Rob Goin | Director of Marketing
(877) 456-2867 x4201  |  rgoin@deltalocums.com

Hospital medicine tops the list of assignments again this quarter, with a 63% increase versus one year ago.  Few primary care physicians make rounds today, so they’re turning inpatient care over to hospitalists. In addition, 28,000 or nearly a quarter of all internists have left primary care to become hospitalists due to Medicare/Medicaid cuts.  Approximately 60% of all U.S. hospitals and all managed care organizations directly employ or use hospitalists through a locum tenens agency.  Both the physician and facility benefit financially from a hospitalist program.  In the last year, providers experienced a 6% increase in hourly rates.  In addition, hospitalists working 26 weeks a year on a seven on/seven off schedule will generate $25,000-$35,000 more than in the same dynamic for a permanent position.  The trend will continue in 2010, as estimated demand will call for an additional 10,000 hospitalists nationwide.

This article appeared in the Market Trends section of the Q4 2009 Physician Recruiting Standard.  You can download The Standard at www.TDCpeople.com/Standard.