CEOs of some of the largest healthcare staffing firms discussed VMS, online staffing, culture and more during a keynote CEO panel Tuesday at the Healthcare Staffing Summit in Denver.

Barry Asin, president of Staffing Industry Analysts, moderated the panel, which included:

• Scott Beck, CEO, CHG Healthcare
• Allison Beer, CEO, Fastaff
• Alan Braynin, CEO, Aya Healthcare
• Scot Thompson, CEO, C&A Industries Inc. (Aureus Medical Group)

Among the first questions for the panelists was for their thoughts about the future vendor management systems and managed services providers in healthcare staffing.

Braynin said he sees VMS and MSP taking a large percentage of the marketplace, and Thompson said they appear here to stay.

However, Beck said it’s not what he would like to see. “We want to serve our customers, but we want to do it in a direct way.”

Online staffing/the human cloud

In the future, Braynin said MSPs will help manage staffing agencies for healthcare staffing clients as well as manage online platforms and other things hospitals need.

“I think it can help with efficiencies,” Thompson said about online staffing. There will be a few people comfortable with going through the recruiting process entirely online, but many will still want to deal with a human. That would be especially true for assignments that last more than just one shift, he said.

Beck said success in the future will be at the intersection between digital and interpersonal.

Beer said Fastaff invested in an app that enable nurses to apply, upload credentials and look for jobs. “We’ve got nurses who have never spoken to a recruiter but are in the platform applying for jobs,” she said.

Centralization

Healthcare staffing firms can centralize compliance and payroll functions and don’t need a recruiting location in order to serve any given area, Braynin said. However, they do need a person in the market to engage with clinicians and clients.

How do you create a consistent culture?

“You have to have a commitment that starts at the top,” said CHG’s Beck, adding that he spends 30% to 40% of his time on activities that build culture.

Beer said every single person in the organization has to own a commitment to culture.

“We have a very defined culture,” said C&A’s Thompson. “When you’re hiring, you have to find people that fit in your culture.” It doesn’t matter if they are a revenue generator or what his or her title is. “They can’t be that culture vampire that goes out and ruins it for the rest of the people.”

Braynin said everyone must have an overall sense of purpose and mission and then buy into it.

The Healthcare Staffing Summit continues through today.