Our biannual newsletter, C-Suite Monitor, offers tailored insights and trends in healthcare, providing healthcare leadership with valuable information. The latest edition delves into physician shortages, emerging trends, and early warning signs of clinical staffing shortages. Here are the top three takeaways from our December 2023 edition of C-Suite Monitor.

1. Addressing the Impending Gastroenterologist Shortage: A Medicus Healthcare Solutions White Paper

Projections highlight an impending shortage of gastroenterologists, with an estimated deficit of 1,630 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) by 2025. Contributing factors include an aging population, increased demand for services, limited fellowship positions, and burnout among gastroenterologists. Our white paper underscores the need for creative staffing solutions, advocating for incorporating GI hospitalists, locum tenens, and telemedicine. The paper recommends implementing GI hospitalists to optimize resource allocation, addressing burnout through schedule flexibility, and leveraging locum tenens to ensure uninterrupted care. Embracing these solutions is imperative for healthcare facilities to navigate the impending shortage successfully.

2. Early Warning Signs & Advice for Overcoming Critical Clinical Staffing Gaps

During the Beckers CEO + CFO Roundtable in Chicago, Illinois, Medicus hosted an exclusive panel addressing critical clinical staffing gaps. The panel, featuring healthcare leaders Dr. Matthew Broom, Dr. O’Neil Pyke, and Jamie Smith, showcased their experiences overcoming clinical staffing gaps through the Medicus Transition Program.

The Medicus Transition Program, designed as a comprehensive solution for interim staffing and workforce stabilization in medical facilities, was at the center of the discussion. The panelists delved into the multifaceted challenges they encountered, including unexpected provider turnover, fluctuations in patient volumes, and transitions from outsourced to employed models.

Beyond addressing staffing challenges, the panel provided valuable advice and proactive tips for healthcare leaders on identifying the early warning signs of clinical staffing shortages. Dr. Matthew Broom emphasized the strategic implementation of heat maps as a tool for vulnerability identification. This approach involves mapping potential gaps across service lines and departments, providing healthcare systems with a foresight advantage in their strategic planning.

Dr. O’Neil Pyke contributed strategic insights, highlighting the importance of investments in people and partnerships, specifically focusing on retention strategies. Jamie Smith, a key contributor to the discussion, shared proactive approaches, fortifying healthcare leaders with the knowledge to build a resilient workforce. These insights empower leaders to navigate staffing challenges and ensure uninterrupted quality care delivery.

3. Reviving Surgical Services: A Successful Anesthesiology Transition from Outsourced to Employed at a Prominent Las Vegas Hospital

A prominent hospital in Las Vegas faced a 48% OR utilization due to anesthesia staffing challenges with their outsourced anesthesia group. Recognizing the need for a strategic shift from an outsourced to an employed model, hospital leadership enlisted help from the Medicus Transition Program to facilitate this transition. The low OR utilization had been negatively impacting surgical service revenue, patient volumes, and surgeon retention. Within a tight timeframe of 45 days, Medicus provided stability with over 30 qualified anesthesiologists, effectively reviving the anesthesia services line. This not only increased the hospital's OR utilization from 48% to over 90% but also resulted in an immediate spike in surgical service revenue, showcasing Medicus' expertise in managing successful transitions and delivering high-quality solutions even under challenging circumstances.

For a more in-depth exploration of these key takeaways and additional insights into healthcare trends, read the complete December 2023 C-Suite Monitor here.