What are some of the oncoming opportunities for those new to healthcare staffing? Did Covid-19 create an opportunity to bypass VMS? These were some of the topics covered during a panel discussion aimed at executives interested in either joining the healthcare staffing industry or switching to the segment. The conversation took place during SIA’s virtual Healthcare Staffing Summit held Oct. 27-28.
“I’m starting to see some real opportunities around telehealth,” said panelist Greg Palmer, a longtime staffing executive and founder of G. Palmer and Associates. Schools are turning to telehealth during the Covid-10 pandemic, and Palmer said telehealth is one of these changes that will likely remain long term.
He also cited online healthcare staffing platforms as an area of interest; anyone interested in getting into healthcare staffing should look into providing staffing through such a platform.
Panelist Jennifer Scully, CEO of healthcare staffing firm Clinical Resources, agreed, saying nurses are mobile-optimized. Giving them a way to match directly with work opportunities is going to be part of healthcare staffing moving forward.
Panelist David Savitsky, CEO of ATC Healthcare Services, said one opportunity lies with schools, which are in need of healthcare workers as they work to operate amid the Covid-19 environment. For example, school districts need to test people for Covid and need help from healthcare workers in other areas.
Palmer also said behavioral health is a growing area worth looking into for companies entering the healthcare staffing industry.
Panelists also touched on VMS and Covid-19.
Savitsky said he has seen clients with VMS and MSP in place go outside the systems to find staff during crunch times amid the pandemic.
“These hospitals have gotten a certain dose of reality here,” he said. While VMS and MSP may offer the premise of one-stop shopping for staffing, the hospitals still needed to reach out for additional help to find staff during the pandemic.
“I think there’s opportunity for staffing firms to work with hospitals that have been monopolized by the VMS and MSP models,” Savitsky said.
