Demand for locum tenens continues to rise, as over 90% of healthcare facilities rely on locum tenens to cover staffing gaps and maintain service lines. Here are some of the most in-demand specialties we’re seeing this year.
Urology
Urology remains one of our most in-demand specialties at Hayes Locums. There are a few factors that drive the demand for urologists: first, there is a significant shortage of urologists across the country—over 60% of counties in the US have no practicing urologist.
This shortage is further complicated by the increase in specialization among urologists. The hyper-specialization in urology means there are fewer urologists to cover the work—and there is more of that work than ever, as our aging population requires more urology services.
This puts healthcare facilities in a difficult position. In order to sustain their service lines, hospitals must have urologist specialists on call. In recent years, there has been a tightening of on-call specialist requirements for trauma centers, which means hospitals need to rely on locum tenens to maintain their trauma certification.
This is why locum tenens urologists are so crucial to our healthcare system. When hospitals don’t have a urologist, they risk losing their trauma certification, and patients are forced to either travel miles away from home or wait for months to see a urologist. With locum tenens, healthcare facilities can maintain their service lines so their doors stay open, and patients can continue to access care in their local communities.
Cardiology
Cardiology continues to be one of our highest-demand specialties. That demand is largely due to a nation-wide cardiologist shortage, with nearly half of counties in the U.S. left without a cardiologist. This is especially true of rural areas: a staggering 86.2% of rural counties have no practicing cardiologist.
The increase in patient volume is a primary driver of the growing demand for cardiologists. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and after several decades of decline, it is once again on the rise. Researchers estimate that stroke prevalence will double in the next 30 years, along with an increase from 11-15% in general cardiovascular disease.
Like urology, cardiology has also been impacted by increasing hyper-specialization. In addition to general cardiologists, demand for sub-specialties has also become more prominent, like electrophysiologists and advanced heart failure specialists.
Locums is a great way for physicians—especially those with experience in high-demand subspecialties—to make an impact by bringing those skills to communities without dedicated cardiovascular specialists. Whether you’re a physician nearing retirement that is ready to take the leap from full-time to locum tenens, or you want to dedicate occasional weekends to travel assignments, locums is a great way to advance your toolkit while making a difference in communities that need care.
Gastroenterology
Another specialty that is seeing an increase in demand as a result of growing disease rates? Gastroenterology. GI cancer rates are currently on the rise, but the supply of gastroenterologists isn’t keeping up with the demand: as a result, nearly 50 million Americans live more than 25 miles from a gastroenterologist.
Part of what is driving the GI shortage is the aftershock of the pandemic: because of the pause in elective procedures, gastroenterology services were put on hiatus. That led to a backlog of GI screens and a greater shortage of gastroenterologists, as many retirement-age GIs opted to retire early, instead of waiting for their practices to reopen.
There is also a training gap driving the demand. Most healthcare facilities are looking for Advanced, ERCP, and EUS trained physicians, but most estimates put the amount of physicians trained in these procedures at under 2,000. That leaves facilities with only so many physicians to choose between, if they are in need of those specific skills.
While solving the issues caused by gastroenterology shortages will be a long-term process, locums is a great option for healthcare facilities to close the gap on procedural backlogs and fill urgent staffing needs.
The increase in demand also means there are many job options for gastroenterologists. While locums assignments in many specialties tend to be in more rural areas, the demand for gastroenterology is such that even major academic hospitals and private healthcare systems in metropolitan areas are relying on locums.
Radiology
Radiology is another specialty seeing an increase in demand for services while the amount of radiologists decreases.
This is especially true of in-person radiology services. The pandemic shifted the work dynamics of radiologists. Where before the pandemic, teleradiology was limited to nighttime and weekend hours, post-pandemic, more and more radiologists want to work remotely. As a result, hospitals are increasingly relying on locum tenens when they need an on-site radiologist for general procedures.
Like many other specialties, radiology is also seeing increased demand for specific subspecialties: particularly interventional radiology. Fewer providers are coming out of training for interventional radiology, and as a result, many rural areas are going without these services.
That’s why locums has become crucial resource for many healthcare facilities: by relying on locum tenens, hospitals can retain radiologists who want to work from home, and bring in on-site and specialist radiologists when needed.
Advanced Practice Providers
One thing has become clear over the past few years: the physician shortage can’t be addressed only through physicians.
The past few years have seen an increase in patient volumes across specialties. When combined with the increasing physician shortage, many facilities are now facing persistent clinical shortages across specialties. That’s why so many facilities are increasingly integrating APPs into their care team model across every specialty.
While APPs can’t replace physicians, they can help decrease the burden on physicians, by collaborating with them in providing quality patient care. As our population continues to age and chronic health conditions continue to rise, APPs are becoming more necessary. That need is reflected in the high demand we’re seeing across sub-specialties, as more and more healthcare facilities are recognizing that APPs are a key piece of the puzzle in solving physician shortages.
