Temporary physicians can be key to hospital strategies

When a physician staffing crisis occurs, hospitals often turn to services specializing in placing interim doctors, or locum tenens. But these docs can do more than fill an emergency need; they can be used for some strategic purposes such as test marketing a new physician service, assisting during peak periods and broadening recruitment guidelines. Wanda Dearth, who heads an interim physician staffing firm in Irving, Texas, offers some advice.