Locums

Merrainiacs:

"Locums" is a Latin word used interchangeably with a number of other terms: Travelers, Interim Staffing, Contract Staffing, Road Warriors.....you name it. In short, it's a business we're growing like "Wildfire" (not to be confused with the classic Michael Murphey song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc3OnSQc48s&a=mUP2mnpFtp0&playnext_from=ML). There could be any number of reasons a hospital might choose to hire an interim employee. For example, one of their staff members takes a medical leave, a maternity leave, a position is open and needs to be filled until a permanent hire can be made, a hospital wants to take a "permanent" employee on a "trial period" until they can be certain everything will work out......Whatever the reason, it's a business that continues to grow, and we've carved out a nice following with our prestigious list of clients. Generally, assignments can last anywhere from 30 days up to two years although there are no rules. Our specialty is at the director level although interim employees are hired at the staff level, in the executive suite and yes....even that Doctor that is treating you can be simply an "interim" employee covering for someone else.

In short, our firm will find the employee in usually two - five days and have them on site within a week. We provide the insurance, handle the payroll, taxes, benefits, housing and any related matters. The hospital can onboard them very quickly, and they don't have to worry about all of the usual HR "stuff" (this is a technical term) because we're handling it.

Short case in point, we got a call from a client that needed an Interim Director Laboratory Services ASAP. They called us last week because they failed an inspection and the state came down on them. Three days later we had their new interim director onsite. While we look for their next permanent director, we've got a turnaround expert in there that will make sure the ship is sailing right before the new director comes in. Perhaps the interim candidate we placed there might even transition into the permanent role.

It's a great business. In our case, we have specialists that do nothing but handle the interim side of our work. It requires a great deal of knowledge, and each minute counts. We might work all through the night on an interim assignment depending upon how tight the timeline is. To learn more about this business or if you have questions about whether an interim assigment is appropriate for you, feel free to contact us: info@merraine.com

Until next time........

Merrainiac