Keeping track of locum tenens providers is a complicated prospect, which is why so many vendor management systems (VMS) have popped up to help. From scheduling to invoicing to procurement, having all your data in one place can help the process run more smoothly for everyone.
But with all the options out there, what makes Locumsmart stand out? Quite simply, it’s the most robust, out-of-the-box solution for locums management. Here’s why.
Locumsmart is free to use
Not only does Locumsmart offer more to healthcare systems than any other platform, it’s also 100% free to use. There are no hidden fees, no monthly charges, and no implementation costs.
“We don’t charge healthcare organizations anything to use Locumsmart,” says Thomas Lanvers, senior vice president at Locumsmart. “All of our fees are paid by the locum agencies. We are the most frictionless system in the marketplace.”
The following features are available to all Locumsmart customers with no additional fees.
Access to web-based software
Locumsmart is a web-based software that’s accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. It allows health systems to create custom locum workflows and approval chains to manage every part of the locum process.
Once you sign up, the team will assist with implementation, provide training to all relevant employees, and help set up integrations with existing systems — all at no cost to you. A typical technology implementation is $3,000 or more, so that’s a big savings over VMS platforms that charge for set-up.
The platform is regularly updated, with product enhancements added almost weekly and accessible immediately. Many updates are a direct result of customer feedback.
Scheduling tools and solutions
Float pools are an effective way to cover gaps in care, but managing a mix of employees, per diem workers, and locum tenens providers can be a challenge. Locumsmart’s float pool management solution can facilitate the process.
Organizations can create a float pool management group on Locumsmart’s platform to streamline scheduling, forecast coverage needs, project costs, identify which providers are credentialed at their facility, and evaluate trends over time.
In addition, Locumsmart customers are assigned a dedicated scheduling analyst, who helps organizations manage their complex schedule needs, especially within shift-based service lines.
Invoicing and bill pay
Not only does Locumsmart offer its customers online bill pay, which speeds up transaction times, but it’s also the only VMS for locum tenens in the industry to complete a 12-point compliance check on every invoice before it’s approved.
“Nobody else in our industry offers this compliance check,” says Lanvers. “On average, a third of all vendor invoices have errors, and they’re almost always incorrect in the wrong direction for the healthcare organization. So that compliance check can save our customers millions of dollars every year.”
In addition to invoice audits, Locumsmart’s consolidated billing allows healthcare organizations to customize their billing, including how often to consolidate bills and make payments, set payment authorization limits, and decide if payments are issued manually or automatically.
“Every single invoice you pay as an organization costs money. Even if you’re not sending checks anymore and it’s done through ACH, it still costs internal and external dollars,” says Lanvers. “You could have 100 invoices per month, so the complexity is enormous, but there are also hard costs associated with that.”
Provider procurement tools
Working with multiple locum agencies can be challenging, especially when you’re trying to fill numerous shifts and receiving presentations from many different agencies. Locumsmart’s bidding process allows you to quickly review presentations and select candidates. Once you’ve made a decision, standardized contract terms allow for a quick assignment confirmation.
Each candidate presented for an assignment receives a bid score, which allows you to quickly see which candidates are the best overall match for a position. This candidate comparison and scoring tool is intuitive, easy to use, and saves time when selecting a provider. The tool also allows you to compare the estimated daily cost of each provider, helping with cost savings.
The platform also provides instant, automated, provider ownership protection, allowing you to see when a candidate was presented by a specific agency. “This leaves a digital history of which agency made the presentation first,” says Lanvers.
Locumsmart also offers an agency dispute resolution process, which occurs when two agencies present the same provider and don’t agree on provider ownership. While a typical resolution may take up to six months through NALTO, any dispute that occurs on the VMS platform is resolved within a week by Locumsmart. “When they’re on the platform, they have to accept our resolution. That’s part of our terms of use,” says Lanvers. “So rather than this hanging over the head of the healthcare organization, we take care of it, and it’s over.”
Actionable data
Not only does Locumsmart handle the day-to-day aspects of locums management, but it also provides actionable business intelligence that can be used to gain insight into your locum utilization, cost, and forecasting.
This includes on-demand analytics with real-time data in a self-serve format, allowing you to pull a variety of reports whenever you need them. “It’s totally self-serve,” says Lanvers. “With most other locums VMS software, you have to submit a request and may wait a week or longer to get the report.”
Data available to all customers includes insight sharing, KPI tracking, and forecasting for utilization and cost. “The forecasting report provides predictive analytics into your locums spend based on prior callback data and overtime estimates for specific specialties. It will actually give you the delta between the low end and high end of what you can expect to spend on locums, based on your booking and time-sheet trends,” says Jessica Fong, business development manager at Locumsmart.
Finally, Locumsmart can give you visibility into average rates by specialty and region, allowing you to better understand the market and your budget.
Assistance and troubleshooting
Despite being a VMS platform, at Locumsmart there’s a whole community behind the platform ready to support you and your organization.
Each healthcare organization is assigned a dedicated account manager who is ready to assist with anything from simple tech questions to helping fulfill complex data requests.
All Locumsmart customers also have access to 24/7 chat support, ongoing tech support, and access to free learning and training modules.
When will you get started with Locumsmart?
Many VMS platforms provide solutions for locum tenens management, but Locumsmart is the only one that provides so many resources at no additional cost. With no implementation cost and a whole team ready to assist you, there’s no reason not to give it a try.
Download an overview of what Locumsmart can offer your healthcare organization:
Partnering with a VMS for locum tenens can save your organization money, improve efficiencies, eliminate redundancy, and strengthen your relationship with your locum tenens partners. If you're ready to write your own locum tenens success story, email support@locumsmart.net.