Workplace pressures in healthcare have reached unprecedented levels, from workforce shortages to increasing regulatory demands. For Medical Services Professionals (MSPs), this environment calls for more than operational efficiency—it demands a commitment to building resilience within their organizations. By optimizing onboarding, maintaining rigorous credentialing standards, and supporting workforce planning efforts, MSPs play a vital role in ensuring healthcare teams thrive in challenging times.
The Growing Workforce Challenge
Healthcare organizations are grappling with high turnover rates, staff shortages, and burnout. These issues, particularly acute among clinical staff, have a direct impact on patient care and organizational performance.
MSPs at the Frontlines: While addressing these challenges may seem like a job for human resources or leadership, MSPs are uniquely positioned to contribute. Their expertise in credentialing and provider enrollment ensures that qualified professionals are not only hired but also onboarded efficiently, minimizing gaps in care.
Streamlining the Onboarding Process
A cumbersome or delayed onboarding process can exacerbate workforce challenges, leaving positions unfilled or causing frustration for new hires.
Actionable Steps for MSPs:
- Leverage Technology: Digital credentialing platforms can reduce turnaround times and eliminate redundancies in verifying qualifications.
- Collaborate Cross-Functionally: Partnering with HR and clinical leadership ensures alignment between hiring goals and enrollment priorities.
- Pre-Validate Credentials: Anticipate hiring needs by pre-validating credentials for recurring roles, such as locum tenens practitioners or seasonal hires.
By streamlining onboarding, MSPs can make an immediate impact on workforce availability and satisfaction.
Maintaining Practitioner Quality Standards
In the rush to fill positions, there’s a risk of compromising on credentialing rigor. However, maintaining high standards is non-negotiable for ensuring patient safety and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Balancing Speed with Quality: MSPs can implement strategies to balance these competing demands:
- Develop Clear Protocols: Establish workflows that prioritize essential checks while removing unnecessary steps.
- Adopt Risk-Based Approaches: Focus on scrutinizing high-risk credentials more thoroughly while expediting routine verifications.
- Invest in Continuous Improvement: Regularly audit credentialing processes to identify bottlenecks and enhance efficiency.
Maintaining rigorous standards is not only critical for compliance but also a cornerstone of resilience in healthcare teams.
Supporting Long-Term Workforce Planning
MSPs are often involved in analyzing workforce needs to align with patient demand and organizational goals. This strategic perspective is critical in addressing systemic challenges.
Proactive Workforce Planning Strategies:
- Track Practitioner Trends: Use data to forecast recruitment needs based on upcoming retirements, specialty shortages, or geographic gaps.
- Enhance Network Adequacy: Ensure credentialed practitioners meet the scope of services required for specific payer contracts or patient populations.
- Engage in Retention Efforts: Collaborate with leadership to identify ways to reduce turnover, such as simplifying re-credentialing processes or recognizing high-performing practitioners.
By contributing to long-term planning, MSPs help ensure healthcare teams remain stable and effective over time.
Resilience Is a Team Effort
Healthcare resilience requires input from every department, and MSPs are critical players in the process. By championing efficiency in onboarding, upholding quality standards, and driving workforce planning initiatives, MSPs can create a ripple effect that strengthens entire healthcare teams.
In today’s high-pressure environment, resilience isn’t just a goal—it’s a necessity. And with MSPs leading key operational and strategic efforts, healthcare organizations are better equipped to rise above the challenges.