Mike Beckman  |  Director of Recruiting
(877) 456-2867 x4232  |  mbeckman@deltalocums.com

What would you do if your car suddenly accelerated out of control?  Most drivers have no idea what they would do in this situation.
 
What you should do if you car suddenly accelerates out of control:

• Put your car into neutral
• Next, press the brake pedal hard
• Pull over and shut car off

You should never:

• Pump the brakes
• Shut the car off or take the key out of the ignition while driving--you can lose your power steering and braking

In the event that you are injured in an accident, Delta Locum Tenens supplies Emergency Room physicians across the country to help treat your injuries.

John T. Hughes  |  Senior Marketing Consultant
(877) 456-2867 x4233  |  jhughes@deltalocums.com

I was watching television last night when I heard, or rather saw a famous proverb that I hadn’t thought about since my high school latin days.  The verse reads: "Omnia mea mecum porto." This translates into: I carry with me all my things.  As soon as I thought about it, it reminded me, at least on the surface, of the locum business.

Of course the story from which the proverb comes has nothing to do with traveling physicians.  It is the story of Simonides, a Greek wise man that was shipwrecked and lost all his possessions.  In the light of this tragedy, instead of losing his nerve,  he claimed “Omnia mea mecum porto,” or, “ I carry with me all my things”.  Although he was suddenly without money or clothes, he still had means: He had his knowledge, experience, desire.  Naturally in the end he is able to use these assets to gain back his wealth.

I guess the parallel that I draw is more the ideal of the proverb.  The physicians that work for Delta Locum Tenens are the physical embodiment of the verse.  They literally travel with their knowledge, experience and desire to help people in places, many times, they have never been.  Modern day drifters, but with a purpose.  No hospital is too busy or location too remote for these intrepid neo-explorers.

Phaedrus’ tale of Simonides’ wisdom, although written long ago, is still viable to modern situations.  That’s why it stuck out to me I guess - something ancient applicable to the job I do every day.  And I love it because the stories of our doctor’s in the ERs, surgery suites, and ORs of hospitals everyday all across the United States are being written still, and I am a part of that story.

Kathy Edgington  |  Marketing Consultant
(877) 456-2867 x4261  |  kedgington@deltalocums.com

It’s that time of the year again when clients begin calling in, requesting holiday coverage for their facilities.  Naturally, that is a big selling point for locums: to cover holidays.  In my experience with securing coverage for clients during this time, I’ve learned a few things I’d like to share…

“When do I need to call Delta for holiday coverage?” 
It’s never too early to lock down a locums physician for your site.  Of course, I’m not talking about calling right now for July 4th coverage in 2009, but waiting until Dec. 1 to figure out Christmas coverage may not be the best idea.  Locum doctors tend to book out way in advance simply to guarantee work for themselves.  I would do the same.  I’ve had a client call me in August to locate coverage for late December.  There will be employed doctors that procrastinate getting their holiday plans to their managers, throwing a wrench into the schedules when they finally submit their requests for time off.  However, plan ahead as much as you possibly can.  That way you might not run into the potential solution of paying more…keep reading…

“What do I pay for holiday coverage?”
Keeping the above advice in mind…the closer it gets to the holiday you’re needing coverage for, the more the client may need to ‘sweeten the deal’.  In other words, clients calling in too late OR not having any luck getting a commitment from a candidate might consider this…agree to pay the locums physician the holiday rate for the entire holiday weekend, week, or just a few extra days surrounding the actual holiday.  For example:  Thanksgiving is only one day, and possibly the only day the facility recognizes as a true holiday…not the Friday after, or the weekend following.  However, agreeing to pay the holiday rate for the Friday and even weekend after Thanksgiving will catch the attention of more locum doctors. 

Think about what you typically do for Thanksgiving or any holiday that is near a weekend…I spend through the whole weekend with my family.  Taking a physician out of his own family celebration and placing him in an unfamiliar community amongst strangers is tough.  Money talks…something to think about.