I Work in Locum Tenens—Why Community Health Staffing is My Passion

In case you haven’t yet heard August’s Understatement of the Month, allow me to submit a contender: staffing community health clinics isn’t easy, especially in the current healthcare climate.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way…

There is a perception that locum tenens companies prefer to focus on lucrative specialty needs, and do so to the exclusion of small private practices and community health facilities. Depending on the organization there may be some truth to that perception, but I can say with certainty that at Consilium, we have specifically built a large portion of our business through staffing community health clinics. While we do work with medical facilities of all types, community health clinics in particular align with our company mission to work with a spirit of servant leadership and strengthen local communities.

For me, and for us as a company, the inherent intricacies of staffing the community health sphere are the very reasons it feels so meaningful.

It’s about the people you serve. In essence, community health centers provide culturally competent care to traditionally disenfranchised populations, folks who are frequently forgotten by the larger medical community. For me personally, it’s just fulfilling to know that I am helping close long-standing gaps in healthcare access (without even having to pick up a stethoscope, luckily for everyone involved).

It’s about the care you provide. In addition to offering comprehensive medical care—including behavioral health and dental services—you provide preventive care and health education that uninsured individuals are less likely to receive elsewhere[1]. There’s a whole lot of lip service paid to increasing healthcare access, but when I help staff community health centers, I feel like I’m actually helping make a real,  immediate impact where it’s needed most.

It’s about the greater good. In addition to the overall social impact, community health centers are fiscally responsible. On an individual level, the financial effects of fewer emergency room visits and inpatient stays for preventable conditions cannot be overstated—especially for patients without insurance and/or those living below the poverty line. On a larger scale (and this completely blew my mind), research shows that community health centers actually save the healthcare system about $24 BILLION dollars per year[2].

Having worked in sales for two decades (despite recently celebrating my 24th birthday, of course), I cannot overemphasize this point: in my field, you would be hard-pressed to find work more meaningful than my partnerships with community health facilities. There are challenges that come with community health staffing, yes. But I’ve never been one to back down from a challenge, especially when I’ve been given a chance to make a real difference.

Got a staffing need? Complete our locum tenens staffing request form, email me at BBowden@ConsiliumStaffing.com, or call or text me at 972-697-6355.

Attending the 2017 NACHC Community Health Institute in San Diego? I’ll be there! Whether or not you have a current staffing need, I’d love to meet you. Visit me at Booth #420 from August 27-29.

[1] Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. (2010, August). Community Health Centers: Opportunities and Challenges of Health Reform. (Rep.).

[2] National Association of Community Health Centers. (2016, March 15). NACHC Report: Health Centers Identify Workforce Challenges as Barrier to Growth [Press release].