursday to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Americans clearly had mixed feelings about the new law. This decision was met with both excitement and disappointment nationwide.

One week after the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling, one public opinion poll reported that 54% of American voters wanted the law repealed. MDLinx surveyed U.S. primary care physicians after the court ruling and found 64% of the physicians do not believe the Affordable Care Act will be able to achieve 100% effectiveness of health care coverage for Americans. The MDLinx survey revealed that 45.7% of primary care physicians are skeptical of the decision, whereas only 22% think the act will result in an extremely positive impact for their practices. However, KevinMD’s physician blogger Kevin Pho, M.D., stated that the court decision is one everyone should be happy with. Physicians can expect lower Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. KevinMD also states the benefits of for patients, not only uninsured but also those most vulnerable in the U.S. He suggests that the benefits will be tangible for more than just progressive Americans.

What is your stance on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act? Visit our Facebook page to weigh in. Are you in support of or against the ruling? Tell us why.

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Should You Use a Recruiting Firm to Help with State Licenses?

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As a locum tenens provider, having multiple state licenses can help you be more marketable for job opportunities. In obtaining multiple licenses, every state has different processes, timeframes and requirements so it may be beneficial to find a recruiting firm, such as Medestar, that will assist you with the process. Licensing and credentialing experts at recruiting firms typically provide services that include:

- Assisting with completion and submission of the state board application.
- Requesting all necessary verifications from entities such as your medical school, any post graduate training programs, hospitals you have previously been credentialed in, and other state medical boards you are currently licensed with or have inactive licenses with etc.
- Following up with those entities listed above to ensure the necessary verifications are being processed in a timely manner.
- Acting as a liaison between you and the state board.
- Making the process as easy for you as possible so you can focus on other things.

Applying for state licenses can be tedious and frustrating, however having a knowledgeable person assisting you can help alleviate the pains of the process.
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 Lisa Burrow is the Director of Operations at Medestar.
Connect with Lisa:
LinkedIn 
Email

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