Prepping for a career as a locum tenens physician often requires you to deal with paperwork to obtain credentialing, licensure,
and/or hospital privileges. While the process can be time consuming, it does not have to be overwhelming. With assistance
from staffing companies and other organizations, you do not have to go it alone.
Ask anyone who has experienced a locum tenens opportunity and he or she likely would agree that the ultimate appeal of this
practice alternative is its flexible nature. As liberating as that is, there are still parameters that must be met in order
for mobile professionals to provide services in different states or new clinical settings. Staffing companies, medical facilities,
and regulatory bodies all mandate that physicians prove their competencies prior to treating patients.
It is in addressing this necessity that locum tenens physicians often find themselves relying on assistance from their staffing
agencies. Without expert guidance, providers could easily become bogged down under the strain of paperwork. "Indeed, one of
the deciding factors in how clinicians choose an agency," asserts Greg Avery, vice president for the anesthesia division of
Irving, Texas-based Staff Care, "is the service coordination offered in these areas."
States without noneducational temporary/limited licenses
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What are the intricacies involved in credentialing, licensure, and securing hospital privileges? Could the entire process
be streamlined? In the following pages, industry experts offer their insights and advice on navigating the system.
STARTING OUT
If you are interested in becoming a locum tenens physician who accepts contracts through a staffing company, one of the first
steps you must take is to undergo the firm's credentialing requirements. In essence, it is the agency's responsibility to
verify and confirm your education, experience, and qualifications in order to properly present them to healthcare organizations.
Typically, the procedure begins as soon as you submit an application. The agency then starts confirming the information provided.
"Status of licenses is verified through the Federation of State Medical Boards of the U.S. (FSMB), headquartered in Dallas,
Texas," explains Rosa Smith, the certified provider credentialing specialist for JCNationwide, based in Atlanta, Georgia.
"We check with the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) for any claims, and we obtain primary source verification on physicians'
education, residencies, fellowships, and board certifications."
States offering locum tenens permits
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Adds Charlene Frail-McGeever, manager for CompHealth Credentialing, located in Salt Lake City, Utah, "Before providers begin
an opportunity, we verify that they have not been sanctioned for Medicare or Medicaid."
The credentialing process needs to be revisited after a given period, with companies often requesting an update at 2-year
intervals. "The renewal process is shortened," says Ms. Smith. "We only ask for one reference and current Continuing Medical
Education (CME) hours, including course names, credits, and when they were completed."
THE JURISDICTION JUGGLE
With credentialing completed, staffing firms are poised to match you and other eligible physicians with facilities in need
of your services. The quickest connection comes when you are already licensed in the institution's state. However, if a commercial
contract is based in another state—or a government opportunity does not offer reciprocity—you must first obtain licensure.
