While the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a devastating blow to many industries, the health care sector thrived – driven by a surge in demand for medical professionals.
As chief strategic officer of Millbrook Support Services, a health care staffing and workforce solutions firm for government agencies and commercial clients, James Paterek is keeping a close eye on the market’s future. Industry experts predict significant growth for the healthcare staffing market by 2030. As such, Paterek looks back on recent issues in the industry, emerging trends and the future of this crucial business sector.
What is health care staffing?
The health care staffing industry is a major player in both the private and public sectors, Paterek explains. Firms exist to assist health care facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, outpatient facilities, in-home and others with vital staffing needs.
Services range from recruiting candidates for open positions and managing the interview and hiring process, to screening for necessary accreditations and licenses, and assisting with technical training.
As the health care industry can fluctuate wildly with labor needs, health care staffing firms have become a vital part of the U.S. health care industry over the past century.
Why companies partner with health care staffing firms
Staffing and workforce solutions firms are experts in matching qualified candidates to short- and long-term needs, which can save busy health care facilities time. As Paterek notes, these firms can tap into a massive network of health care professionals to fill open positions around the country, which comes in handy when roles need to be filled on short notice.
Most medical facilities wouldn’t have access to the same types of resources. By partnering with staffing firms such as Millbrook, they can access a large, widespread labor pool filled with highly qualified providers while devoting their resources to running their facility. Labor categories include physicians, nurses, advanced practice and allied health professionals.
Whether you’re a single health care provider or an entire team, health care staffing firm’s recruiters stand ready to address client’s needs.
Recent issues in the health care industry
Paterek notes that the health care staffing industry has faced some challenging times during the pandemic. One challenge was finding health care providers due to demand outweighing supply. COVID-19 was and is particularly difficult for the health care industry, with many medical providers questioning where they fit in the field entirely.
The pandemic put a massive strain on the U.S. health care system, leading many professionals to experience burnout. This, in turn, led to high turnover rates and put even more stress on the people choosing to remain working in the sector. Today, difficult working conditions remain despite the slowdown of COVID illnesses.
The impact of health care industry trends on staffing firms
Current developments within the health care industry have initiated both market growth and fluctuations affecting staffing firms. With the escalating turnover, health care staffing agencies have risen to the occasion by leveraging technology for the recruitment of candidates to fill vacant positions. Paterek emphasizes that the demand for health care workers will continue to increase, and healthcare staffing agencies are perfectly positioned to respond to this rising call.
Additionally, the pandemic led many workers across industries to explore remote work. As such, many health care professionals now prefer to work fully remote or hybrid-remote, utilizing “telehealth” tools to meet with patients. This gives staffing firms access to an even wider pool of candidates, as geographical location is less of a barrier when remote work is an option.
One significant challenge in the commercial telehealth sector pertains to state licensing requirements, which dictate that healthcare professionals must hold valid licenses or certifications in the state where they offer their services. However, in the case of federal government contracts, such regulatory hurdles do not apply. As long as a health care provider holds the necessary licensure or certification in any U.S. state, they can work for federal facilities or on federal contracts without restriction in any state or U.S. territory.
Moreover, federal contract assignments offer the advantage of longer-term commitments, typically spanning one to five years, in contrast to the relatively short-term nature of commercial contracts, especially prevalent in fields like travel nursing, where assignments often last just 13 weeks. Nevertheless, the growth of telehealth is expected to persist, particularly with the integration of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Additionally, AI technology has proven invaluable in supporting medical professionals, but it’s also making its mark on healthcare staffing agencies. These agencies have been quick to embrace AI, and it’s clear that it’s been a fruitful decision. When applied thoughtfully, AI can handle tasks like screening candidate resumes and advertising job openings online, resulting in significant time and energy savings for recruiters. As AI technology continues to evolve, staffing agencies are poised to become even more adept at fulfilling the requirements of their clients, enhancing their overall efficiency in the process.
The future of the U.S. health care staffing market
The future of the health care staffing industry holds several key trends and challenges as it continues to evolve in response to the changing landscape of healthcare. A new marketing report by Coherent Market Insights indicates that the U.S. health care staffing market is on track for exponential growth over the next seven years.
On the other hand, while certain industry authorities anticipate a potential slowdown in the nursing sector, Paterek remains optimistic about the ongoing demand for clinical providers, and thus staffing firms. This optimism is rooted in the persistent labor shortage resulting from an aging population and health care professionals exiting the field. Forecasts from industry analysts suggest that per diem opportunities, or the ability for healthcare workers to fill in for shifts as needed, will expand, as will the utilization of locum tenens. Furthermore, there is an anticipated growth in the demand for various Allied Health professions, covering a broad spectrum of healthcare roles.
Overall, the future of the health care staffing industry is closely tied to the evolving needs and dynamics of the healthcare sector. Adapting to changing demands, embracing technology and responding to a shortage of health care professionals will be key to the industry’s continued growth and success.
James L. Paterek was the founder and former chairman of Comforce Corporation, a publicly traded human capital business, and is currently the chief strategy officer of Millbrook Support Services. Millbrook supplies physicians, nurses, advanced practice providers and allied health staffing services to government agencies and commercial clients nationwide.
The news and editorial staffs of the New York Daily News had no role in this post’s preparation.
