Insights From Wapiti

Have the benefits of being an independent (or locum tenens) provider caught your attention?

Whether you’re just coming out of residency, are working long, stressful hours at the peak of your career or are approaching retirement and want to decrease the number of hours you work each month without sacrificing your income — there are lots of great reasons to explore the benefits and possibilities of working independently.

Aside from having more control over your schedule, the freedom-based lifestyle gives you the ability to travel to new regions of the country and is undeniably appealing in many ways.

But one aspect of the lifestyle that may worry you is your income potential.

When you think of the term “locum,” you may think of a medical practitioner who moves from hospital to hospital looking for work, filling in every now and then when needed, and not having any control over his or her income.

We’d like to debunk these myths for you so you can understand the lifestyle of an independent practitioner is one filled with full-time income potential.

3 reasons you can have a career as an independent practitioner:

Independent contracting is predicted to grow.

Rest assured that your services are very much needed. A recent report from Staffing Industry Analysts notes that more than 90% of the U.S. healthcare industry uses locum tenens providers in their medical facilities.

Driving factors of this rise include an increased demand for health care providers in underserved areas and a provider gap that many facilities experience when employees take vacations, go on maternity leave, or resign positions, causing long-standing job openings that are difficult to fill. These factors create a gap in services in many parts of the country. Utilizing locum practitioners closes this gap and enables rural and critical access hospitals to function at their full potential.

As baby boomers continue to age and the Affordable Care Act makes it easier for more Americans to access healthcare, the demand for health care providers will continue to increase and the current provider gap will expand.
As the best provider of out-sourced healthcare, we at Wapiti consider our practitioners “family,” and we strive to develop one-on-one relationships that allow us to work together to fill these openings in a way where everyone benefits.

Long-term placements are very common.

Unlike the myth that many associate with locum providers, you aren’t expected to jump from one hospital to the next from week-to-week. In fact, at Wapiti we will never force you to fill a new position if you are already content with the location you’re serving (if the contract allows for you to stay long-term).

When you’re in a placement that you enjoy or with a staff that you love working with, we’ll help work it out so that you can stay in the role as long as possible. We have many providers who work on a long-term basis in one area, and we can schedule you far in advance in one location if possible given the needs of the facility.

We always put your needs and scheduling preferences first and will make every accommodation to ensure that you are scheduled to your preferred capacity.

With Wapiti, you can make a “full-time” income working only 10 shifts a month.

Because of the high demand for providers and consistent contracts we’ve established with our partner facilities, your income potential is incredible. In as little as 10 shifts per month, your income could reach $250,000 per year or more.This estimate varies depending on the rate of pay and shift length of your contract(s), but is easily accomplished for many providers.

Also, at Wapiti we don’t mandate a minimum or maximum shifts that you are required or allowed to work, giving you greater flexibility over your income. Because we primarily service rural facilities, the lower volumes allow you to enjoy working longer shifts than you could in a higher-volume, urban setting. Your schedule is completely up to you and can be altered depending upon your desired income and time away from home each month.

Your Dream Life is Waiting

Being able to enjoy a full-time career in a freedom-based atmosphere isn’t just a dream; it’s possible with Wapiti. We’d love to help you launch your independent career, and we’ll work hard to make sure your scheduling, income and lifestyle needs are met. You can even start out with a trial placement to see if the independent world is right for you.

Ready to learn more?

Call (888) 733-4428 to speak to a recruiter or email contact@wapitimedical.com.