As the physician shortage deepens, healthcare systems are increasingly relying on contingent providers that include locums, independent contractors, remote teams, and various staffing solutions to supplement their permanent workforce. These solutions can strain care quality, but they offer a hidden opportunity, that with focused & intentional efforts on rigorous credentialing, integrated quality metrics, and continuous performance monitoring, allow organizations to turn contingent providers into a strategic lever to improve access and outcomes. CHG’s session will explore how adopting a quality-first framework and workforce integration models, can transform contingent labor from a necessary stopgap into a sustainable pathway to greater access and better quality. In this session we will discuss:
The Physician Landscape:
- Ongoing physician shortage that continues to worsen
- Increased utilization of locum tenens
- Hospitals and clinics relying heavily on contingent providers amid retirement and burnout pressures
Quality Risks of Contingent Labor:
- Fragmented onboarding, inconsistent integration, and credentialing delays with locums
- Without robust QA, temporary staffing can degrade quality and employee collaboration
Quality as Strategic Leverage
- Rigorous credentialing, ongoing performance feedback, and continuous quality improvement ensure locum success
- Locums can enhance access in rural/underserved areas if deployed with quality guardrails"
