In the second installment of our blog series from VeloSource highlighting our production personnel - those in Account Management, Recruiting, and Business Development - we sit down with Kat Schrader, Physician Recruiter, for a Q&A session.
What makes a successful physician recruiter?
I believe to be successful in this role, one needs to have a passion for creating long-lasting relationships with providers and clearly understanding the client’s needs. I achieve this through being transparent and building trust. As a company, we have worked hard to build strong relationships with our clients, ensuring the needs will make sense for everyone. I have providers that trust me to bring them great opportunities if one assignment ends consistently and I feel honored to have their faith in me. I am also a big believer in understanding your “why.” If you always stay focused on your “why,” you will be successful at anything you do.
What brought you to choose a healthcare career?
I have always had a strong draw to the healthcare industry. While I never saw myself becoming a doctor, I have always admired how hard they work to help others and the sacrifices they must make. I have also experienced family members dealing with medical issues which made me so grateful for the doctor’s knowledge, skills, and compassion to help during those challenging times. It is incredibly rewarding to help find amazing providers who can offer their services to those in need.
How do you view your impact on providing healthcare services in our communities?
Many providers I speak with are unaware of some of our clients' urgent needs. When I share the details and learn they even have some vacation coverage to help, I know we are helping so many patients who would otherwise not be able to receive the care they need at that time. I was incredibly lucky to have found many wonderful providers offering long-term coverage so they can feel confident knowing their needs are covered.
What trends are you seeing among physicians and our medical facilities needing locum tenens coverage? What can we expect in 2025?
Locum providers have historically been viewed as a very temporary solution to the shortage issues many facilities face. Recently, I have seen providers turning these assignments into long-term opportunities because they and the client both find them beneficial to everyone’s needs. As the search, credentialing, and licensure processes can be very time-consuming, clients feel at ease knowing they can have that consistent coverage if they extend the assignment.
I see this trend continuing into 2025 and beyond. The shortages many facilities have been facing do not appear to be going away any time soon, so it makes sense that if companies like VeloSource find them an amazing provider to fulfill the need, they want to keep that going as long as possible. This ensures the best possible care at their facility.
Why is practicing locum tenens increasingly popular among providers?
I have found providers are leaning more towards locum tenens now for varied reasons. The most popular answer I get from them is that they want more control over their schedules. Locum tenens allows you the flexibility to choose a schedule that allows more work/life balance. This leads me to the next answer I hear often from providers, which is because of the burnout they have felt over the years of working in a permanent position. These providers are amazing at what they do but work very demanding schedules and it grows tiring over the years. Other providers enjoy simply working locums in their vacation/off time to be able to explore unfamiliar places and meet new people. Recently, I have seen a larger number of retired providers wanting to start doing locum tenens because they find retirement not as fulfilling as they had thought and missed doing what they love, helping to care for others. Locum tenens is an effective way to keep up with your skills but also allow for control over the other important parts of your life.
How do you build a foundation of trust with providers and continue to meet or exceed their expectations working with VeloSource?
Communication is key! Understanding what the provider needs for the opportunity to be the right fit and what type of support they need from me as their recruiter. I always tell them how I like to be a part of every step of the process. I work very closely with Credentialing, Licensure, and Travel to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible. To me, recruiting is an on-call job. I am available to my providers 24/7. I make sure they know I am always there to help when needed and I stay connected through ongoing check-ins to ensure I always meet their expectations.
Why do providers choose VeloSource? What makes us different from other agencies?
I believe having a close team is what makes us different than other agencies. I strive to have excellent communication between myself and the account managers, credentialing specialists, our licensing specialist, the travel team, and the accounting team. This allows me to quickly answer any question or resolve any issue that may arise at any time. Effective leadership is a key component as well. Knowing that we get results based on the strong relationship we have built with clients helps reinforce the commitments we have to our providers.
What makes a match “stick” between the locum provider and our client?
I believe to have a successful match; I need to have clear details for the opportunity to make sure the provider is comfortable with offering the coverage. It is equally important for me to have a detailed understanding of the providers’ availability for fulfilling the need, which helps to hold everyone accountable. Continued communication once the provider is on-site, not just the process leading to that, is very crucial as well. Providers and clients need to feel comfortable communicating with us if anything changes with the need or the provider’s availability. Both sides depend on the agency to be the “glue.” Effective communication is the key to the match “sticking.”
About VeloSource: VeloSource is a leading healthcare staffing and recruitment agency specializing in Locum Tenens services. By providing a vast network of highly qualified physicians, CRNAs, Physician Assistants, and Nurse Practitioners, VeloSource connects exceptional medical talent with healthcare facilities across the United States ensuring quality patient care and optimal workforce solutions.
(Posted by Mike Gianas, Senior Director of Marketing, VeloSource)
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