The past 24 months have brought about a buffet of seemingly endless highs and lows. For many, the highs were more difficult to recognize as they were overshadowed by the chaos and destruction of the pandemic. Yet, in the clearing of smoke left behind stands a healthcare delivery system that, while riddled with battle wounds from carrying the country on its back, has consistently demonstrated unmatched resiliency and adaptability at a time when the country was most in need. At the core of it all also stands the realization that outcomes achieved were made possible by clinical staff wading through the trenches for over two years. Of course, it goes without saying that doctors and nurses are real-life superheroes. But what about allied health professionals, the lesser-recognized, but equally critical players on the field? This fast-growing segment is one that staffing partners should give special attention, as it is often overlooked, while it silently comprises over 60% of the US healthcare workforce, according to The Associations of Schools Advancing Health Professions.

According to SIA’s January 2022 Pulse Report, allied healthcare staffing firms reported year-over-year revenue growth of 48%. This closely resembles the 45% increase in revenue for the first half of 2021, compared to the first half of 2020, as reported by participants in SIA’s 2021 Allied Health Benchmarking Survey. The survey also revealed that, likely fueled by the impact of Covid on the respiratory system, respiratory therapy, which accounted for the largest bucket of revenue across all areas, saw an increase in revenue of 121%. Though it can be assumed that much of the increase in revenue across specialties came as a result of the pandemic, there are no signs that demand for allied health professionals will shrink — particularly as many have begun taking the plunge into travel and remote work.

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Nurses have not been alone in their desires to seek travel opportunities as agency revenues for allied health survey participants were also inflated by premium travel bill rates. Like nursing and locum tenens roles, agencies and recruiters for allied health professionals have lured candidates by offering attractive travel packages for areas facing shortages, such as physical therapy assistants, where survey participants reported a 62% increase in revenues and a 99% increase in bill rates from the first half of 2020 to the first half of 2021. This indicates that, similar to nursing, there is demand for allied health specialties that warrants the use of premium bill rates similar to those that have become widely scrutinized for nursing specialties.

Much of the demand is attributable to staffing shortages; however, allied health professionals are often attractive to healthcare employers due to their flexibility and sometimes relatively expedited training. In many instances, allied health training programs are completed in two years or less. Additionally, allied health professionals often hold more than one certification and can, as a result, be very flexible in terms of their role(s). The versatility and ability to get a worker through an education program and onto the floor as a patient care attendant is attractive to health systems who are experiencing unprecedented shortages and high turnover.

Though it has not been without pushback, the pandemic has highlighted alternative ways of delivering care and combatting staffing and demand challenges, many of which staffing partners can expect to see long-term. Allied health providers have shown themselves as key contributors of the stabilization of the healthcare system during the pandemic. They have proven to fulfill a unique gap within the continuum and should not be overlooked as viable staffing alternatives. For more of SIA’s take on the healthcare staffing market, please check out our 2021 Healthcare Staffing Market Assessment and look for our 2022 assessment in the near future.