As the summer months approach and kids are out of school, many providers find themselves dreaming of tropical destinations to beat the heat or simply recharge. However, for many physicians in small groups and especially solo practitioners, a summer vacation is often more of a dream than reality due to an overwhelming patient load and guilt of leaving their practice unattended. 

Although a noble intention, recent research indicates that becoming too absorbed with work can actually have a negative impact on job performance, leading to chronic stress and job dissatisfaction. In fact, physicians are listed among the top occupations in the country to become susceptible to burnout, according to a 2012 article by Arch Intern Med. This research shows that of over 7,000 physicians surveyed throughout the United States, 46 percent reported having at least one symptom of burnout—i.e. prolonged response to chronic emotional and interpersonal stressors on the job leading to exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy.

Burnout is, of course, a condition presented in the most extreme cases of discontentment, and arguably, organizational factors play a larger role in the resolution of this condition than do individual solutions such as a summer vacation. With that said, a needed break or vacation could support minor emotional health improvements, like increasing job satisfaction or reducing stress of an overstrained provider. 

Alternatively, some physicians that do take vacations will choose to simply close their practice for the length of their absence, resulting in a loss of profit and gap in patient care. The real danger here is presented in the threat of patient migration; whereas, if a patient cannot obtain access to the healthcare they need, they will look for a new healthcare provider entirely. 

Utilizing a locum tenens provider to fill this absence may be an effective and affordable solution to maintaining your practice, while still allowing yourself needed and deserved time for relaxation. 

Travel expenses and the locum's rates are established prior to the start of coverage, and depending on patient flow during your vacation period, generated revenue may be enough to cover the cost of a locum provider, or even produce profit. All revenue generated by the locum tenens provider goes to your facility.  In most cases, facilities can bill Medicare for a locum provider who is filling in for a physician on vacation using the Q6 Modifier. Contact the administrators of your health plans and Medicare and Medicaid in your district for instructions specific to you. More detailed information about billing can be found at http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-and-Guidance/Guidance/Manuals/index.html.

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If the Caribbean sunrise or beaches of Maui are calling your name, it may be beneficial to look into locum tenens coverage. Be sure to plan coverage well in advance and the time necessary to conduct a search for a matching candidate. 

Admit it, if you don’t “need” a vacation, you most certainly want and deserve one.

-Kim Hickingbotham, Director of Business Process Training & Development, Delta Locum Tenens

The orientation process is an extremely important time for new physicians. This period is used to bring new hires up to speed on facility policy, but also sets the tone of what a physician should expect during their tenure. While it is important for facility directors to ensure a proper orientation process is in place to explain all administrative and day-to-day responsibilities expected of a physician’s new role, it is also critical that this time be used to build essential relationships between the incoming provider and their new coworkers, neighbors, and potential patients.

As with the start of any new relationship, people want to make an impactful first impression. In recruiting, this typically occurs during the interview process as desirable providers are wined and dined by facility directors presenting options from both a financial and personally appealing level. Typically, this strategy is effective. However, as even the most inexperienced bachelor would tell you, successful courtship does not end after the first date. The following 90 days are essential to establishing a new physician’s role within the facility, and acclimating both the provider and the provider’s family into their community. 

Over time, Delta Physician Placement representatives have been involved in many creative and successful techniques for welcoming new providers into their potential role. Some of the most memorable examples were also the most personal to the incoming provider. For example, during the interview process for an orthopedic surgeon in Ohio, the hospital’s CEO set out to ensure the physician’s wife felt included in her possible new home—and the facility’s Delta Physician Placement recruiter happened to know the physician’s wife was a major cycling enthusiast. As the surgeon interviewed for the position, the local cycling club reached out to the physician’s wife, asking for her measurements, and welcoming her to the community. When the physician accepted the position and the couple arrived to town, the entire cycling club welcomed the pair to their new home with a measured bike and cycling equipment for the physician’s wife.

Another physician was moved after the CEO of a hiring facility in Arkansas reached out to the incoming provider’s son. Both the physician and CEO had sons around the same age, so in order to make the physician’s young son feel included in his new surroundings, the CEO arranged a play date for the boys. The sons hit it off, and three hours later a family friendship was born.

Taking the initiative to ingrain a new provider into your staff is not only rewarding to your new hire, but can also provide lasting benefits to your facility. Increased involvement within the facility culture could be predictive of improved retention. 

In a case study published by Mental Health Services Research, researchers examined the effects of culture and climate on workplace attitudes and the subsequent impact of work attitudes on staff turnover. Not surprisingly, the study supported the conclusion that workplace attitudes significantly predicted one-year staff turnover rates, which in turn impact staff morale, short-term and long-term productivity, and organizational effectiveness. This stands to reason that in order to promote collaborative interpersonal workplace relationships across a facility’s culture, the initial time spent facilitating these relationships with a new provider may be worth the investment. 

Holding a 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day review could be a great way to ensure you are checking in with your new provider and continuing a successful courtship. Perhaps this would be a chance to arrange out-of-the-office dinners for staff members and their families, in order for the group and their spouses to bond.  By planting the seed for staff cohesion, you are helping your providers to grow roots within the overall fluidity of your facility’s working dynamic. 

Additionally, taking the time to intertwine a new provider and their family with key members of their new community could consequently prove to be a successful marketing strategy to target new patients. For example, Delta Physician Placement recently paired a facility in western Montana with a family practitioner who had a dual specialty in sports medicine. Following the placement, the facility’s director introduced the new physician to the local athletic director, who designated the physician as the primary provider for the town’s high school football, baseball, basketball, and other sports teams.

As patients in the community develop relationships with your provider and the provider’s family, they build a sense of trust that can carry over into patient care. In a study published by Oxford Journal, a Californian hospital examined the impact of patient’s trust on their perceived outcomes. It was found that patients with a low level of trust were less satisfied with their care, were less likely to intend to follow the doctor’s advice, and were less likely to report symptom improvement at two weeks. However, if a patient has already fostered a relationship with their provider or provider’s family, even outside of the realm of medicine, this trust could already be established prior to the patient’s visit. 

The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy has scheduled the national physical therapy examination (NPTE) to occur on four available dates for 2013, for both physical therapy and physical therapy assistant applicants. With the release of these dates, hiring facilities can plan accordingly to ensure providers complete their certification and processing without any delay to the hiring process within their facility.

Prior to 2012, the NPTE never factored into a provider’s start date because the test was offered on a continuous basis with no cap to how many times a provider registered or attempted the certification. However, now that the test is offered at a set four-times per year, a trend has developed in an influx of available applicants following each testing period. 

“The biggest delay we have seen is in the processing time after a testing date,” said licensing coordinator Trinity Bruce. “Clients are being hit with thousands of applicants after each date, which can be overwhelming. Before NPTE made the switch to fixed testing dates, processing time may have taken a week to complete. Now, because of the sheer number of applicants available, the process could take up to three.”

Bruce suggested that hiring manager account for this delay by planning ahead.

“Facilities can plan to hire new graduates up to five months in advance,” said Bruce. “Credentialing varies by state—for example, some state will require fingerprinting for a background check, which can put you 6 weeks behind and under the gun for jurisdiction approval. As a hiring manager, you can ensure a timely start date for your provider by planning in advance for their processing.” 

When a new graduate begins NPTE certification, the process takes about three months to complete. For example, to take the test in April, registration occurs in March, and test scores are reported to jurisdictions in May. Any delay or missed deadline would push the credentialing process back an entire quarter, as an applicant would have to wait for the next available testing date. 

“Facilities can’t start scheduling patients if their provider’s certification is pushed back,” said Bruce. “As 2013 kicks off, facilities can look at their budget and time to ensure their preferred provider has a smooth credentialing and hiring process.”

For a list of available NPTE dates, visit https://www.fsbpt.org/ForCandidatesAndLicensees/NPTE/FixedDateTestingInfo.

High operational costs have put a strain on patient access to doctors, particularly as the nation’s physician shortage escalates. 

Adopting midlevel providers to support existing physicians on staff can have a huge impact on facilities looking to provide access to healthcare at a consistent level and boost revenue. Affordable compensation and shorter formal education requirements make these providers an advantageous solution to enhancing a facility’s outreach. Midlevel providers can help stabilize care and revenue in understaffed or remote facilities by maintaining patient flow and personal care. For example, in some facilities full-time physicians are only available during certain days of the week, limiting the patient load that can be seen. Having a qualified nurse practitioner on staff allows the facility to accept willing patients even during the days the physician is on call, rather than onsite. 

The growing United States population has pushed the trend of utilizing midlevel providers to maintain quality care in areas that do not necessarily demand physician care. The range of midlevel responsibilities varies by scope-of-practice statutes in each state; therefore, it is important for facility administrators to be familiar with legislature associated with their state. For instance, in some areas, nurse practitioners practice independently from physicians, while other areas are more governed. Over the past few years, a trend has emerged in many state legislatures toward broadening midlevel responsibilities. 

Midlevel providers can be particularly helpful in rural communities whose scope of practice statute is lightly regulated. For facilities struggling to retain multiple full-time physicians, on-boarding midlevel professionals is an extremely beneficial alternative. Often, remote locations have difficulty recruiting and retaining full-time physicians, yet can present an attractive offer to a midlevel provider who will support physicians already on staff. For the cost of an additional physician’s potential compensation, two midlevel providers can be hired—giving facilities a larger staff with outreach to higher patient loads. These providers can take on a great deal of an overworked physician’s workload or call schedule, which in turn allows the facility to see more patients overall.

Delta Locum Tenens Marketing Consultant Stephen Gault recently documented this trend in a customer-hospital in Alabama. Historically, the facility’s hospitalist program exclusively utilized MD hospitalists, which began taking a toll on morale and revenue at the facility as physicians’ work loads were stretched too thin. Within the past year, the facility began to implement the use of nurse practitioners. Subsequently, the physician workload decreased to an acceptable level and the hospital no longer had to pay for MD call coverage. This change increased quality of work life and boosted morale. 

In a 2011 study published by Ohio State University Hospital, it is noted that over the next 20 years, rural hospitals will be in competition with urban hospitals for hiring from the same limited pool of physicians. As urban hospitals have a socioeconomic advantage in hiring, it is imperative that each rural hospital analyzes local future healthcare needs and devise strategies that will enhance hiring and retention practices. 

Although utilizing midlevel positions has been readily adopted in several areas, the practice has received mixed reviews from skeptics. In a news blog posted by heartlander.org, one physician expresses his opinion that midlevel providers do not have the training necessary to identify complex conditions, as they do not receive as much formal education as a medical doctor. However, the blog also cites another physician’s counter argument that midlevel providers can draw on their own training and credentialing, and refer patients to their doctor or an emergency room if a critical condition falls outside of the provider’s scope of practice. 

Education requirements for nurse practitioners can vary by specialty, but at minimum, require a Master of Science in Nursing, licensure and proven skill sets as a registered nurse, and licensure and certification depending on the nurse practitioner’s specialty. Physician assistants must complete a bachelor’s degree and secondary accredited educational program. This usually takes at least two years of full-time study and typically leads to a master’s degree. Also, all states require physician assistants be licensed. In addition to the requirements above, CRNAs must have at least one year of acute care nursing experience and complete a minimum of 450 cases during their training. Every two years after being certified, CRNAs must be recertified by completing both practice and continuing educational requirements.

An additional concern with drawing on midlevel positions is the impact the providers may play on patient satisfaction. MinuteClinic, the Minneapolis-based organization of health centers, serves as a popular case study to monitoring patient satisfaction with midlevel providers. The clinics are staffed by CRNAs and physician assistants and treat common illnesses such as strep throat and ear infections. To date, the organization boasts a 95 percent customer satisfaction rating after processing over 12 million patient visits.  

While there may not be a quick fix to the nation’s physician shortage, considering midlevel providers may ease some tension for facilities struggling to develop their staff or maintain an influx of patients in need of quality care. It is important for facility managers to know where their state lies on the scope-of-practice scale in order to understand their staffing options.

-Beth Sheehan and Andrew Rossi, Delta Locum Tenens

A major concern to any industry, employee retention can be impacted by a number of factors and continues to challenge physical and occupational therapist directors across the board. In an attempt to best combat these challenges and gain first-hand knowledge of recruiting and retention priorities, The Delta Companies requested direct feedback from therapists within the company’s database through a recent survey and several one-on-one interviews with willing participants. 

In the September survey conducted among a sample of working therapists, 64 percent of respondents listed their top priority in a job search as compensation rates and location of the offer. These factors typically correlate with one another, depending on the specifics of a job offer. 

“In extremely desirable areas, some facilities are able to leverage their location in order to offer compensation packages on the lower end of the scale,” said recruiting consultant Tony Spyropoulos. “That said, facilities in less desirable areas can counteract this by offering higher compensation rates and more appealing incentives – such as student loan reimbursement, various bonus structures and relocation assistance in order to stay nationally competitive.”

In addition to giving a facility an appealing job offer, maintaining a competitive salary and reasonable incentive program was listed as an imperative strategy to therapist retention. One third of survey respondents listed bonus incentives as their top factor in deciding to maintain their current position. For new graduate and supervising physical therapist Deborah C., opportunity for financial and professional growth are of equal contribution to job satisfaction. 

 “Promotions, opportunity to grow with the company, and increased pay are all factors that would likely keep me satisfied with an ongoing position or facility,” Deborah stated.  She also suggested that facilities looking to boost retention should offer support for new graduates with opportunities for growth and professional development. 

This sentiment was mirrored by new graduate and physical therapist Sarah D. who said that although quality of patient care was her top priority in evaluating a hiring facility, the opportunity to better her skill professionally was a huge plus when weighing different offers. Sarah gave praise to facilities that utilize a mentorship program for incoming providers. 

“It’s nice to have someone you can go to who has experience,” Sarah said. “Just as a way to double check if you have any questions.” 

Feedback from the surveys also indicated that the development of interpersonal relationships was ranked among the top three priorities of which participants evaluated their job, ranking just under base compensation and proximity to home.

“One thing I look for in a hiring facility is the rehab teams themselves,” Sarah pointed out. “Do they get along well and put patients first? What are the whole company’s values?”

In a study conducted by the Journal of Healthcare Management exploring the relationship between hospital culture and employees’ quality of work life, it was determined that cultural values are positively related to organizational commitment, job involvement, empowerment, and job satisfaction; and are negatively related to intent to turnover.

The development of a working relationship starts with an initial interview. Thirty-eight percent of survey respondents ranked the attitude of staff or personnel during the interview process as a first or second priority factor in deciding to accept a position. Sarah D. advised any therapist weighing an offer to request an onsite interview, if possible. 

“Everything on paper may sound great, but it is important to get to talk to people and see how things run in person,” Sarah said. 

Data from the survey also indicated that incentives such as student loan repayment, relocation reimbursement, and a competitive benefits package were well-received tools in recruitment efforts. Float physical therapist Tim R. actually ranked facility benefits as his top priority in a job search. 

“For me, the biggest thing is what benefits does the employer have to offer? (In my) current position the most important things for me were a base salary —my last job was commission and that was unsettling—PTO, schedule consistency, health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance, continuing education and professional development, and student loan repayment. Benefits are more important than wages.”

As an experienced therapist who has worked in multiple facilities, Tim R. said the best advice he can give to directors looking to boost retention is to offer recognition and appreciation to provider. 

“Be honest, kind, and treat your employees (or potential employees) with respect and kindness,” Tim said. “Give them consistent and honest feedback and reviews. Let them know they are needed and an essential part of a team. Make them know they are appreciated.” 

For most facilities, increasing therapist retention will incorporate a combination of factors. “The key is to determine which options are viable for your facility and will keep your offer in the game,” Spyropoulos said. 

-Jaeson Babb, Vice President of Perm Recruiting, Delta Flex Providers 

In a case study published by the American College of Medial Practice Executives, it was found that a well communicated orientation process and monitored follow-up with providers correlated with prolonged retention. Additionally, a well executed orientation has proven to be a critical part of establishing upfront expectations for incoming providers.

 The study followed a facility’s transition from a fragmented on-boarding process, to a formal and organized orientation. Following the transition, incoming providers reported less confusion and incorrect assumptions about the facility, as well as a higher job satisfaction rate among the staff. The study notes that when planning an orientation, facility managers should keep the provider’s satisfaction and retention as the primary goal throughout the on-boarding process. It is recommended to involve the provider’s spouse in major decisions, keep everyone in the facility on the same page in regards to the new provider, and ask for feedback following orientation to improve on the experience of the next batch of newcomers.

Each quarter, The Delta Companies releases the Customer Experience Index— a metric sent to customers requesting feedback on the services provided by the company. According to feedback from the survey, facility managers have expressed a desire for providers to ramp up quickly and have a comprehensive understanding of policies and procedures within the facility, such as use of electronic medical records (EMR) and billing requirements. Providers paralleled this desire, requesting better knowledge upfront of facility routines and more in-depth working relationships with other facility employees. This mentality is true of both permanent positions, as well as Locum Tenens openings. 

It is important for new providers to understand facility processes to assure records are kept up to date, particularly in face of the upcoming 2015 mandate to convert all medical records into electronic format. Since each EMR system functions differently, it is the facility’s responsibility to ensure their providers are knowledgeable of their system. While most facilities have an orientation process in place for long-term providers, those utilizing Locum Tenens positions commonly underestimate the value of a full orientation for temporary services.

Even with a short-term assignment, it is important to take the time upfront to complete proper provider orientation, so that complications do not arise later. In addition to administrative policies, facilities can introduce Locum Tenens providers to the organization’s values and culture. Expectations need to be clearly presented prior to the start of an assignment, and incoming providers should also be given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with other staff members. The length and depth of each orientation process is dependent on the needs of a facility, and the perplexity of an assignment. For a few helpful tips on constructing the orientation process that fits with the complexity your organization, check out The Delta Companies third quarter 2011 edition of The Standard.

Following an assignment, facilities can also perform an off-boarding process, or debriefing. This gives facilities and providers the chance to tie up any lose ends regarding the assignment (i.e. turn in badges, beepers, etc.), as well as ensure all documentation is completed. For example, facility managers can have a provider set aside a two-hour window during the final day of their assignment to sit down with an administrator and walk through billing, charting, and any exit procedures specific to completing the assignment. This practice will eliminate incomplete or incorrect charting to ensure that billing and facility reimbursement procedures are accurately submitted. 

-James Heil, Robert Goin, and Lydia Fort; The Delta Companies

Ever wonder what your competition is doing to attract providers to their open opportunities? The answer is a little bit of everything. With physician shortage on the rise, hiring facilities are “getting creative” in order to attract and retain desirable providers. Signing bonuses, relocation coverage, competitive base pay, and even flexible scheduling have become a standard in recruitment tools, making it difficult for hiring organizations with such packages to stand out among the influx of opportunities presented to qualified candidates. Those ahead of this curve have adopted the practice of creating appealing alternatives, some which reach outside of the box.

Tools for Recruitment

Housing

One trend that is becoming popular with many hiring facilities is offering temporary housing at a reduced cost for the first few months of an assignment. This helps relieve some of the stress associated with relocation for incoming providers that are new to the area. Physicians can spend their first few weeks on assignment focusing on responsibilities and orientation plus have a chance to learn about their new community—instead of feeling pressured to find the perfect home without any knowledge of the surrounding area. Many facilities have purchased or rented homes to temporarily host new employees, and some have even gone as far as sending a welcoming DVD to new providers with an introductory video containing facility information and options for temporary housing.

Offering an appealing package

Often, creative financial packaging can be established simply by evaluating facility needs. For instance, offering a directorship with a position opening can fulfill administrative responsibilities within your organization and attract incoming physicians looking for leadership experience. Some organizations have also adopted the policy of presenting open contracts to candidates, which allow physicians the freedom to terminate an assignment without penalty. Under this contract, managers aim to boost engagement and pride within an organization by making the facility an enjoyable place to work—so their physicians would never want to leave.

Another practice to consider is providing stipends to incoming graduates for signing-on to an organization. After agreeing to work with a facility, these quality-of-life stipends help support students as they complete necessary school and training prior to employment.

Adding a personal touch

Making the extra effort to stand out among preferred candidates can often help finalize an offer—sometimes, even small details can have a huge impact. Incoming physicians, particularly those who will be relocating to your facility, are very interested in the community they will be servicing. For some clients, sending a welcoming package with the local newspaper, information about the facility, and tidbits from the surrounding area (particularly if customized to the candidate’s interests) help to make an incoming physician feel welcome in their new home. Perhaps something as simple as leaving a new lab coat in an interviewee’s hotel room can help translate a welcoming and encouraging culture for your facility. Many hiring organizations have paid to bring a favored candidate’s spouse into town for a facility and community tour, prior to the candidate’s interview. Facility managers in these cases recognized the spouse was such a large part of the decision making process that they invested in bringing them out to assess the community, and if the spouse was sold upfront, it took a lot of pressure off of the interview. 

What is a creative day-to-day?

Flexible Scheduling

While offering a choice between four 10-hour days, or working a regular 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule has become somewhat of a norm in recruitment, offering a creative solution to flexible scheduling is still possible. Job sharing, or dividing a fulltime position into multiple part-time positions, is becoming a popular trend, particularly with difficult to fill positions. Some facilities may have difficultly in finding a provider willing to work fulltime due to the community’s location or a provider’s preference. However, allocating this same position into part-time schedules and adjusting the compensation accordingly may be more appealing for providers interested in open schedules. This also opens the doors to a larger pool of candidates that would consider part-time employment. This form of flexible scheduling can be determined by facility and provider preferences, and can range from two physicians working certain days per week, or alternating a one-week-on, one-week-off setup.

Other trends

Community forgiveness loans are a rare practice that can be very attractive to physicians during their first few years of service. Once a physician has agreed to work with a particular organization, the surrounding community offers a welcoming loan, which is forgiven over a set period of time. For example, for every year a physician agrees to service a community, 25 percent of the loan is relieved.

Boosting Retention

Communication is the key to retention—this can be said of any type of organization. When an employee feels their voice is being heard, they feel engaged; engagement boosts pride; proud employees typically work harder and remain loyal to their organization. One way to ensure you are receiving feedback from your staff is by issuing reoccurring surveys that poll providers on what types of improvements they would like to see implemented within the facility. Once this feedback is available, facility managers can act on the information.

A great example of this technique was demonstrated by a bustling facility in Tennessee. After conducting a poll, an overwhelming majority of physicians with children expressed a need for childcare during working hours. To accommodate this need, facility managers invested in an onsite, higher learning facility with no charge to employed physicians. The daycare facility was also opened to the surrounding community for a regular fee. The return on this investment was a facility full of focused providers whose needs had been resolved—not to mention, a direct link to community members with children in need of daytime care. 

A new trend takes root

Over the past couple of years, a trend has emerged that indicates physicians will soon be paid, at least in part, based on the value they deliver rather than simply on how many patients they see or the number of procedures they perform. According to a recent report in American Medical News, large insurers including UnitedHealth Group, WellPoint and Aetna are already beginning to reimburse physicians with incentives that are based on quality and efficiency measures. Medicare is doing the same through accountable care organizations, commonly referred to as ACOs.

Recently, there has been a slight uptick in the number of physician employment contracts that include some type of value-based bonus system. Most of these agreements still maintain productivity as the main component of the compensation formula, but increasingly we’re seeing incentive compensation that also incorporates value-based components, such as quality measures, outcomes, efficiency and patient satisfaction.

Large health systems and organizations in major metropolitan areas have been the early adopters of these value-based reimbursement contracts, but we expect the trend to spread to smaller markets relatively soon. Rural areas may be slower to adopt the new value-based compensation formulas depending upon what type of health record system they have in place.

Increased transparency and accountability

As more hospitals and organizations convert to sophisticated electronic health record systems, better data related to quality and outcomes will become available. This, in turn, will result in a greater demand for transparency on the part of healthcare providers, including hospitals and physicians. Patients can already log on to quality indicator websites such as the Department of Health and Human Services’ Hospital Compare to get up-to-date information they can reference when making decisions about buying healthcare.

As has been the case with past significant changes in the way physicians are reimbursed, these new trends are causing practitioners to spend time reviewing the business side of their practices. Currently, we are seeing contracts that call for only 2-5 percent of a doctor’s income to be based on cost control, quality, and/or patient satisfaction measures. Also, the insurance companies that are adopting value-based reimbursement are doing so in a gradual manner.

The doctors who fare the best in the face of these new reimbursement methods will be those who focus their attention on delivering the best possible patient care, while at the same time, being mindful of the cost of that care. Good communication skills and the ability to maintain positive relationships with the individuals they care for will become even more important as doctors partner more closely with their patients to create the best possible health outcomes.

Reimbursement models continue to evolve at a rapid pace and, often, what is true in today’s industry may not be accurate a year from now. It is still important to be aware of trends as they occur. Physicians who make an effort to understand and keep abreast of developments related to reimbursement will be in the best position to respond and adapt to changes as they occur.

Matt Robbins, Senior Director of Recruiting, Delta Physician Placement

In all other states and the District of Columbia, patients have direct access to physical therapists and can make appointments for care without a referral from a physician. Some states do require that physical therapists have a designated number of years of experience before being allowed to practice independently, but in many locations, physical therapists right out of training can operate under the direct access rules.

Proponents of direct access say that the practice is safe, results in more timely care and improved patient satisfaction, provides for good outcomes, and helps control healthcare costs. The APTA references a Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University study that demonstrated a $1,200 cost savings per course of treatment when patients self-referred to physical therapists. The World Confederation for Physical Therapy notes that direct access results in not only a savings of money, but also time, since patients do not have to go through their doctors to obtain a referral. One study referenced in the Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association revealed that patients who self-refer require fewer treatments than those who are physician-referred. A reduction in administrative costs is also cited as a benefit of direct access, as is the fact that in areas of the country that have severe physician shortages (e.g., many rural communities), the ability for patients to self-refer improves access to needed care.

Although there is limited evidence available related to clinical outcomes in the physician-referred versus self-referred patient populations, the argument might be made that patients who self-refer for physical therapy are highly motivated, and therefore more likely to follow through with their course of treatment than are patients who are told by their doctors to engage in rehabilitation care.

One argument against physical therapists treating patients without a referral from a physician is that they might misdiagnose a condition. Physical therapists that practice independently, obviously, need to be confident in their methods, and at the same time, recognize when they should request a consultation from a physician. It is worth noting, however, that although physical therapy does not require the same length of training as that of a medical doctor or doctor of osteopathic medicine, education of a physical therapist requires at least a master’s degree, and doctoral degrees are rapidly becoming the new norm. Physical therapists also have the option to pursue post-graduate, post-doctoral residency, fellowship training and become board certified in a variety of specialty areas.

For hiring managers and human resources professionals in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, home health agencies and other organizations that hire physical therapists, direct access means that competition for the best therapists is rigorous. Recruiting will continue to be a challenge as more physical therapists opt for independent practice. Because physical therapists in most states can now choose to be their own bosses, employers looking to hire therapists need to plan strategically and be prepared to offer attractive pay and benefit packages in order to fill their positions and retain the physical therapists they hire

Healthcare facilities that use physical therapists as part of the patient care team and that allow patients to self-refer for physical therapy should encourage their therapists to network and promote not only the organization for which they work, but also ways to develop their own reputations as healthcare providers within the community. Activities to achieve this goal might include encouraging physical therapists to join local civic organizations, volunteering at health fairs or serving as consultants to local school sports teams.

As is the case in many fields within healthcare, the profession of physical therapy is evolving. Recruiters who keep up on the latest changes and trends in each area they are responsible for will have the competitive advantage.

Chris McGuigan, Marketing Team Lead, Delta Flex Providers

Reimbursement from third party payers continues to decrease, while paperwork, regulations, and documentation requirements become even more onerous. For this and other reasons, a higher percentage of doctors are opting for the relative safety of being employed by health systems, hospitals and large clinics, as opposed to going at it alone in private practice or joining small groups. Primary care physicians are still in short supply in most parts of the country, a problem that is especially pronounced in rural areas.

As these trends from the last decade linger, we predict that new and more recent ones will be front and center in terms of what physicians grapple with (and in some instances leverage to their benefit) in the coming years. Some of these include: The prevalence of locum tenens practitioners will increase as health systems and clinics look to fill shortages, especially in primary care. The old argument that “locums is too expensive” will fall by the wayside as recruiting executives, managers, and even financial officers realize that it’s too expensive not to bring in temporary medical staff to meet patient needs. Fortunately, as the demand increases, more practitioners will opt for locum tenens, either as their full-time practice choice, or as an alternative to fully retiring as they near the end of their career.

Younger physicians in particular will continue to have a strong preference for practice opportunities that offer not only good pay and benefits, but also schedules that allow them to have a life beyond practicing medicine. “Outpatient only” practice options will become more popular, and healthcare organizations that have yet to set up hospitalist programs will find themselves looking for ways to do so.

Physicians will become more acutely aware of the fact that what they do drives the cost of medical care and be more likely to practice with that in mind. The American College of Physicians (second in size only to the AMA in terms of membership) recently released the sixth edition of their Ethics Manual for healthcare providers which states that, “Physicians have a responsibility to practice effective and efficient health care and to use health care resources responsibly.” The idea that “good” doctors practice medicine without taking into account the financial impact of what they order and prescribe may no longer ring as true in today’s environment of ever-increasing healthcare costs.

Some physicians who choose to stay in private practice will look to add revenue streams to their businesses in an effort to offset lower third-party reimbursement rates. Elective cosmetic procedures, in-office prescription dispensing, and weight loss programs are among the more popular options. And although no reliable statistics currently exist on how many doctors are choosing concierge medicine as their preferred practice model, anecdotally, the numbers appear to be on the rise. Whether these tactics will help physicians fare better as the various components of health insurance reform are implemented in coming years is yet to be seen, but practitioners in large numbers are getting creative as they struggle to keep their practices financially viable.

Doctors will continue to become more knowledgeable about technology and, driven in part by patient demand, will jump on the social networking bandwagon and be more willing to use e-mail and the internet to communicate with patients. The ACP Ethics Manual referenced above also includes a section on “social media and online professionalism,” a clear indicator that the issue is on the minds of physicians.

Hospital executives and physician recruiters who understand the challenges that today’s practitioners face position themselves as trusted advisors (or at least as sympathetic listeners), thereby building stronger relationships with members of their current and future medical staff. Stay tuned, as trends unfold and changes abound, 2012 is guaranteed to be an interesting year in more ways than we can count.

James Heil, Senior Director of Recruiting, Delta Locum Tenens

Great news for them, but bad news for hospitals, health systems, nursing homes, and home health agencies looking to add PTs to their staff this year. Occupational therapists and speech language pathologists are in similarly high demand. Projected job growth in all of these specialty areas is robust.

Recruiting and retaining top notch therapists is a high priority for human resources professionals around the country. One relatively easy way to make your organization more attractive to the best candidates is to allow for flexible work schedules. Increasingly, therapists are being offered four-day work weeks and, in some facilities, the option to work fewer than 40 hours a week while retaining many of the benefits associated with full-time employment.

Therapists appreciate flexible schedules for the same reasons that nurses and physicians have been enjoying working “four tens” and “three twelves” for years. Some of the benefits that therapists report include improved work-home balance, long weekends for recreation and travel, and less time spent commuting.

Flexible work schedules have become important to a sub-set of therapists in recent years who have found themselves in the position of wanting to accept a job in a new location, but being unable to sell their homes and relocate. Some are finding that it makes career and economic sense to rent a room or apartment near a new job, put in three or four long days in a row, and then return to their permanent home until it’s time to work again.

Because of the shortage of rehabilitation therapists, more hospitals are tapping the temporary workforce to meet patient care needs. Physical and occupational therapists and speech language pathologists who travel for their careers typically take assignments for 13 weeks at time. Those opting for this peripatetic lifestyle often do so because they want to see and enjoy different parts of the country. Three- and four-day weekends allow travelers to venture further from their home base while they’re in an area working. This is appealing to individuals who are trying to experience as much as possible in a short period of time. Travelers who accept engagements relatively close to their primary residence have the option to return home on their long weekends, which may also be attractive.

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities have recognized how positively received flexible work schedules are on the part of staff, and we’re seeing a definite upward trend in organizations offering this benefit. In doing so, they are enjoying improved staff retention and easier, faster recruiting.

As you might imagine, therapists who are satisfied with their current jobs and feel as though they have a degree of control over their work schedules are less likely to look for positions elsewhere. Recruiting managers are keenly aware that it is much more cost effective to keep the staff they have than it is to hire new staff. This is particularly true in specialty areas where the demand is high, supply is limited, and identifying and hiring new employees can take months.

In the current environment in which therapists have so many choices about where to work, it’s up to hiring organizations to make themselves as attractive as possible if they want to land the best candidates. You can only go so far with pay and standard benefits, so offering flexible scheduling is an easy way to make your institution a candidate’s first choice.

If you’re already offering flexible scheduling for nursing and other clinical staff but haven’t yet ventured into your rehabilitation departments with this benefit, 2012 might be a good time to put that plan into motion. The demand for PTs, OTs, and speech language pathologists isn’t likely to decrease any time soon, so why not get ahead of the curve.

Marc Froehle, Senior Director of Marketing, Delta Flex Providers

The fact that locum tenens physicians are typically engaged to practice for only a few weeks or months at a time, and because when they’re brought in it’s usually because there is an acute need for their services, it’s tempting to show them their work area, make a few introductions, and then turn them loose to see patients within moments of their arrival. You can do that, but you’ll likely find that skipping the step of orienting a new physician might be a “pay me now, or pay me later” situation.

Not investing sufficient time and resources to ensure that a temporary doctor is comfortable in his or her new practice setting and understands the policies and systems that are unique to your facility will result in wasted hours as “orientation” unfolds in dribs and drabs. Aside from the fact that on-the-job onboarding is inefficient, it can result in increased documentation and medical errors, a lower quality of care, and poor patient satisfaction. You can avoid these potential problems by following a few simple steps to successfully onboard and orient locum tenens physicians.

Before the start date.

Prior to a locum tenens practitioner’s start date, help them become familiar with your area by sending a packet of information and/or links to websites that describe what the community has to offer. Make sure they know what to expect in terms of where they’ll be living while they’re with you, and how to find their new abode when they get into town.

A warm welcome.

A locum tenens physician should know in advance whom to ask for when they arrive at your facility. Let the front desk receptionist and other key staff know that a new doctor is coming in to practice, and have a designated individual ready to welcome the physician, provide a facility tour, and share basic information such as where to park, how to get a security badge, and where to find a cup of coffee.

Orientation: formal or informal?

You’ll need to decide (or facility policy may decide this for you), whether to conduct a formal or informal orientation. You may wish for your temporary physician to engage in the usual day-long employee orientation required for all new staff members, or you might opt to turn the temporary doctor over to a department manager or supervising physician for a less formal, but still comprehensive, one-on-one orientation.

Attention to detail.

In addition to ensuring that a new physician is trained on how to use the electronic medical records system, can find supplies and equipment, and knows the chain of command within the department, simple things like providing a directory of internal telephone extensions, printing out a copy of the schedule so they have a sense of the patient load for the day, or making sure they have scrubs that fit will all help your locum tenens doctor stay focused on providing quality care.

Assign a “go to” person.

Introduce your locum tenens physician to one point person who has the breadth of knowledge to answer the wide variety of questions that will inevitably arise during the practitioner’s time with you. Choose someone personable who has worked in the organization for several years and who can offer advice on simple personal issues like which dry cleaner to use and where the locals go for the best Italian food or most adventurous hiking.

Taking the time to properly onboard locum tenens physicians is a good investment, whether you plan to have a temporary doctor on site for a few weeks or you’re trying to woo them to stay on permanently after their temporary assignment is complete. Remember, too, that once a locums is familiar with your facility and community as a result of your good planning and work, you can save time and resources by requesting that doctor again the next time you have coverage needs.

A healthcare organization’s ability to provide high quality medical services hinges on a number of factors. The latest technology, forward thinking leadership, and a safe, hygienic facility all play into good patient care. But more important than any of those elements with regard to quality is having experienced, qualified staff on board. The right people doing the right jobs in the right environment is at the heart of excellent care and service. To that end, hospitals, long-term care facilities, medical clinics, and home health agencies are obligated to ensure that not only their permanent staff, but also their temporary workers, are fully qualified and properly credentialed to deliver care. Cutting corners when the need for caregivers is high and the supply is low is simply not acceptable.

In the travel healthcare industry, supply and demand influence how many healthcare professionals are available to take assignments. Occasionally, external factors come into play that shake up the market for temporary workers. Just recently, for example, regulatory changes in the way skilled nursing facilities are required to bill for physical therapy services has caused some skilled nursing facilities to scale back on their use of these providers. This will likely result in a surplus of therapists in certain pockets around the country that may require additional assessment depending on your facility’s needs and setting. It’s important to screen both the agency you use and each candidate they present carefully to ensure an understanding of the setting in which they practice, quality of care, and patient safety.

On the agency side, look for a company that has been around for a while, has a reputation for excellence, and who is a member of the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations (NATHO). If you’re considering using a new agency, talk to colleagues at other facilities about who they’ve used and what their experience has been. On the candidate side, screen for the following to ensure quality care:

Licensure. A reputable agency would never send out a candidate who does not hold a valid state license and other required certifications in their discipline, but your HR department should verify these credentials nonetheless. Remember, too, that credentials requirements often vary between facility types (i.e., what physical therapy assistants can do in a SNF may not be the same as what they can do in the hospital setting).

Experience. Rehabilitations therapists – physical, occupational, and speech – work in acute care hospitals, long term care facilities, and in a variety outpatient settings. When considering a candidate from a travel agency, be sure to match their experience with your needs. If a speech therapist worked, for example, in an educational setting for 20 years before launching his or her traveling career, there may be an adjustment period before they’re comfortable working eight hours a day with stroke patients in a rehabilitation center.

Attitude. This factor is more challenging to evaluate, particularly since you may have only the opportunity for a telephone interview before engaging a traveling therapist, but it’s important to at least try to get a sense of an individual’s attitude toward working in your facility (and working in general) before signing them on. Ask about their willingness to float between different units and work a variety of shifts as a way to gauge their flexibility. If a therapist has been practicing primarily in an acute care environment and you’re contemplating engaging them to work in your home health agency, poke around during the phone interview to uncover whether the individual views this as a “lesser” opportunity than a hospital assignment would be, or if a slightly slower paced setting would be a welcome change.

By keeping these screening points in mind, you can successfully use temporary rehabilitation specialists in your organization to deal with the ever-changing healthcare landscape, where fluctuation in patient volume, new rules and regulations courtesy of government agencies and The Joint Commission, and changes in reimbursement are everyday facts of life. Remember, the right person in the right job is the goal, and by working with the right agency and choosing candidates carefully, you can achieve your objective of providing quality care and service to every patient who walks through your door.

As the executive in charge of attracting new nurses, therapists, and physician extenders to your facility, you know that the recruitment process is complex and that getting the job done requires a wide range of talents. You can improve your odds of being successful with recruiting if you assemble a winning team of people committed to the goal of landing the best candidates. The composition of your team will vary, depending on the size of your facility and how much recruiting you do on an annual basis. Here’s a list of potential players for a recruiting team, with brief descriptions of the roles they fill.

The team captain. If at all possible, candidates should have a single point person with whom they communicate from the initial phone or e-mail contact right on through to when a contract is signed or an offer of employment is extended.The team captain must be readily available to candidates when they have questions and concerns during the recruiting process, and work closely with the other players on the team. This individual should be knowledgeable about the internal workings (and politics) of the organization, what each position involves, and be able to discuss the community. The team captain should have an above average level of emotional intelligence, be charismatic but not pushy, and have a good memory for details (i.e., not confuse John the physician assistant who likes mountain biking with Joe the nurse practitioner who is an avid hunter).

Site visit coordinator. The importance of the day or two that candidates spend in your facility and touring your community cannot be overstated. A good site visit coordinator (who may also be the team captain, depending on how much recruiting you do) leaves nothing to chance and goes to great lengths to customize visits to meet the needs of each candidate. This person’s job is to find out what’s important to the individual being recruited, as well as what that person’s spouse or significant other needs to know and see during the visit in order to make a decision to relocate. The site visit coordinator should be well connected in the community and have a sixth sense for assessing personality types and matching candidates with people they should meet during the visit.
Colleagues ready to help out. A candidate considering your organization will want to know who they’d be working with were they to come on board. In addition to the customary handshake greetings that occur during departmental tours, have employees lined up who are willing tohave meals or meetings with candidates during the site visit. Take this connection process one step further by providing interviewees with contact information for the people they meet while they’re visiting so that they can follow-up by phone or e-mail.

Competent real estate agents. Depending on your community, you may be able to choose a handful of real estate professionals to show candidates around during their visit. Make sure the agents you invite to be involved know what your expectations are. Find out from candidates ahead of time if they want to look at individual properties on their first visit to the community, or simply be driven around to get a feel for the neighborhoods. Following each site visit, check in with the real estate agent to see how the tour went. They often pick up on nuances about candidates that can help you seal the deal.

Representatives from schools, places of worship, civic organizations, etc. Your site visit coordinator should have connections with individuals from the community who are willing to meet with candidates while they’re in town. Something as simple as introducing the pharmacist who happens to be a master quilter to the proprietor of the local fabric shop, setting up a round of golf or a tennis match for your RN candidate, or inviting a local teacher to have lunch with the physical therapist who has small children can make the difference between winning over the candidate you’re courting and having them go home feeling uninspired about your community. Given the shortage of healthcare professionals in so many critical areas today, taking the recruiting process seriously by making sure that you have a wining team in place is good business.

It’s no secret that recruiting physicians in today’s competitive environment requires a significant investment of resources – time, money, and energy. When you sign the ideal candidate, however, your work is not done. Even more important than recruiting a new doctor is retaining him or her for the long haul. Here’s how to protect your investment by staying engaged with new physicians during the critical first year.

Deliver a gracious welcome. A newly recruited physician should know the moment he or she steps through your door on day one that you’re happy they are there and that you’ve been preparing for this day. A welcome breakfast is a nice touch, and if you want to go the extra mile, have flowers delivered (yes, even to a male doctor) on the morning of their first day on the job, and have a gourmet basket waiting for them when they arrive home that afternoon. On a practical level, make sure the doctor’s office and exam rooms are ready, that they have a security badge and parking permit, and that they have someone to go to with questions during those confusing first days on the job.
Provide orientation. A new doctor will likely be chomping at the bit to start seeing patients, and you’ll no doubt be just as anxious to have that happen. But taking the time to provide a proper orientation pays off. Depending on the size and complexity of your organization and the physician’s specialty, an orientation may take only a half-day, or last for several days. Don’t make the mistake of overwhelming the very doctor you spent so much energy on to recruit by saying, “Here’s your office, there’s your medical assistant, good luck,” and hoping somehow everything will work out.
Review expectations. The physician who begins work in August may have signed a contract last December. Even though expectations were made clear during the interview process, review everything again – clinic hours, patient load, call, referral policies, and so forth. Taking the time to have this conversation helps avoid the, “But, I didn’t know,” discussion down the road.

Assign a mentor. Taking into account the personalities and interests of both doctors, assign a senior physician to mentor each doctor you recruit. Let mentor and mentee work out for themselves how the relationship unfolds. In some cases, the mentor will advise a new doctor mostly around clinical and operational matters, but don’t be surprised to see genuine friendships develop.

Have a check-in meeting. At the end of week two, schedule lunch with the new doctor and a few others who are in positions to listen and provide resolution to any problem that may have cropped up. The group might include the doctor’s mentor, the CEO, medical director, practice administrator, or some combination thereof. Go beyond just asking “how it’s going?” Dig into details by posing questions such as: 1. How’s the patient load? 2. Any issues with your colleagues? 3. How are things going with your medical assistant? 4. Any issues with the computer system that you’re unclear about? 5. Do you have the supplies and equipment you need? If there is any sign of trouble brewing, this is the time to find out about it – not in six or nine months when it may be too late. (Note: Repeat this process about once a quarter throughout the critical first year.)

Find out how the family is doing. If your new physician has a family (spouse, children, aging parents, the world’s best dog), make an effort to find out how everyone is doing since relocating. The person best suited for this job may be the individual who was most involved in the recruiting process. Within reason, do what you can to make the family feel welcome and integrated into the community. This might include making business introductions, hosting a dinner party to connect the couple with potential new friends, or simply checking in by phone occasionally.

Keep an eye on production. Assuming you have the patient volume to keep a new physician busy, he or she should be up to speed in terms of meeting productivity goals within six months, give or take. At that point, if the numbers are not where you think they should be, open a dialogue about what the cause might be, and look for solutions. That said, if a highly skilled, dependable, and well-liked family physician is seeing 22 patients a day instead of the 24 that you’d hoped for, don’t turn it into a point of contention. Allowing for reasonable variances from doctor to doctor is usually a smart business move. In other words, don’t be penny wise and pound foolish.

While attending the 2011 National Association of Locum Tenens Conference in Chicago, great dialogue centered on the introduction of Managed Services Providers (MSP) into the locum tenens industry.  For many hospitals and practice groups, labor costs represent a significant part of operating costs.  In an effort to more intelligently manage labor costs and leverage relationships with suppliers, organizations are searching for ways to accurately assess their temporary spend. The cost savings from MSP programs seems inviting – immediate reductions to the bottom line and possibly a reduction in the number of intrusive sales calls from vendors.  However, the reality is often something quite different.  The MSP programs often treat people as a commodity – the lowest hourly bidder of temporary providers gets the job.  This creates a number of problems that are difficult to quantify.  Most agencies will be forced to use very junior recruiters in order to meet the cost guidelines, with no qualifying of the talent supplied.

If the MSP system is administered by a temporary staffing agency, the complications increase exponentially.
The temporary staffing agency will often charge the sub-contracting agency a percentage of the profits, making it impractical for the subs to continue providing services.

It can evolve into a situation where the prime temporary staffing agency is the sole supplier to the client, with a few small groups working out of their basements with no expenses and no services other than providing CVs.

The prime temporary staffing agency will also hold the job description for several weeks, hoping to fill the position themselves.

The sub providers therefore know that they are only getting the “extremely difficult” job orders to work on and delay the privileging and credentialing process.  Ultimately, missing the start date.

Market Demand- Greg McCullough, Marketing Consultant, Delta Healthcare Placement

The first quarter of 2011 saw an increase in the placements of nurse practitioners. This is a trend that will continue not only because of the shortage of doctors, but also because of the increased amount of population that will be insured under new healthcare reform. A surprise increase in the demand for medical technologists was also observed. The main reason for this could be the lack of qualified education programs for this specialty. In the U.S., approximately 4,000 people are graduating from medical technologist programs while 12,000 jobs are being generated. One last trend that was noticed is that more hospitals are hiring candidates with less than 2 years experience. This can be directly correlated to a continued increase in demand and lack of supply of healthcare specialties across the board.

Permanent Placement- Gleason Daniel, Senior Recruiting Consultant, Delta Healthcare Placement

During the first quarter of 2011, there was an increase in placements for mid-level and lab related searches throughout the country. Physician extenders are becoming more specialized and generating more revenue for facilities thus increasing their value to hospitals and clinics. Various facilities have communicated that their lab departments are experiencing the highest overall vacancies in years. In addition to the successful placements for the previously mentioned specialties, Rehab Services positions have also been trending in a positive direction. Although the competition for the recruitment of experienced candidates remain, many facilities have opened up parameters to include candidates with less than 2 years of work experience. Many clients prefer to hire candidates with less experience so that they can train the individuals towards the cultures of their organization. These candidates bring a certain level of enthusiasm and energy to an organization that a more tenured candidate might not be able to provide. The period of waiting for more experienced candidates can be used in training which will in turn meet the needs of your patients sooner.

Travelers- Kevin Faust, Principal Marketing Consultant, Delta Flex Travelers

In the first quarter of 2011 there was significant changes in the market for all Physical Rehab modalities. For example, a major shift in contract needs from smaller facilities in terms of number of beds to larger facilities. This is in direct correlation with the number of assignments that were booked in an acute setting with the number of outpatient assignments decreasing dramatically. Larger facilities with larger rehab units saw an increase in patient stays in their hospitals which required the addition of therapist to provide care to those patients. A decrease in the length of each assignment booked can be attributed to a couple of factors. First, when extending a current traveler on assignment, facilities asked for a shorter time frame than the normal thirteen weeks due largely to securing a permanent therapist. Second, many of the assignments were for vacation coverage or a medical leave with those time frames being shorter than the normal three months.

Finally the length of time from booking a therapist to actual start date increased. This is in large part due to facilities staying ahead of the game and making sure they have adequate coverage. Clients are booking contract help way in advance of the actual time they need someone so they are ensured coverage. They also understand that the need for therapists continues to grow and if they wait too long, they run the risk of not having coverage at all and losing revenue.

“Staff compensation levels are being adjusted because younger providers know they can demand high salaries in the current economic climate,” says Scott Best, search consultant with Delta Healthcare Placement.

In addition, healthcare administrators are no longer contending with compensation benchmarks previously set on a local level.

“Healthcare facilities understand that they must look beyond regional salary surveys and offer compensation that keeps them competitive on a national level, while retaining their more tenured staff at the same time,” adds Best.

The Healthcare Recruiting Standard is a free, quarterly resource that provides a summary of current data and market trends in the recruitment of allied, rehabilitation and mid-level healthcare providers.

With the increasing shortage of family practice doctors, more patients are turning to nurse practitioners as their primary providers and more healthcare facilities across the nation are realizing the benefits of utilizing nurse practitioners as a viable solution to their community’s primary care needs.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians,the number of family practice doctors has fallen 50% since 1997.  Another survey done by the New York-based Commonwealth Fundin 2007 indicated that “only 30% of Americans said they were able to get same-day appointments with their doctor when they were sick.”  Therefore, today’s hospitals and clinics are employing more nurse practitioners in lieu of doctors, enabling them to save money and see additional patients.

Based on the 2009 first quarter salary report, The Healthcare Recruiting Standard, family nurse practitioners will make an average annual salary (without bonuses) of $82,176 compared to the $164,683 that family practice doctors will make. This is also compared to the annual salary numbers provided by the Medical Group Management Association where the median for family nurse practitioners is $76,461, and the 75^th percentile is raised to $88,003; compared to family practice doctors making $147,456 median, and jumping to $190,685 for the 75^th percentile.  Therefore, nurse practitioners are approximately half the cost of a family medicine physician.  In addition, a small but growing trend is nurse-managed clinics run by a 100% non-physician staff.  Healthcare facilities recognize both the family medicine shortage and cost effectiveness of nurse practitioners.  As a result, attracting nurse practitioners to facilities will mean that ultimately, more patients are receiving care. 

While the utilization of nurse practitioners has its advantages, there are those who are weary about having nurse practitioners being primary caregivers.

“The nurse practitioner replacing the family doctor is not good for America. To say a nurse practitioner can fill the shoes of a family physician, in terms of the total comprehensiveness of care, is just not true,” according to the president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. Ted Epperly. 

Nurse practitioners are required to have approximately 1,500 clinical hours to become licensed, where a doctor is required to have 10,000 to 15,000 hours. The prescribing power of nurse practitioners also varies by state.  Nurse practitioners can diagnose, treat, order therapy, and write prescriptions to some extent. According to a study from the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health, there are states in which nurse practitioners can prescribe independentof any physician involvement (including controlled substances)^A, states in which nurse practitioners can prescribe with somedegree of physician involvement (including controlled substances)^B, states in which nurse practitioners can prescribe with somedegree of physician involvement (excluding controlled substances)^C, and states in which nurse practitioners can receive and distribute drug samples^D.  The majority of states allow nurse practitioners to prescribe 100% independently of doctors; however, with the supervision of a single doctor, all fifty states give nurse practitioners the power to prescribe in some fashion. 

Despite the shortage of family medicine physicians, there is no shortage of nurse practitioners who want to serve in primary and family care settings.  According to the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the number of nurse practitioners has increased by 40% in the United Stated to over 125,000.  Nurse practitioners also average approximately ten years of nursing prior to becoming a licensed. In addition, the accrediting body of nurse practitioner programs in the United States, The American Association of Colleges of Nursing, has recommended all nurse practitioner programs require a doctorate by the year 2015. In the current economy, healthcare facilities are exploring the more feasible, increasingly viable alternative to family practice physicians.

According to the Association of American Medical Collegesby the year 2025, there will be an estimated shortage of 46,000 primary care physicians. In contrast, the number of nurse practitioners has increased by 40% and rising since 2000. Understanding today’s increasing market demand, coupled with a rising medical staffing shortage, healthcare facilities are taking advantage of the nurse practitioner alternative and just may save the day.

Index:

(A) AK, AZ, DC, IA, ME, MT, NH, NM, OR, UT, WA, WI and WY.

(B) AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL,GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, KS, MA, MI, MN, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NY, OK, PA, RI,SC, SD, TN, VT and WV.

(C) AL, KY, LA, MO, MS, NV, OH, TX and VA.

(D) AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, WV and WY

The Healthcare Recruiting Standard is a free quarterly resource that provides a summary of current data and market trends in the recruitment of allied, rehabilitation and mid-level healthcare providers.  For more information on The Healthcare Recruiting Standard and how to request your free copy, visit www.TDCpeople.com/standard.

Chris Qualls is a marketer and Jerry Buchanan is a director of recruiting with Delta Healthcare Placement, both are members of The Delta Companies Thought Leadership Council.  Delta Healthcare Placement is the full-service healthcare search firm of The Delta Companies.  The Delta Companies is a recognized leader in healthcare staffing since 1997 and is the third-fastest growing private healthcare staffing firm in the nation (Staffing Industry Analysts, 2008), offering permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through five companies: Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens, Delta Flex Travelers and Liquid Medical Recruiting.

Procuring and recruiting healthcare candidates these days is a competitive, time consuming, and expensive process that continues to be more difficult as the current provider shortage increases. The goal of any recruiting endeavor is to present a candidate who passes the interview process.   Behind the scenes, acting fast can heal the financial loss and concerns over patient care that a provider’s vacancy creates. 

Healthcare recruiters put forth an extraordinary amount of time and effort in finding quality candidates, sometimes to have the interview process end, and the vacancy remain open. They search through a mountain of CVs, screen candidates, schedule interviews, get an offer letter approved, and finally, extend the offer letter. In the end, some candidates still decide to sign elsewhere and facilities incur the cost of an unsuccessful interview. Recruiters will often temporarily hold from presenting quality candidates who meet practice expectations and qualifications just to see if there is a more desirable candidate available to present. By the time that curiosity is extinguished, it’s too late and they are back to square one. Now the facility is in need of a provider yesterday and it could be weeks or even months before another motivated candidate is found.  Meanwhile, there is no revenue being generated for a healthcare facility. In addition, not acting in a timely manner can lead to paying a higher sign-on bonus and salary once a bidding war ensues due to the candidate exploring more than one opportunity. Never forget that there are a number of other opportunities for these quality candidates besides yours. It’s in your best interest to never sacrifice quality, but to act swiftly when quality is found.  If a practice is interested in procuring a candidate, it’s safe to assume at least two other practices are interested in your candidate as well. Speed will effectively separate facilities from their competition and land the desirable provider; while saving time, energy, and money. 

Recruiters are privy to the candidate perspective on a daily basis. Physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physical therapists - all want to be assured that they are the recruiter’s focus.  Providers know what salary to expect from published market data and past personal experience.  They’re not concerned about a ten percent difference in salary from one place to the next versus the desire to find the “right fit.”  Candidates achieve that right fit from a speedy acceptance that transforms into excitement.   Providing attention to a candidate with the proper momentum during the recruitment process enables healthcare facilities to land candidates before the competition. 

Tips to boost the speed in the recruiting process include:

• Upon viewing a desirable candidate’s CV, email the candidate to affirm they’ve got the qualifications needed for a better opportunity you represent and designate a time to talk live. Phone screen and interview extensively.  A face to face interview should confirm information, not discover it.  This will allow you to move quickly through the placement process.
• Appoint only one contact from the facility to communicate with the candidate.
• Prepare for a single site visit and (if applicable) request the spouse attend.  Second visits to a location for either the candidate to meet with a decision-maker previously unavailable or to achieve the spouse’s buy-in on a community are unnecessary if the first visit is handled appropriately.
• Create a timeline for decision-making prior to the interview process.  Include specific milestones around action items for the contract and reconfirm the milestones with the candidate throughout the process.  Keep the commitments stated in the process, because failure to do so hurts credibility.
• Provide history on the facility and other important facts that may help answer questions prior to the actual interview. 
• Be decisive in the interview process.  Have a list of mandatory criteria in a candidate.  If a candidate meets the criteria, move to hire them immediately.  Most importantly, have an offer prepared.  A same day offer will capture the candidate and most likely replace an inflated sign-on bonus
• After an interview, extend an offer within 48 hours, and demand the same schedule for a candidate’s decision (this shows assertiveness, not desperation).  If a decision is not met, continue with this frequency of communication until a decision is reached.    

Speed is one of the most controllable areas of the recruiting process, and streamlining the timeline of the decision making process can raise your probability of success.  Timely responses and agendas make organizations more credible and enable facilities to meet a community’s medical needs with a full staff.  

Oscar Salas is a recruiter with Liquid Medical Recruiting, and is a member of The Delta Companies Thought Leadership Council.  Liquid Medical Recruiting is the contingency healthcare recruiting business unit of The Delta Companies.  The Delta Companies is a recognized leader in healthcare staffing since 1997 and is the third-fastest growing private healthcare staffing firm in the nation (Staffing Industry Analysts, 2008), offering permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through five companies: Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens, Delta Flex Travelers and Liquid Medical Recruiting.

Demand for Physical & Occupational Therapists Continues to Escalate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – May 12, 2009 – The Delta Companies recently released the first quarter edition of The Healthcare Recruiting Standard, a free quarterly resource that provides a summary of current data and market trends in the recruitment of allied, rehabilitation and mid-level healthcare providers. 

The demand for physical and occupational therapists continues to rise.  “The ever-increasing need for rehabilitation providers will be maintained as the baby boomer generation ages and more therapists are necessary to treat the elderly,” says Bill Tracewell, executive vice president of Delta Healthcare Placement. 

Physical therapy is first and occupational therapy is third on the list of specialties most in demand, comprising 29.4% and 12.2% respectively as a percentage of the firm’s total nationwide search distribution.

“The medical community is continuing its advancements allowing for an improved survival rate and quality of life, coupled with a population that is increasingly adopting a more active lifestyle,” adds Tracewell.

The latest data also shows an increase in the need to attract younger providers for temporary assignments. 

“The data over the last six months is supporting an upward trend is hospitals signing new graduates with less than two years of experience and a significant rise in signing travelers with two to five years of experience,” says Bryan Davis, director of marketing with Delta Flex Travelers.

Facilities understand the provider shortage, are aware of the competitive landscape to attract healthcare professionals, and recognize the impact of a permanent vacancy left unfilled.  Therefore, hospitals are opening their search parameters to meet their needs.

“Providers with less than two to five years experience are appealing because of their balance of practice knowledge and lesser restrictions on the mobility required to take advantage of temporary assignments,” adds Davis.

For more information on The Healthcare Recruiting Standard and how to request your free copy, visit www.TDCpeople.com/standard.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through five companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens, Delta Flex Travelers and Liquid Medical Recruiting.

Contact: Marc Bowles
Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5060 x4102
PR@tdcpeople.com 
http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – May 7, 2009 – The Delta Companies recently released the first quarter edition of The Physician Recruiting Standard, a free resource that provides a summary of current data and market trends in physician recruitment. 

Emergency medicine had the third-highest increase in compensation, rising 5.5% from a year ago.  The specialty also broke into the top ten most requested specialties, while not even listed in the top fifteen just twelve months ago.

“Lack of access to primary care and the current economic climate has triggered an increase in the compensation and the demand for emergency medicine physicians,” says Shannon Penney, director of recruiting for Delta Physician Placement.

Specialties that experienced a downturn in compensation included oncology and surgical specialties such orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, and urology.  Oncology had the largest drop among any specialty compensation figure, declining by 7.5% in the last twelve months. 

“Reimbursements from insurers have been cut for chemotherapy drugs, and compensation for surgical specialties fell due to a reduction in elective surgeries and a weakening payor mix in light of the economic downturn,” added Penney.

For more information on The Physician Recruiting Standard and how to request your free copy, visit www.TDCpeople.com/standard.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through five companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens, Delta Flex Travelers and Liquid Medical Recruiting.

Contact: Marc Bowles
Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5060 x4102
PR@tdcpeople.com 
http://www.TDCpeople.com

In the company’s first major fundraiser of the year, The Delta Companies raised $26,975 in the 2013 Disco Cup Golf Tournament—surpassing the event goal of $25,000 and setting a record high for the event. The annual tournament is one of several company-sponsored fundraisers benefitting Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC).

In keeping with The Delta Companies balance of both fun and productivity, this year’s tournament was split into two simultaneously competing flights: “performance” and “humanity.” Both flights featured a day full of fun, camaraderie and competition—sprinkled with a few enterprise extras such as the Heckle Hole, Marshmallow Drive, and even an inaugural Helicopter Drop in which The Delta Companies’ CEO Jeff Bowling tossed over 100 golf balls from a hovering helicopter onto a putting green. With 221 golfers, The Delta Companies welcomed their largest event turnout to date, including celebrity participant, Ira Terrell.

Funds raised during the Disco Cup are part of the company’s year-long initiative to generate $100,045 in support of TSRHC. The enterprise will also host an annual silent auction this fall, which welcomes the entire community to participate. Previous auction items have included event tickets, sports memorabilia, travel packages, and a wide array of specialty gifts. All proceeds collected from this year’s campaign will be presented to TSRCH during the holiday season. 

This year’s event was made possible by several sponsors: Lee Garber, Neil Rinehart, Niner Bikes, Wells Fargo, Tamlin Software Developers, Impact Printing, Next Level Exchange, Billy Jealousy, Sterling, Career Builder, Park Place Motors, Team Honey Badgers, Century 21, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Hospital of Anaconda, Label Systems, C1S Group, Inc., Laughter Photography, Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP, Tommy Chambers Interiors, Inc., Dallas Stars, McColl Partners, Hays Companies of Texas, Mission Foods, and Grapevine Ford.

For more information about TSRHC, visit http://www.tsrhc.org. 

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other allied healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Healthcare Providers.

Contact: 
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX 75234
(800) 521-5050 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

DALLAS, TX—April 16, 2013: The National Association of Physician Recruiters (NAPR) announced Thursday, that Delta Physician Placement representative Jeremy Rodriguez was named as this year’s Most Valuable Recruiter. Jeremy’s award marks the second time a member of The Delta Companies has received this recognition within the past three years.

Jeremy has consistently proven his value to the recruiting team, and The Delta Companies is excited to celebrate his success. As a recruiter, Jeremy invests significant time and energy in developing a partnership with a hiring facility and community to best identify an optimal match to a provider’s motivation and experience. Jeremy doesn’t deviate from what’s in the best interest of the customer, which is exemplified by repeat business and referrals that he receives. Each quarter, Jeremy is recognized for his outstanding support and dedication to customer needs, via The Delta Companies’ Customer Experience survey that is sent to all clients and providers.

“Jeremy Rodriquez did a great job of communicating and keeping us informed of where the candidate was at in his thought process,” a long-standing Delta Physician Placement client in Missouri stated in response to the survey. “Jeremy was responsive and always available when we needed him.”

Another client expressed praise about her experience with Jeremy on The Delta Companies Facebook page, stating “Thank you for your efforts, professionalism, dedication, and availability during the psychiatric recruitment process. You have set the standard for recruiting.”

In addition to being a top performer in his department, Jeremy is also a major driver in the majority of The Delta Companies philanthropy efforts. Last summer, Jeremy was awarded Rockstar of the Quarter—the most coveted recognition awarded by The Delta Companies, given to an individual that exemplifies the ideal balance of both performance and humanity. Throughout his tenure, Jeremy has constantly sought ways to improve both the experience of his customers and of his colleagues. His level of dedication and enthusiasm are characteristics often sought and rarely found, distinguishing Jeremy as a not only valuable, but vital component to his business.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other allied healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Healthcare Providers.

Contact:
 Mary Glover
 Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
 Four Hickory Centre
 1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
 Dallas, TX 75234
 (800) 521-5050 x4144
 PR@TDCpeople.com
 http://www.TDCpeople.com

The Delta Companies announced today the release of the 1st Quarter 2013 Physician Recruiting Standard and Healthcare Recruiting Standard. The Standard is a quarterly resource from The Delta Companies providing a summary of physician and healthcare specialist compensation, placement data, and market trends in recruitment.

This quarter's edition discusses industry perspectives of utilizing locum tenens providers to facilitate a summer vacation and tactics facilities can use to competitively recruit allied providers on a national scale. To view the Standard and subscribe to receive it each quarter, please visit www.tdcpeople.com/Standard.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, allied, and therapy healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other allied healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Healthcare Providers.

Contact:

Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX 75234
(800) 521-5060 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

Delta Healthcare Providers announced today it has been recognized under Inavero’s 2013 Best of Staffing™ Talent and Client designation, after Delta Flex Travelers and Delta Healthcare Placement were named to the lists of award winners. Since receiving these recognitions, the businesses have undergone a name change and combined to Delta Healthcare Providers. 

Presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, the fourth annual Best of Staffing list provides the only statistically valid, objective, service quality benchmarks in the industry and reveals which staffing agencies are delivering exceptional service to the permanent and temporary employees for whom they find jobs. This year’s list highlights a growing divide among the industry’s leaders and laggards, and identifies Delta Healthcare Providers as one of the best staffing agencies for both temporary and permanent allied healthcare services.

Less than one percent of all staffing agencies in North America receive the Best of Staffing award for service excellence. Utilizing the Net Promoter® methodology, the 2013 Best of Staffing Talent winners achieved satisfaction scores more than double the industry average. This stark contrast in scores is a clear indication that the firms who have earned their way onto the 2013 Best of Staffing Talent and Client lists truly stand out for their service quality. Delta Flex Travelers received satisfaction ratings of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 69 percent of their client participants, and Delta Healthcare Placement received 66 percent. Additionally, Delta Flex Travelers received 71 percent ratings of 9 or 10 out of 10 from talent participants; these score are significantly higher than the industry’s average of 48 percent.

“While we are certainly proud to be recognized for these achievements, we will continue to work toward always improving the experience of our customers,” said Delta Healthcare Provider Executive Vice President Bill Tracewell. Delta Flex Travelers and Delta Healthcare Placement now operate under the combined business, Delta Healthcare Providers in order to enhance service to customers; however, individually both businesses have been ranked Best of Staffing designation for the previous four years. 

“Few things are more important to companies than the employees you hire,” said Inavero Founder and CEO Eric Gregg. “The same holds true for candidates on their quest for employment. Staffing agencies have proven to successfully connect companies with permanent and temporary employees. Since the end of the recession, the staffing and recruiting industry has created more jobs than any other single industry in the country**, yet so many companies and job seekers don’t take advantage of this expertise and resource. Our hope is that both companies and job candidates use the Best of Staffing lists as a benchmark to help select a staffing agency that can either secure the talent or employment opportunity they need.”  

®Net Promoter, NPS, and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score is calculated by taking the percentage of respondents who, on a scale of 0 to 10, rate their likelihood to recommend the staffing agency with a score of 9 or 10 (promoters) and subtracting the percentage who rate the staffing agency a 6 or lower (detractors). 

**Bureau of Labor Statistics

About Inavero
Inavero administers more staffing agency client and talent satisfaction surveys than any other firm in the world. Inavero’s team reports on satisfaction surveys from more than 500,000 staffing agency clients and talent each year and the company serves as the American Staffing Association’s exclusive research partner. 

Inavero’s Best of Staffing™ is the nation’s only award that recognizes staffing agencies that receive remarkable reviews from their clients and the people they help find jobs (employed talent). The Best of Staffing winner lists are a central place that businesses and talent go to find the best staffing agencies to call when they are in need.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Healthcare Providers. All other allied healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Healthcare Providers.

Contact: 
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX 75234
(800) 521-5050 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

Delta Locum Tenens announced today it has been named to Inavero’s 2013 Best of Staffing™ Talent and Client lists of award winners. Presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, the fourth annual Best of Staffing list provides the only statistically valid, objective, service quality benchmarks in the industry and reveals which staffing agencies are delivering exceptional service to the permanent and temporary employees for whom they find jobs. This year’s list highlights a growing divide among the industry’s leaders and laggards, and identifies Delta Locum Tenens as one of the best staffing agencies for locum providers and healthcare facilities to call when they are in need of staffing services.

Less than one percent of all staffing agencies in North America receive the Best of Staffing award for service excellence. Utilizing the Net Promoter® methodology, the 2013 Best of Staffing Talent winners achieved satisfaction scores more than double the industry average. This stark contrast in scores is a clear indication that the firms who have earned their way onto the 2013 Best of Staffing Talent and Client lists truly stand out for their service quality. Delta Locum Tenens received overall satisfaction ratings of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 77 percent of providers and clients, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 48 percent.

“Less than one percent of staffing firms in the U.S. and Canada have been named to the Best of Staffing Lists, and receiving this recognition differentiates our company as being a leader in the healthcare staffing industry,” said Executive Vice President Ty Chambers. “This recognition is an honor, and also sets new standard for us to improve upon.” This is the fourth year Delta Locum Tenens has been recognized under Inavero’s Best of Staffing designation. 

“Few things are more important to companies than the employees you hire,” said Inavero Founder and CEO Eric Gregg. “The same holds true for candidates on their quest for employment. Staffing agencies have proven to successfully connect companies with permanent and temporary employees. Since the end of the recession, the staffing and recruiting industry has created more jobs than any other single industry in the country**, yet so many companies and job seekers don’t take advantage of this expertise and resource. Our hope is that both companies and job candidates use the Best of Staffing lists as a benchmark to help select a staffing agency that can either secure the talent or employment opportunity they need.”  

®Net Promoter, NPS, and Net Promoter Score are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score is calculated by taking the percentage of respondents who, on a scale of 0 to 10, rate their likelihood to recommend the staffing agency with a score of 9 or 10 (promoters) and subtracting the percentage who rate the staffing agency a 6 or lower (detractors). 

**Bureau of Labor Statistics

About Inavero
Inavero administers more staffing agency client and talent satisfaction surveys than any other firm in the world. Inavero’s team reports on satisfaction surveys from more than 500,000 staffing agency clients and talent each year and the company serves as the American Staffing Association’s exclusive research partner. 

Inavero’s Best of Staffing™ is the nation’s only award that recognizes staffing agencies that receive remarkable reviews from their clients and the people they help find jobs (employed talent). The Best of Staffing winner lists are a central place that businesses and talent go to find the best staffing agencies to call when they are in need.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other allied healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Healthcare Providers.

Contact: 
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX 75234
(800) 521-5050 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

The Delta Companies announced today the release of the 4th Quarter 2012 Physician Recruiting Standard and Healthcare Recruiting Standard. The Standard is a quarterly resource from The Delta Companies providing a summary of physician and healthcare specialist compensation, placement data, and market trends in recruitment. 

This quarter's edition dicusses industry perspectives of attracting and retaining a new physician and the impact that NPTE testing dates can have on the lisensure process of a new physical therapist or physical therapy assistant. To view the Standard and subscribe to receive it each quarter, please visit www.tdcpeople.com/Standard.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, allied, and therapy healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other allied healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Healthcare Providers.

Contact:
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX 75234
(800) 521-5060 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

DALLAS, TEXAS—Monday, December 31, 2012—The Delta Companies announced today the combination of all allied healthcare services previously provided by Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Flex Travelers and Delta Flex Providers to the newly jointed business unit, Delta Healthcare Providers. 

Delta Healthcare Providers represents all permanent allied healthcare placements, and travel placements for physical therapists, physical therapy assistants, occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and certified occupational therapy assistants. Representatives are trained across both permanent and temporary placement platforms, and are prepared to address all customer needs through these services.  

“The development of Delta Healthcare Providers will allow our teams to streamline services to best fit the needs of our customers,” Bill Tracewell, executive vice president of The Delta Companies said. “With our marketing representatives trained to fulfill all client needs and our two recruiting teams aligned by temporary and permanent placements, Delta Healthcare Providers can accommodate all allied healthcare staffing services with the flexibility and personalization needed for each individual assignment.” 

Although Delta Flex Travelers has been incorporated into the newly branded Delta Healthcare Providers, the company maintains its’ standing on Inavero’s 2012 Best of Staffing ™ Client and Talent lists.  While the name of the business has changed, the employees and services that originally rendered Delta Flex Travelers on the lists have remained the same, and will continue to provide award-worthy performances as members of Delta Healthcare Providers. 

The name change will become effective Tuesday, January 1, 2013. For more information about Delta Healthcare Providers and details on services available for both providers and facilities, visit www.deltahealthcareproviders.com. 

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other allied healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Healthcare Providers.

Contact: 
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5050 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

DALLAS, TEXAS—Friday, December 14, 2012—Today The Delta Companies donated a check for $100,044 to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC), exceeding the company’s original 2012 philanthropy goal of $91,008. 

TSRHC has been the focal recipient of The Delta Companies’ philanthropy initiatives for the past five years. The company holds multiple fund raising activities for employees and the public throughout the year, attracting sponsorships and donations from participants throughout the community. This year, the company’s annual golf tournament generated over a quarter of the philanthropy goal, and most recently, the company’s annual silent auction brought in 150 items from sponsors in the area. 

The donation will be split into funding for equipment, as well as operation of “Camp Just Like Me,” a one-week camp for patients who have been diagnosed with the rare congenital disorder arthrogryposis. Also, a percentage of the donation will be given in the form of educational toys delivered to the hospital by The Delta Companies employees.

“Fifty percent of our company’s core ideology statement focuses on humanity and putting people first in all situations,” said The Delta Companies CEO Jeff Bowling. ”Today, we are able to do exactly that by supporting an amazing organization. Because of the participation and dedication of employees and donors involved in this process, we not only exceeded our year-end goal, but also allowed ourselves to become a contributing part of an altruistic and exceptional organization like TSRHC.”

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

About Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children treats Texas children with orthopedic conditions, such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand disorders, hip disorders and limb length differences, as well as certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia. As a nonprofit organization that does not receive state or federal funding, the organization has been the recipient of The Delta Companies 2012 philanthropy concentration since 2007. For more information about the organization or ways to give, visit tsrhc.org.

Contact: 
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5050 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

Delta Flex Travelers Senior Recruiting Consultant Natalie Notko was recently announced as a 2012 Healthcare Traveler Recruiter of the Year. 

Natalie is one of 61 healthcare staffing agents recognized by Healthcare Traveler. Kristen Weible said the following of Natalie: 

"I spoke with many recruiters prior to beginning my travel career; each had many promising opportunities. But after speaking with Natalie, I knew she was the one for me. She is very detailed and makes sure everything is in order for my first day of work. Natalie calls every week to ensure all is well and see if I need anything. She is committed to her travelers and available at anytime, including weekends. With Natalie as my recruiter, I just have to show up and go to work because she handles the rest."

For a full list of award recipients, visit healthcaretraveler.modernmedicine.com

DALLAS, TEXAS—Tuesday, December 5, 2012—Efforts involved in The Delta Companies Annual Silent Auction raised $18,000 to benefit Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

As The Delta Companies’ second largest fundraising event of the year, this weeklong auction event concluded on Thursday, Nov. 15. Generous support from sponsors within the community and from employee contributions allotted The Delta Companies to auction a variety of items ranging from autographed sporting equipment and certificates from businesses throughout the area, to donated babysitting services from members within the company. Final bidding was hosted at BJ Restaurant and Brewhouse, and was open to the public. The 2012 Silent Auction brought in the most funds raised than any previous year’s auction. 

The Annual Silent Auction is one of many fund raising events held throughout the year by The Delta Companies on behalf of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital. This organization is the primary philanthropy focus for The Delta Companies, and has been for several years. Toys a total check for funds raised throughout 2012 will be presented to the hospital on Friday, Dec. 14.

The Delta Companies would like to extend a special thanks to the following sponsors who participated in the auction: Bobby Clark/AC Complete, Ashley Ford Photography, Pappas, GroupOn,Stonebriar Chevrolet, Law Office of William Keneneth Dippel, Nick and Sams, Kim's Kaps, Richardson Bike Mart, Lori Dodson, Winter's Ragged Hand, Boston's, Johnny Carino's, Bob Nunn,River Chase Golf Course, Best Buy, Barbara Hromadka, Artyce Colen, Chris Landry Photography, Dallas Stars, Camp Gladiator, Pure Romance, Hydra Fenders, DFW Surf, Hari Mari Flip Flops, Bounce for Fun, Love n Hate, Andrew Smith, Jen X Photography, Hat Alley, Belmont Hotel/Smoke Bar, Roy's Hawaiian, Well Help Fitness, Dr. Friedman, Coppell Fire Department, Christine Atkins, Time Warner Cable, Dallas Mavericks, Nail Studio of Las Colinas, William Edge Salon, Golf Tec, Aloft- Las Colinas, Tammy and Co., Dallas Roadshows, Lute Riley Honda, Fandango, Dish Restaurant & Lounge, Damien Franklin- Texas Toyota of Grapevine, Tastefully Yours Cakes, Hotel Zaza, Kendra Scott, Society Bakery, Fort Worth Brahmas, Exhale Spa, Hooters, Samsung, Horseshoe Casino, Bachendorf's , Jamberry, Brandy Fraikes, Stephanie Harms Photography, Mushy Tushy (Emily Curtain), Scentsy, Grace Adele, LocumJobsOnline / AlliedTravelCareers, Skyline DFW, MMS Inc., Elite Cigar Café, Stella & Dot, Outta the Oven, Nylo Hotel, Paradise Pen, Best Western, Hilton, Choice Privleges, Avis, Hyatt Place, Enterprise, Ride Centric, TDC Travel Dept, Las Colinas Mariott, Jackie Jelen, Café Istanbul, Painting w/ a Twist, Costco, The Gents Place, J. Hilburn, Cocktail Cakes.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

About Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children treats Texas children with orthopedic conditions, such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand disorders, hip disorders and limb length differences, as well as certain related neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia. As a nonprofit organization that does not receive state or federal funding, the organization has been the recipient of The Delta Companies 2012 philanthropy concentration. For more information about the organization or ways to give, visit tsrhc.org.

Contact: 
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5050 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

DALLAS, TEXAS – October 31, 2012 –The Delta Companies celebrates today their 15^th anniversary in healthcare staffing.

“Today marks a great achievement in our company’s history,” said Jeff Bowling, chief executive officer. “While today we celebrate our past accomplishments, it is with great confidence and excitement that we can look toward the future and the many successes that are to come.”

Founded in 1997 as Delta Medical Consulting, The Delta Companies is now an award-winning enterprise in healthcare staffing. Deemed this year as one of the Largest US Healthcare Staffing Firms and Largest US Locum Tenens Staffing Firms by Staffing Industry Analyst, The Delta Companies continues to be one of the fastest growing companies in the healthcare staffing industry. Additionally, the enterprise has received Inavero’s Best of Staffing awards for both Talent and Client consecutively for the past two years.

For more information on The Delta Companies, visit www.tdcpeople.com.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5050 x4144
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

DALLAS, TEXAS – September 18, 2012– The DeltaCompanies took two awards of Excellence in the 2012 American StaffingAssociation Staffing VOICE Awards competition. This national annual awardsprogram recognizes the best ASA member communications campaigns from directmail to online platforms.

This year, the Delta Companies’ in-house advertising team was recognized in the categories of Specialty Advertising and Social Media. The enterprise received Judges’ Crystal Award for the Specialty Advertising category, which is presented at the discretion of the judging panel to recognize an entry’s exceptional achievement. The Delta Companies has now been honored in the competition for six consecutive years, including twice winning Best of Show.

“These awards represent both an honor and a celebration of success for our advertising team,” said The Delta Companies Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bowling. “Inaddition to promoting visibility of our services which will help create access to a larger pool of potential candidates and clients, the awards give recognition to the creative and ultimately successful approach we take to everytask that we do.”

 The ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition recognizes the voice, originality, innovation, creativity, and effectiveness—or VOICE—of ASA member communications campaigns. A panel of communications experts judges the entries in two award classes, for independent and national staffing firms, on general appeal and overall quality, content and message, originality of approach, target audience, and objectives.

The 2012 ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition was sponsored by CareerBuilder, an ASA corporate partner providing customized products and services to help staffing firms increase their exposure among candidates and potential clients.

The winning entries will be displayed during Staffing World 2012, where convention and expo attendees will see the companies’ successful communications efforts.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

About the American Staffing Association
The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing industry. ASA and its affiliated chapters advance the interests of staffing and recruiting firms of all sizes and across all sectors through legal and legislative advocacy, public relations, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. ASA members provide the full range of employment and work force services and solutions, including temporary and contract staffing, recruiting and permanent placement, outplacement and outsourcing, training, and human resource consulting.

Contact:
Mary Glover
Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(267) 350-9339
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

Delta Locum Tenens recently released an electronic application system that improves the application submission process for providers.

By accessing the business’ Website, deltalocums.com, incoming providers can complete required application documentation from their computer or mobile device. The system includes necessary forms for the application process and can be instantly submitted online.

Additionally, Delta Locum Tenens now offers a virtual version of the skills checklist,which is required for new providers to complete before assignment. This list helps hiring facility representatives to determine providers’ scope of practice in order to ensure a good match. Returning providers can also access the online forms in order to make instant updates to their information.

Since launching the online system, Delta Locum Tenens’ representatives have seen applications returned in a matter of hours, in what would take days to receive through traditional mail. The improved submission process helps Delta Locum Tenens representatives to process providers sooner, therefore accelerating the placement process. However, print applications remain available to those who prefer traditional submissions.

In addition to a quicker submission process, the online application system creates access to a more convenient and user-friendly resource for providers. To access the system, click the “provider” tab on the deltalocum.com home page and follow the links in the left navigation menu. For more information, or help with this process, contact your Delta Locum Tenens’ representative.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:

Mary Glover

Vice President of Communications, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(267) 350-9339
PR@TDCpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

With dedication toward the company’s core ideology statement “creating access for people through performance and humanity,” The Delta Companies announces today the promotion of five vice presidents.
 
The Delta Companies’ physician staffing and placement segments designated Marc Bowles as vice president of marketing for Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Physician Placement. Additionally, James Heil has been named vice president of recruiting in Delta Locum Tenens.

Delta Flex Partners, which provides temporary staffing and permanent placement of allied and other healthcare providers, has named Jaeson Babb vice president of permanent recruiting and Ryan Anholt vice president of temporary recruiting.
 
Mary Glover has also been promoted to vice president of communications and will be responsible for informational technology, advertising and public relations throughout the enterprise.
 
“The five individuals we have identified have been instrumental in the success of this enterprise,” CEO Jeff Bowling said. “Their continued leadership is key to the strategic direction and growth of the company. We congratulate and honor them, while looking forward to the continued exceptional customer experience that this structure allows The Delta Companies to provide.”
 
About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

Delta Flex Travelers, a business unit of The Delta Companies, recently launched a new online work log system that improves the experience of time submission and approval.   

The Delta Companies online work log application creates on-the-go access for users in virtually any location. Travelers can login via computer or mobile device to update and submit their work logs for approval. A notification is then sent to the corresponding approver at a client’s facility via email, no external login necessary. Additionally, online work logs ensure accurate billing and promote a green approach to time-reporting by eliminating unnecessary paper and printing costs.

Each quarter, The Delta Companies solicits feedback from customers through the Customer Experience Index survey to measure the experience travelers and clients have with our service.  The comments provided from the survey are also utilized to better understand where operational adjustments can be made to enhance the customer experience.   After studying recent reports, the company spotted a trend in feedback denoting a preference for online work logs to replace handwritten paper copies. As of June, the company has adopted the online system, which is accessible through the web site.

Access for Customers

Travelers are given a unique login username and password to use during assignments. Travelers can access the online system by clicking the “submit work logs” link at http://www.flextravelers.com. Work logs can be updated and altered at any time before submission.

By logging in online via computer or mobile application, travelers no longer have to be onsite at the approver’s facility for an in-person signature. The online work logs are formatted identically to prior paper copies, to support ease of use of both submission and approval. The work log system is designed to be user friendly for all levels of computer skills, and instructions for submissions are available on the site.

Facility representatives can provide online approvals during a time that fits with their schedule, and from the comfort of their own computer or device. Approvers do not need to login to the online work log system to complete a submission; they simply need to check their inbox for approval notifications, and click the unique link provided for that specific work by the approval deadline.

About the Customer Experience index

The Customer Experience Index is a single metric use to measure the experience customers are having with The Delta Companies services. The metric is the Net Promoter Score® that was developed by Satmetrix, Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld, and is hosted by Inavero. It establishes a simple, actionable feedback and measurement system so that our organization will continually improve the customer experience while earning loyalty with our services. In addition to the metric, the comments provided from the survey are also utilized to better understand where operational adjustments can be made to enhance the customer experience across all service lines.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Providers.

 Contact:         Marc Bowles
                       Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
                       Four Hickory Centre
                       1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
                       Dallas, TX  75234
                       (800) 521-5060 x4102
                       PR@TheDeltaCompaniespeople.com
                       http://www.TDCpeople.com

Today, The Delta Companies celebrates being listed on the Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2012 List of Largest U.S. Healthcare Staffing Firms. The enterprise was listed among a total of 17 healthcare staffing firms, cumulatively representing 48 percent of the industry’s market. 

Companies were ranked by their estimated 2011 U.S. revenue generated in the healthcare segment, each producing at least $50 million in healthcare revenue. The list is aimed at providing a “big picture” reading of the U.S. healthcare sector.

Additionally, The Delta Companies was listed on the SIA 2012 List of Largest U.S. Locum Tenens Staffing Firms. This listing designated The Delta Companies as one of seven enterprises to generate an estimated $25 million or more in U.S. Locum Tenens staffing. Together, these seven companies make up 67 percent of the Locum Tenens staffing market.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Providers.

 Contact:       Marc Bowles
                       Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
                       Four Hickory Centre
                       1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
                       Dallas, TX  75234
                       (800) 521-5060 x4102
                       PR@TheDeltaCompaniespeople.com
                       http://www.TDCpeople.com

Delta Locum Tenens, a business unit of The Delta Companies, recently launched a new online work log system that improves the experience of time submission and approval.   

The Delta Companies online work log application creates on-the-go access for users in virtually any location. Providers can login via computer or mobile device to update and submit their work logs for approval. A notification is then sent to the corresponding approver at a client’s facility via email, no external login necessary. Additionally, online work logs ensure accurate billing and promote a green approach to time-reporting by eliminating unnecessary paper and printing costs. 

Each quarter, The Delta Companies solicits feedback from customers through the Customer Experience Index survey to evaluate the experience providers and clients have with our service.  The comments provided from the survey are also utilized to better understand where operational adjustments can be made to enhance the customer experience.   After studying recent reports, the company spotted a trend in feedback denoting a preference for online work logs to replace handwritten paper copies. As of June, the company has adopted the electronic system, which is accessible through the web site.

Access for Customers
Providers are given a unique login username and password to use during assignments. Providers can access the online system by clicking the “submit work logs” link at http://www.deltalocums.com. Work logs can be updated and altered at any time before submission. 

By logging in online via computer or mobile application, providers no longer have to travel to their approver’s facility for an in-person signature. The electronic work logs are formatted identically to prior paper copies, to support ease of use of both submission and approval. The work log system is designed to be user friendly for all levels of computer skills, and instructions for submissions are available on the site. 

Facility representatives can provide electronic approvals during a time that fits with their schedule, and from the comfort of their own computer or device. Approvers do not need to login to the online work log system to complete a submission; they simply need to check their inbox for approval notifications, and click the unique link provided for that specific work by the approval deadline.

About the Customer Experience index
The Customer Experience Index is a single metric use to measure the experience customers are having with The Delta Companies services. The metric is the Net Promoter Score® that was developed by Satmetrix, Bain & Company, and Fred Reichheld, and is hosted by Inavero. It establishes a simple, actionable feedback and measurement system so that our organization will continually improve the customer experience while earning loyalty with our services. In addition to the metric, the comments provided from the survey are also utilized to better understand where operational adjustments can be made to enhance the customer experience across all service lines.

About The Delta Companies 
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Providers. 

 Contact:         Marc Bowles
                       Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
                       Four Hickory Centre
                       1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
                       Dallas, TX  75234
                       (800) 521-5060 x4102
                       PR@TheDeltaCompaniespeople.com
                       http://www.TDCpeople.com

The Delta Companies releases the 2nd Quarter 2012 Physician Recruiting Standard and Healthcare Recruiting Standard

The Delta Companies announced today the release of the 2nd Quarter 2012 Physician Recruiting Standard and Healthcare Recruiting Standard. The Standard is a quarterly resource from The Delta Companies providing a summary of physician and healthcare specialist compensation, placement data, and market trends in recruitment. To view the Standard and subscribe to receive it each quarter, please visit www.tdcpeople.com/Standard.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, allied, and therapy healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact: Marc Bowles
Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX 75234
(800) 521-5060 x4102
PR@tdcpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

After hosting the 2012 Disco Cup Golf Tournament, The Delta Companies was able to raise $22,716.29 in support of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC) within a single fundraiser.

The Disco Cup is an annual tournament open to golf enthusiasts, or people simply looking for a day filled with near-misses, mulligan’s, and do-over’s. In the spirit of fun and camaraderie, 43 Delta volunteers coordinated a morning and afternoon flight, in which teams of four golfers competed in a scramble. Despite threats of poor weather, The Delta Companies welcomed their largest event turnout to date, with 196 golfers, including local celebrities Jose Guzman, Lee Haynes, Jack Lindsey, Larry Mallory, Kevin Mench, Mike Napoli, Hurles Scales, Dan Smith and Ira Terrell.

Funds raised at the tournament are part of a year-long initiative to generate $91,008 in support of TSRHC. The enterprise will also host an annual silent auction during the week of November 5, and all are welcome to bid on items. Previous auction items have included event tickets, sports memorabilia, travel packages, and a wide array of specialty gifts. All proceeds collected from this year’s campaign will be presented to TSRCH during the holiday season. 

This year’s event was made possible by several  sponsors: BJ's Restaurants Foundation, Barnaby & Wolfe, CareerBuilder, CBRE, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Greg Palmer & Associates, Holmes Murphy & Associates, Impact Printing, Jones Lang LaSalle, LLC-Scott Gann, Mercury Communication, Next Level Exchange, OSO Capital, Pinnacle Graphics, Shelter Mortgage/Kay Wilkinson, Wells Fargo, Weaver Tidwell and a donation made in loving memory of Adam Hartwick.

For more information about TSRCH, visit tsrhc.org, and to see photos from this year’s Disco Cup event, check out The Delta Companies Facebook page at facebook.com/TDCpeople.

About The Delta Companies 
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers. 

 Contact:         Marc Bowles
                       Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
                       Four Hickory Centre
                       1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
                       Dallas, TX  75234
                       (800) 521-5060 x4102
                       PR@TDCpeople.com
                       http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – May 11, 2012 – The Delta Companies reveals the company’s core ideology to the public today, “creating access for people through performance and humanity,” with the launch of their redesigned Web site, www.tdcpeople.com.

The Web site objectifies why we exist and explains how The Delta Companies open doors for everyone. Additionally, the Web site has increased transparency of The Delta Companies award winning culture.

Breaking Down the Statement

“Create” is an action driven verb meaning to make something from nothing. Creating access is what we do - members are given access to great careers at the Delta Companies; providers receive access to new and exciting opportunities; facilities gain access to quality clinicians; and, in turn, patients access the care they need and deserve. The services provided by The Delta Companies impact more than any one individual; the outcome of a good placement spans across all involved parties. 

The latter portion of the company’s ideology focuses on the importance of both its values; performance and humanity. The organization drives home the importance of executing for customers to a world class level AND putting people first. Members at The Delta Companies believe that performance is primary and people are more important.

“Most people think if you are a high performing organization, you can’t use words like respect and love, and if you use those words then you can’t be a for-profit,” CEO Jeff Bowling said. “We are living proof that you can be both!”

Launch of the New Site

The redesigned Web site was released today concluding a six-day video campaign via Facebook and Google+. One video was released per day, focusing on a new portion of the Web site by flashing images that related to a specific word within the company’s purpose statement. The campaign circulated May 4-10, with the goal of generating hype among staff members and the organization’s fans. For full videos, visit facebook.com/TDCpeople.

In addition to a modernized presence on the Web, the site redesign has incorporated new navigation techniques and media content to enhance the Web viewer’s experience. With sections such as company “fun” and “meet the people,” The Delta Companies has created a portal into the lifestyle and internal behaviors of organization’s culture.

Visit the newly designed Web site at www.tdcpeople.com .

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, therapy and other allied healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

 Contact:     

Marc Bowles
Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5060 x4102
PR@TDCpeople.com
 http://www.TDCpeople.com

DALLAS, TEXAS – April 3, 2012 – Today, The Delta Companies celebrates Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bowling for being named a member of the Who’s Who: The Staffing 100 list. Bowling was recognized as a “Mover and Shaker” on the Staffing 100, placing The Delta Companies as one of only three healthcare staffing agencies on the 2011 list.

After founding The Delta Companies in 1997, Bowling has led the company through a substantial 15 years of growth. The Delta Companies was listed on the Staffing 100 in recognition of the firm’s five-year compound annual growth of 21.51 percent. Bowling was also mentioned for placing as an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist in 2007.

Historically, The Delta Companies has made the Staffing Industry Analyst’s “25 Percent Club” of fastest-growing private staffing firms five years running, Inc. Magazine’s list of “Inc. 5000 America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies” three years running and the Dallas Business Journal’s “Dallas 100” fastest-growing private companies list six out of the last seven years.

About Staffing 100

Written by Craig Johnson and KJ Fullam, the Staffing 100 list is comprised of nominations from throughout the staffing industry. Johnson and Fullam describe the list as a means to credit people who have positively influenced millions of as leaders in the staffing industry.

“These folks have influenced staffing for the better and helped drive its growth,” Johnson and Fullam write in the introductory page of the list. “They are a mixture of the young and old, those just starting out and those who are CEOs of estab­lished corporations. Although our list is not an academic or objective study, it gives a contem­porary viewpoint of who is important to the staffing industry today.”

For the full text of the Staffing 100 list, visit http://www.staffingindustry.com/site/Research-Publications/Publications/Staffing-Industry-Review/October-2011/The-Staffing-100.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, allied and therapy healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.

The Delta Companies announced today the release of the 1st Quarter 2012 Physician Recruiting Standard and Healthcare Recruiting Standard. The Standard is a quarterly resource from The Delta Companies providing a summary of physician and healthcare specialist compensation, placement data, and market trends in recruitment. To view the Standard and subscribe to receive it each quarter, please visit www.tdcpeople.com/Standard.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, allied, and therapy healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers. 


Contact:       Marc Bowles
                     Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
                     Four Hickory Centre
                     1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
                     Dallas, TX  75234
                     (800) 521-5060 x4102
                     PR@tdcpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – February 23, 2012 – Today The Delta Companies, Delta Flex Travelers, and Delta Locum Tenens announces they have been named to both Inavero’s 2012 Best of Staffing™ Client  and Best of Staffing™ Talent lists, with Delta Physician Placement also being honored on the 2012 Best of Staffing™ Client list.  Best of Staffing, presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, is the nation’s only award that recognizes staffing firms that receive remarkable reviews from their clients and the people they find jobs (employed talent).  Fewer than 1% of North American staffing firms have been named to the 2012 Best of Staffing Client or Talent Lists.

“Only through our providers and clients allowing us the opportunity to serve them, is it possible to achieve this industry leading experience,” said Jeff Bowling, President and CEO of The Delta Companies.

Staffing firms competing to make the Best of Staffing list underwent a rigorous client and talent survey process followed by careful analysis of responses to determine satisfaction levels. The Delta Companies received satisfaction ratings of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 71.4 percent of their clients and talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 50 percent. Best of Staffing participants secured a place on the list by earning an average Net Promoter ScoreÒ that was nearly double the national staffing industry benchmark for client satisfaction.

“The staffing industry continues to play a key role in helping to revitalize the economy,” said Eric Gregg, Inavero’s Founder and CEO.  “Staffing firms give growth-minded organizations a more flexible alternative to recruiting their own employees, letting both the employee and employer determine if the fit is right for a more permanent position.  Both sides receive tremendous value in a flexible, yet meaningful working relationship, and as they engage with staffing firms to help achieve those goals, the service experience they have is very important to their success. The Best of Staffing lists are a resource for businesses and talent who are trying to find staffing firms that provide exceptional service.”

Inavero’s complete Best of Staffing list can be viewed at www.bestofstaffing.com. For more information about Inavero, visit www.inavero.com.  For more information on The Delta Companies please visit www.TDCpeople.com.  

About Inavero

Inavero designs and manages satisfaction surveys for a global list of clients in more than 15 countries. Inavero’s proprietary technology platform gathers and reports staffing firm client and talent satisfaction information through online surveys. Inavero’s team analyzes satisfaction feedback from more than 500,000 staffing firm clients and talent each year, and serves at the American Staffing Association’s exclusive research partner.

For more information contact Inavero at (800) 921-2640 or email bestofstaffing@inavero.com. www.inavero.com | www.bestofstaffing.com.

Net Promoter, Net Promoter Score, and NPS are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, Inc., and Fred Reichheld

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians, physician extenders, allied, and therapy healthcare professionals. Physician staffing services are represented by Delta Physician Placement and Delta Locum Tenens. All other healthcare staffing services are represented by Delta Flex Providers through the recruiting operation efforts of Delta Healthcare Placement and Delta Flex Travelers.  

Contact:              

Marc Bowles

Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX  75234

(800) 521-5060 x4102

PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

"The recruiters were very professional and friendly and work very hard to get you matched up based upon your education and experience. They are available at all times to help you with any questions you may have. I can't think of anything that needs to be changed at this time."

Staffing firms competing to make the Best of Staffing list underwent a rigorous survey process followed by careful analysis of responses to determine satisfaction levels. The Delta Companies received satisfaction ratings of 9 or 10 out of 10 from 74.6 percent of their talent surveyed, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 50% percent. Best of Staffing participants secured a place on the list by earning an average Net Promoter Score® that was nearly double the national staffing industry benchmark for talent who had been placed in a job.

According to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, staffing firms have created more new jobs since the end of the ‘Great Recession’ than any other industry, accounting for 91% of the total job growth. "There is still so much work to be done," said Eric Gregg, Inavero's Founder and CEO. "The most recent BLS report shows 14 million unemployed, nearly half whom have been out of work for six months or more. Job seekers are using staffing and recruiting firms now more than ever before, and it’s our hope the Best of Staffing List will help guide them to the firms who have truly created an exceptional experience for the talent they are helping put back to work.”

Inavero’s complete Best of Staffing list can be viewed at www.bestofstaffing.com. For more information about Inavero, visit www.inavero.com.  To learn more about The Delta Companies visit www.TDCpeople.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – September 13, 2011 – The Delta Companies will have two featured speakers at this year’s Staffing Industry Analysts Healthcare Staffing Summit which held September 21-23, 2011 at the Downtown Marriott in Philadelphia.

Produced by Staffing Industry Analysts, the global adviser on contingent work, the Healthcare Staffing Summit will focus on the most pressing strategic issues that affect how you make crucial decisions each day.

Jeff Bowling, Chief Executive Officer, and Marc Bowles, Chief Operating Officer, will be speaking in a session entitled "High-Bang-To-Buck Tactics".

This year’s Summit will also feature keynote presentations by William Frist, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader on the future of healthcare reform,  a panel of leaders on what to expect for the healthcare industry  in the next five years, including former AMA president, James Rohackand Staffing Industry Analysts President Barry Asinon where to find opportunities for growth in healthcare staffing.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies (www.TDCpeople.com) offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens, and Delta Flex Travelers.
 
Contact:        

Marc Bowles
Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5060 x4102
PR@tdcpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com

DALLAS, TEXAS – September 7, 2011 – The Delta Companies will be joining employees of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and other area organizations as volunteers during the Great Urban Race, Saturday, October 15.
 
Volunteers will help with pre-race setup, registration, pre-race instruction, finish line assistance and camera check, and post-race cleanup. This fun unique experience begins at 10:30 am and wraps up at 5 pm with a costume contest and award ceremony.

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.
 
For more information on how you can join The Delta Companies Day of Caring or other philanthropic initiatives, please contact Casey Meyers at cmeyers@tdcpeople.com.
 
About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies (www.TDCpeople.com) offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens, and Delta Flex Travelers.
 
Contact:       

Marc Bowles
Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, TX  75234
(800) 521-5060 x4102
PR@tdcpeople.com
http://www.TDCpeople.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – August 24, 2011 – The Delta Companies recently won four awards of Excellence and two merit awards for their advertising in the American Staffing Association’s annual VOICE awards competition. 

The firm’s in-house advertising team was recognized in the categories of Company Web site, Public Service, Multimedia, Social Media, Company Publication and Other Advertising.  The Delta Companies has now been honored in the competition for five consecutive years, including twice winning Best of Show.

The ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition recognizes the voice, originality, innovation, creativity, and effectiveness—or VOICE—of ASA member communications campaigns.  A panel of communications experts judges the entries in two award classes, for independent and national staffing firms, on general appeal and overall quality, content and message, originality of approach, target audience, and objectives. 

Awards will be displayed during Staffing World, Oct. 11-14 in New Orleans, and will be published in the November-December issue of Staffing Success. 

For more information on The Delta Companies, please visit www.TDCpeople.com.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:         

Marc Bowles

Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX  75234

(800) 521-5060 x4102

PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

June 8, 2011, Los Angeles, CA –As the economy begins to show signs of recovery, and pressure returns on nurse wages, attrition, and labor availability, hospital executives face the challenge of managing labor costs and scarce clinical personnel while managing patient care. The National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations (NATHO) commissioned KPMG LLP to conduct a study to explore how hospital executives consider their use of full‐time and supplemental labor strategies in the current economy that addresses patient care, costs, and revenue retention and growth.

NATHO’s 2011 U.S. Hospital Nursing
Labor Costs Study, which is based on a survey of 120 senior hospital executives throughout the United States, provides labor cost benchmarks useful in labor model analysis. NATHO is a non‐profit association of travel healthcare staffing organizations founded in 2008 to create and enforce standards of practice, ethics, and dispute resolution.

Labor Cost for a Full‐Time Registered Nurse
According to the survey, the all‐in cost of a full‐time direct care hospital registered nurse (RN) is on average $98,000/year ($45/hour), of which only $55,739 is base wages ($25.84/hour). Fully‐loaded payroll, which includes base wages, employer taxes and paid time off represents 76‐78% of the total cost of the RN labor force at facilities. The balance comes from non productivity costs (12‐13%), insurance costs (8‐9%), recruiting costs (1‐2%), and other costs (1%). In other words, the actual cost per hour for a full time nurse is on average 176% of their base hourly wage. These
are important factors in evaluating whether to add staff, increase overtime or use contingent nurses to meet patient needs.

“Hidden” Costs of Full‐Time Nursing Labor
There are also significant additional “hidden” nursing labor costs, which are mainly the result of non‐productive labor hours and associated opportunity costs, as well as attrition and time required to fill a permanent direct care RN position.Non‐productive labor hours on average represent 13% of total hours, according to respondents.

Optimum Staffing Levels and Quality Override Cost as Decision Factors
Two‐thirds of the hospital executives responding to the survey say they are currently using travel or per diem nurses. The key reasons for using traveling nurses were supply and demand, and quality of these nurses. These appear to be even more important decision factors than cost. Some of the reasons given, which enable some hospitals not to use traveling staff, include the use of extra full‐time staff, part‐time employed staff, incentives to limit turnover and to encourage working overtime, as well as the current economic downturn leading to limited turnover. Many of these factors may be of a temporary nature, and increase costs and turnover over the long term. Respondents also stated that the ideal balance is 90% permanent staff and 10% supplemental labor.
 
“The study offers an unbiased view of the comprehensive costs associated with full‐time, direct care nurses and the financial impact of utilizing direct care staff to manage a hospital’s fluctuating demand for clinicians,” said Mark Stagen, NATHO president “Findings are drawn from the responses of those at the heart of the industry, offering valuable insight on current trends and future opportunities. The study also seems to confirm what many of our members have said all along that the cost of a permanent RN isn’t that different than the cost of a Travel Nurse.”

About the Survey
The 2011 U.S. Hospital Nursing Labor Costs Study, conducted by KPMG LLP on behalf of NATHO, looks at the current condition of United States hospital labor costs and explores issues that could shape a hospital’s labor strategy in the coming years. To see the entire survey, go to KPMG’s website by clicking here.

About NATHO
The National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations (NATHO) is a non‐profit association of nearly 40 healthcare staffing travel organizations founded in 2008 to create and enforce standards of practice, ethics, and dispute resolution. It has set the gold standard for conduct that is aligned among member agencies on behalf of travel healthcare candidates and clients, with its ultimate focus on maintaining quality patient care within the travel healthcare industry. For more information, visit www.natho.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – June 9 2011 – The Delta Companies recently announced that their annual ‘Disco Cup’ golf tournament raised $13,965.29 for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

144 golfers took part in the tournament, along with sports celebrities at the Bridlewood Golf Club in Flower Mound, Texas. 26 volunteers and sponsors also donated time and resources for event. Local sponsors included Wells Fargo, Holmes Murphy, Impact Printing, O.E. Penguin and Enterprise Rental Car.

The donation is part of a larger annual initiative to raise $85,000 dollars for the hospital by the end of this year. The staffing firm will be holding its annual silent auction the week of November 7th-11th and anyone is welcome to bid on the auction items.

In the past items have included event tickets, sports memorabilia, travel packages, and a wide array of specialty gifts. All proceeds from each event go directly to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children during the 2011 holiday season. See the video of the tournament by visiting www.youtube.com/TDCpeople.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:


Marc Bowles


Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175


Dallas, Texas 75234


(800) 521-5060 x4102


PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – April 21, 2011- Delta Physician Placement announced Wednesday, April 20 the winner of the promotion “For Those Who Care”.  Eric Conkling of Coshocton County Memorial Hospital was randomly selected from the pool of nationwide submissions. A donation of $1,000 on behalf of Coshocton Memorial Hospital will be made to New Life Ministries, a community food bank in Coshocton Ohio. All medical facilities across the country were eligible to win the donation for whichever charity they selected in their community.

“The “For Those Who Care” campaign goes well beyond a marketing message. It draws awareness to the meaningful impact that healthcare providers have on individuals, families, and entire communities.
 
We solicited feedback on the new website that helped illustrate the “For Those Who Care” campaign. The feedback was overwhelming and greatly appreciated as it provides a continued platform for us to improve the experience we provide.  Although the charitable promotion is over, your continued insight is welcomed and appreciated.” states Ty Chambers, EVP of Delta Physician Placement.

In order to be eligible to win the $1,000 charitable donation, facilities simply logged on to Delta Physician Placement website at www.deltaplacement.com and provided simple feedback on the site or campaign. The marketing of the promotion consisted of 2,500 direct mail awareness pieces to facilities, an email campaign, and Delta Physician Placement representatives contacting administrators to make them aware of this opportunity. 

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:


Marc Bowles


Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175


Dallas, Texas 75234


(800) 521-5060 x4102


PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – March 8, 2011- Delta Physician Placement announced Tuesday, March 8th the launch of a new brand campaign.  With this launch, a promotion to make a donation of $1,000 on behalf of a medical facility that will be made public on Tuesday, April 19th.  All medical facilities across the country are eligible to win the donation for whichever charity they select in their community.

“The campaign, ‘For those who care,’ broadcasts our belief system regarding philanthropy, the communities, facilities, physicians and the overall experiences that our services provide.  An organization must listen with genuine curiosity to understand the pain of a prospect before it can truly help someone. In order to help someone, an organization must first care.”, states Ty Chambers, EVP of Delta Physician Placement.

"All communities can use some help in their philanthropic endeavors, and this is an opportunity for hospital administrators, physician recruiters or any member of administration at a medical facility to take a few minutes of time to potentially help their community.”, said Marc Bowles, COO of The Delta Companies.

In order to be eligible to win the $1,000 charitable donation, facilities simply go to the Delta Physician Placement website at www.deltaplacement.com and provide some simple feedback on the site or campaign. The marketing of the promotion consists of 2,500 direct mail awareness pieces to facilities, an email campaign, and Delta Physician Placement representatives contacting administrators to make them aware of this opportunity.  All medical facilities are eligible to enter the drawing.  Facilities may enter only once and all registrations must be received online by Thursday, April 14th.

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:
Marc Bowles
Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, Texas 75234
(800) 521-5060 x4102
PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS - February 22, 2011 - The Delta Companies announced Friday, February 18th that both Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Physician Placement have been named to Inavero’s 2011 Best of Staffing™ Client list. Best of Staffing, presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, is the nation’s only satisfaction award that recognizes exceptional client service within the staffing industry. Fewer than 1% of North American staffing firms have been named to the 2011 Best of Staffing Client List.

“Less than 1% of staffing firms in the US and Canada have been named to the Best of Staffing List for Client Satisfaction and we’d like to first thank our customers for allow us the opportunity to provide an experience with our services,” Marc Bowles, COO of The Delta Companies states.

Staffing firms competing to make the Best of Staffing list underwent a rigorous client survey process followed by careful analysis of responses to determine satisfaction level. Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Physician Placement received satisfaction ratings of 9 or 10 out of 10, that was significantly higher than the industry’s average of 47 percent. Best of Staffing participants secured a place on the list by earning an average Net Promoter Score that was more than double the national staffing industry benchmark for talent satisfaction.

“These are exciting times as the staffing industry is helping lead the way to renewed economic vitality,” said Eric Gregg, Inavero’s Founder and CEO.  “It has been estimated that staffing firms have helped to fill at least one quarter of the 93,000 new jobs opening up each month in North America over the past year. Along with the increase in demand for talented job candidates, companies engaging with staffing firms expect impeccable service more than they ever have. It is our hope that businesses searching for a staffing partner use the Best of Staffing List as a guide to firms that have truly outperformed the industry for the service that they provide.”

Inavero’s complete Best of Staffing list can be viewed at www.bestofstaffing.com. For more information about Inavero, visit www.inavero.com.  To learn more about The Delta Companies visit www.tdcpeople.com. To learn about Delta Physician Placement visit www.deltaplacement.com or Delta Locum Tenens visit www.deltalocums.com

About Inavero, Inc

Inavero designs and manages satisfaction surveys for a global list of clients in more than 15 countries. Inavero’s proprietary technology platform gathers and reports staffing firm client and talent satisfaction information through online surveys. Inavero’s team analyzes satisfaction feedback from more than 300,000 staffing firm clients and talent each year, and serves at the American Staffing Association’s exclusive research partner. The firm’s surveys protect more than $4.3 billion in staffing firm annual revenue.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:
Marc Bowles
Chief Operating Officer, The Delta Companies
Four Hickory Centre
1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
Dallas, Texas 75234
(800) 521-5060 x4102
PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – September 24, 2010 – The Delta Companies recently announced it has been named to Inavero’s 2010 Best of Staffing™ Candidate list, presented in partnership with CareerBuilder.  Best of Staffing is the nation’s only candidate satisfaction award that recognizes staffing and recruiting firms that provide exceptional service to their talent.

Delta Locum Tenens, Delta Flex Travelers and The Delta Companies enterprise all secured a place on the list by earning a Net Promoter ScoreÒ that was at least double the national staffing industry benchmark for talent satisfaction.  In addition, this is the second time in 2010 that Delta Locum Tenens has been recognized by Inavero for customer satisfaction, making the Best of Staffing™ Client list earlier this year for the experience provided by the business unit to its clients as well.  Delta Locum Tenens is the only healthcare staffing firm in the nation to be recognized on both lists. 

“Thank you to all the providers and facilities we have worked with for allowing us to serve them with an exceptional customer experience.  Without them this award would not be possible,” said Marc Bowles, chief marketing officer of The Delta Companies.

“Right now, not many companies are hiring full-time employees, but staffing firms continue to put more people on assignment each week. This is a time when those firms who are focused on delivering great service to their talent should be recognized and applauded,” said Eric Gregg, Founder & CEO of Inavero.

“Inavero’s Best of Staffing program presents an opportunity for staffing firms to differentiate themselves from the rest of the industry, recognizes excellence, and also provides invaluable information about how to continue to meet and exceed expectations of the talent they place on assignment,” adds Gregg. 

Inavero’s complete Best of Staffing list can be viewed at www.bestofstaffing.com. For more information about Inavero, visit www.inavero.com.  For more information on The Delta Companies please visit www.TDCpeople.com.  

About Inavero

Inavero designs and manages satisfaction surveys for a global list of clients in more than 15 countries. Inavero’s proprietary technology platform gathers and reports staffing firm client and talent satisfaction information through online surveys. Inavero’s team analyzes satisfaction feedback from more than 300,000 staffing firm clients and talent each year, and serves at the American Staffing Association’s exclusive research partner. The firm’s surveys protect more than $4.3 billion in staffing firm annual revenue. Visit Inavero on the Web at: www.inavero.com.

Net Promoter, Net Promoter Score, and NPS are trademarks of Satmetrix Systems, Inc., Bain & Company, Inc., and Fred Reichheld

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:              

Marc Bowles

Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX  75234

(800) 521-5060 x4102

PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – September 21, 2010 – The Delta Companies announced today that Delta Flex Travelers, Delta Locum Tenens, and the firm’s consolidated business unit score have been recognized by Inavero’s 2010 Candidate Best of Staffing List.  To make the list, staffing firms needed a Net Promoter Score of 44 of higher.

This is the second time in 2010 that Delta Locum Tenens has been recognized by Inavero for customer satisfaction, making the Client Best of Staffing list earlier this year for the experience provided by the business unit to its clients as well.

For more information on The Delta Companies and additional announcements regarding Inavero’s Candidate Best of Staffing List, please visit www.TDCpeople.com. 

About Inavero

Inavero designs and manages satisfaction surveys for a global list of clients in more than 15 countries, with 5 different languages represented. Inavero’s custom created technology platform gathers and reports staffing firm client and candidate satisfaction information through quick online surveys. Satisfaction feedback from more than 100,000 accounting, legal, and staffing firm clients and job candidates is analyzed by Inavero’s team. Inavero’s client feedback system protects more than $4.3 billion in professional service firm annual revenue.   Visit Inavero on the Web at: www.inavero.com.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:              

Marc Bowles

Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX  75234

(800) 521-5060 x4102

PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – September 8, 2010 – The Delta Companies recently won three awards for advertising campaigns in the American Staffing Association’s annual VOICE awards competition. 

The firm’s in-house advertising team was recognized in the categories of direct mail, multimedia, and other advertising.  The Delta Companies has now been honored in the competition for four consecutive years, including twice winning Best of Show.

The ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition recognizes the voice, originality, innovation, creativity, and effectiveness—or VOICE—of ASA member communications campaigns.  A panel of communications experts judges the entries in two award classes, for independent and national staffing firms, on general appeal and overall quality, content and message, originality of approach, target audience, and objectives. 

Awards will be displayed during Staffing World, Oct. 12-15 in Las Vegas, and will be published in the November-December issue of Staffing Success. 

For more information on The Delta Companies, please visit www.TDCpeople.com.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:         

Marc Bowles

Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX  75234

(800) 521-5060 x4102

PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – August 26, 2010 – The demand for emergency medicine physicians has climbed sharply in the past year, according to the most recent data published by The Delta Companies in The Physician Recruiting Standard. 

“Emergency rooms continue to experience an influx of uninsured patients as a result of high unemployment,” says Todd Turrentine, team lead of Delta Physician Placement. 

In the last twelve months emergency medicine jumped twelve spots on the publication’s list of specialties in demand, now only second to family medicine.

The Physician Recruiting Standard is a free, quarterly resource that provides a summary of current data and market trends in physician recruitment. 

For more information on The Physician Recruiting Standard and how to request your free copy, visit www.TDCpeople.com/standard.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:         

Marc Bowles

Chief Marketing Officer

The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX  75234

(800) 521-5060 x4102

PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.tdcpeople.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – August 4, 2010 –Recently named as the fastest-growing healthcare staffing firm in the nation (Staffing Industry Analysts 2010), The Delta Companies is planning further growth initiatives, including an expansion of their sales force by over 38 percent before the end of 2010.

The Dallas, Texas-based staffing firm is set to hire over seventy new sales and recruiting representatives by the end of this year to support their four business units serving the healthcare industry. 

The hiring initiative will be kicked off with an event at the company’s office on Tuesday, August 10 from 5:30p-8:00p, where prospective new sales and recruiting professionals will have the opportunity to interact with current company personnel prior to beginning the interview process.

For more information on this event or The Delta Companies, please visit www.TDCpeople.com.  

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:              

Ryan Tipton

Chief Talent Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX  75234

(800) 521-5060 x4104

PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.tdcpeople.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – July 29, 2010 – The Delta Companies recently announced that their annual ‘Disco Cup’ golf tournament raised almost eight thousand dollars for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. 

One-hundred and eighteen golfers took part in the tournament at the Bridlewood Golf Club in Flower Mound, Texas.  Numerous volunteers and sponsors also donated time and resources for event.  Local sponsors included Mission Foods, The Plexus Groupe, Impact Printing, O.E. Penguin, King Consolidated, and EarthWorks. 

The donation is part of a larger annual initiative to raise 65,000 dollars for the hospital by the end of this year.  Employees of The Delta Companies have also raised donations to dress casual on Fridays and the staffing firm will be holding its annual silent auction the week of November 8.  Anyone is welcome to bid on the auction items, which in the past have included event tickets, sports memorabilia, travel packages, and a wide array of specialty gifts.

All proceeds from each event will go directly to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children during the 2010 holiday season. 

For more information on The Delta Companies, please visit www.TDCpeople.com.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:         

Marc Bowles

Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

Four Hickory Centre

1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

Dallas, TX  75234

(800) 521-5060 x4102

PR@tdcpeople.com

http://www.tdcpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – July 8, 2010 – According to the annual list of fastest-growing staffing firms published by Staffing Industry Analysts, The Delta Companies now ranks first among the nation’s healthcare staffing companies.

“We’re ecstatic to again be recognized for our growth and take great pride in leading the way among healthcare staffing firms on this year’s list,” says Jeff Bowling, chief executive officer of The Delta Companies.

“Our determination to succeed in light of the recent economic conditions and focus on improving the customer experience has helped us continue to grow,” adds Bowling.

This marks the sixth year in a row that The Delta Companies has made the list of U.S. staffing firms that have a compound annual revenue growth of 25 percent or more over a five year period.  The Dallas, Texas-based firm ranked seventh overall on this year’s list, with a compound annual growth rate of 45.21 percent between 2005 and 2009. 

Staffing Industry Analysts’ report on the fastest-growing staffing firms is based on an annual survey of staffing firms.  Those firms who rank in the top 10 must submit financial statements verifying their revenue numbers. 

For more information on The Delta Companies, please visit www.TDCpeople.com.

About The Delta Companies
The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:      Marc Bowles
                     Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies
                     Four Hickory Centre
                     1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175
                     Dallas, TX  75234
                     (800) 521-5060 x4102
                     PR@tdcpeople.com
                     http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – June 24, 2010 – Mike Zagami, senior recruiting consultant for Delta Locum Tenens, has been named to Locum Life magazine’s ‘Recruiters of the Year’ showcase for the third straight year.

Recruiters honored by the showcase must be nominated by a locum tenens physician.  Only twenty one recruiters across the country were named to this year’s list. 

“I have worked with multiple recruiters through multiple recruitment agencies, and by far the easiest person to deal with – most efficient, honest, and hardworking – is Mike Zagami,” says the locum tenens physician who nominated Zagami.

Each year Locum Life magazine’s June issue features the ‘Locum Tenens of the Year’ and ‘Recruiters of the Year’ showcases.  Locum Life magazine is the first and only publication dedicated to locum tenens physicians. 

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.tdcpeople.com/

Staffing Success Magazine (May–June 2010)

Staffing 2.0—Social Media Successes

Which Staffing Firms Make the Best Use of Social Media? How Can Yours?

You work for the best staffing firm in the world. And like your colleagues and competitors, you're on the lookout for the most innovative, progressive, and effective ways to engage your clients, candidates, and prospects.

That's why your firm is friending on Facebook, networking on LinkedIn, tweeting on Twitter, and maybe even yakking on YouTube.

But now what? And more important, so what?

Whether your firm cautiously dips its toes into the rising waters of social media, fervently dives in headfirst, or has so far quietly stayed out of the pool altogether, social networking is here to stay. If used astutely, it can enhance your firm's marketing and recruitment efforts. Yet its misuse can potentially damage your firm's credibility.

A closer look at the online presence of a few ASA member firms—along with insider tips from select social media mavens—reveals key considerations to help your firm make the most of its social media presence.

Start With the End in Mind

You need to know what you're trying to achieve through social media, says Eric Gilpin, president of the staffing and recruiting group for CareerBuilder, an ASA corporate partner.

"Companies need to ask themselves what the goals are," he says. "It could be any one of the following: branding and awareness, client lead generation, candidate pipeline development, candidate or client communication, or employee engagement."

Whatever your firm's social media goals are, you need to have a plan to reach them, says Chad Wandler, president of public relations firm Buzzago. He stresses that simply having an online presence is not the same as having a plan.

"Twitter and Facebook are not strategies," Wandler explains. "They are social media tools. Wordpress is not a strategy; it's a tool. You need a strategy. Make your social media strategy a part of your entire marketing mix."

Gilpin recommends that you take cues from your firm's current engagement strategies to decide how to get started in social media. He suggests firms consider the following questions:

• What are the pros and cons of the tactics that you are currently using?
• Is there opportunity for more engagement with a new audience?
• Are there successful tactics that can be expanded through a social media strategy to increase exposure and engagement?

"As social media evolves, it is important to know what you are looking for," Gilpin says. "Keep this in mind as you test different targets and try different content and approaches to ultimately engage the audience and build a group of brand advocates."

Expand Your Brand

Social networking can amplify your firm's brand by providing increased opportunities to connect with key audiences. According to a study by the Center for Marketing Research at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, more than 90% of the Inc. 500—a select group of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.—use social networks for marketing and branding. More than 90% of the companies also reported using at least one social media tool in 2009.

Portfolio Creative, an ASA member, is one such company. Ranked No. 326 on the Inc. 500, this firm connects its clients with writers, designers, marketers, and other creative talent in and around Columbus, OH. The firm spearheads its branding efforts with its Web site, its blog—Blogfolio—and Facebook.

"We use Facebook to publicize awards we've won," says Jennifer Brown, the firm's marketing manager. "This has been a good way to raise awareness to clients and candidates about who we are and what we do.

"We don't run traditional ads, but we do sponsor creative events. We use our blog to promote the events we sponsor and to post articles about our industry. We use LinkedIn and Twitter to advertise jobs to individuals who may not be within our niche network."

The Delta Cos., an ASA member firm based in Dallas, uses social media primarily to achieve branding goals also. "Employer branding is the most identifiable benefit that firms can expect from a social media plan," says Marc Bowles, chief marketing officer for the Delta Cos. "We use it to communicate with employees and to establish our brand. We're considering developing one Facebook page for each business unit." He notes that recruitment and lead generation are other possible uses for social media.

Converse With Fans, Friends, Followers, and Foes

If you want a ringside seat to real-time conversations about your firm, social media tools are the ticket. And you don't have to sit quietly on the sidelines either.

"Social media provide a casual branding presence to position your organization as a leader and allow you to be present in the conversations people are having about your company," says Tom Gimbel, chief executive officer and founder of ASA member firm the LaSalle Network.

The firm actively engages its audiences through multiple social media tools, including Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and the company blog—Past Five.

In addition to receiving feedback about the company, the LaSalle Network has used these tools to make placements. "We have one recruiter who made a tremendous number of placements through LinkedIn," Gimbel says. "Some people on our staff have been very successful using their personal Facebook and Twitter accounts to make placements."

While the overwhelming majority of his firm's online interactions have been positive, Gimbel acknowledges the inherent risks that can result from the spontaneity and, in some cases, anonymity of online communications.

"There can be a negative backlash: People can defame you without acknowledging who they are," he says. "People can make posts without real information.

"We interview more than 400 people per week, but we don't place 400 people per week. Some people don't get jobs, and some of them may post negative comments about the company because of it."

The risks presented by social media do not deter the LaSalle Network. "We want to be viewed as a technology leader and the leading staffing and recruiting firm in the Chicago area," explains Gimbel. "You have to believe in the format, and you have to commit to it for an extended period of time," he says. "You need to make a commitment to it—there are no short-term solutions."

Measure Your Success

How can your firm determine if its social media strategy is working? Wandler of Buzzago says to track everything. "Make your efforts trackable. Tools for tracking are very important. You need to know what's going on and what's being said about you. And you need to keep track from day one."

Brad Smith, director of search engine optimization and social media marketing for ASA associate member Haley Marketing, advises staffing firms to not assume that a throng of friends, fans, or followers automatically equals social media success. "The number of followers and fans that your firm has may not be the best way to determine if you're meeting your goal," he says. "You need to know if the people who are following you meet your demographics. If you're a local staffing firm in New Jersey and most of your followers live in California, that may not be the best measure of success for your firm."

Wandler says firms can use tracking tools such as Scout Labs, MBuzz by Mountwater, and Radian 6 to measure their engagement efforts. "Radian 6 tracks all social media and can tell you if someone tweeted your company's name. It gives you the number of 'retweets' and tells you how many positive or negative comments there are. It's a good way to measure engagement."

Smith says Web traffic analysis is another good metric to track.

"You can gain insight on where traffic is coming from and whether or not people stay on the same page or travel to different pages within the site. For example, you can see if they leave the site, visit other pages, apply for a position, or make a job order request."

Team Up With Outsiders

Some firms may benefit from outside help. If developing a workable social media strategy seems daunting, or your firm is looking for fresh ideas to complement an existing strategy, consider teaming up with a social media expert.

Through an exclusive relationship with Facebook, ASA corporate partner CareerBuilder has helped its clients develop and implement successful social networking plans.

"CareerBuilder offers a variety of social media management services to help staffing firms with every step of the process—from setting up a company page, to getting fans, to evaluating program success," says Gilpin.

ASA member firm GDH Consulting is one of CareerBuilder's clients and was the subject of a CareerBuilder case study on social media use by staffing firms.

"Before working with CareerBuilder, we did not have a focused and structured social media plan," says J.J. Hurley, president of GDH. "The current social media strategy coupled with our recruiting methodologies is allowing us to cast a wider net within our recruiting efforts while still remaining focused on our unique target audience.

"Monthly e-mail campaigns have led directly to spikes in our Web traffic and candidates applying for jobs. In addition, the social media campaign has produced a higher volume of candidates, resulting in more interviews and referrals."

Allstates Technical Services, an ASA member in Birmingham, AL, is another subject of a CareerBuilder case study. Andrea Hopkey, the firm's president, worked with CareerBuilder to develop an engagement strategy. "CareerBuilder has met our expectations through its assistance creating a professional Facebook page and through ongoing collaboration with us to monitor the page, keep it up-to-date, and choose rich and relevant content to post.

"While continually growing our fan base and encouraging discussion has proven to be an ongoing process, I think one of the biggest successes so far has been using Facebook as a way to highlight our best and most important resource—our people."

Take the First Steps

If you think that social media is just another passing fad, you may want to think again. Smith of Haley Marketing says that having a social media presence will soon become the industry norm.

"There was a time when it was OK not to have a Web site," he says. "Now, not having one can negatively affect the perception of your business. Soon, having a social media presence will become a cost of doing business and it will reflect negatively on your firm if you don't have one—especially from a recruiting standpoint."

Bowles of the Delta Cos. agrees. The company has had a Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube presence for several months and has been on LinkedIn for almost three years. Bowles says, "To be without it is really not an option if you want to be considered a contemporary, cutting-edge, and innovative firm that attracts the younger generation."

Wandler of Buzzago says, "Expectations have changed. There's a certain transparency expected by today's generation. Recruiters need to remember that members of Generation X and Y have grown up with technology. This is nothing new to them.

"Firms need to understand the value of being able to provide real-time customer service. You need to get out there and observe and have natural conversations with people." Maintaining connections on continually updated social media sites is one way to have direct conversations and keep contact with potential candidates.

Wandler says there is no good reason for staffing firms not to set a social media program in motion. "Start small, but just start. There's no cookie-cutter approach to it. It's very different for everyone. Start slowly. Once people start, they usually say, 'Wow, I've learned more about companies and clients than ever.'"

Staffing Success Magazine (May–June 2010)

An Equation for Successful Communications

Reem El-Khatib

Numbers have told many stories over the past year: of the decline in the economy; of growth in temporary and contract employment; and, according to Kevin McGovern of RealStreet Staffing, of the rewards of winning an award in the ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition. The awards celebrate the vision, originality, innovation, creativity, and effectiveness of ASA members' communications campaigns.

The 2010 ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition is sponsored by CareerBuilder, an ASA corporate partner providing customized products and services to help staffing firms increase their exposure with candidates and potential clients.

Eric Gilpin, president of the recruiter business unit at CareerBuilder, was a judge of the 2009 entries. "It was great to see the participating firms leading the way in terms of effective communication to candidates and clients," he said.

RealStreet's McGovern describes the positive effect that recognition in last year's competition had on realstreetstaffing.com, his company's Web site: "42% growth in new visits...26% growth in page views—we believe that increased traffic was a direct result of the VOICE Award win. So, what did the win do for us? The numbers tell the story."

Entering the ASA VOICE Awards competition was a tactic that helped RealStreet drive traffic to its Web site without spending money on advertising.

This year, participation in the ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition may provide the equation that gives your firm a new level of success.

A Win Can Multiply Marketing

A win in the Staffing VOICE Awards competition can help a company's marketing dollars go further to "turn economic limitations into very successful communications solutions," says Kevin McFadin of Fan Works Design, another judge of last year's entries.

"Times are tough for various industries," says Alease Dodd, director of sales for Clark Personnel Service, so recognition in the VOICE Awards is affirmation that "we have the tools to succeed." Her firm was honored last year for its direct mail campaign. The win, according to Dodd, has been a great selling point for suppliers and has generated a lot of positive feedback from clients. The company celebrated its achievement with the community by announcing its win in the local newspaper. "I really believe in this program," Dodd says.

The team at the Delta Cos., which received the 2009 Best of Show award, agrees: "The ASA VOICE Awards help to highlight our capabilities and serve as a point of differentiation in a competitive marketplace," says Mike Gianas, the company's communications director. Creative director Eric Sasser adds, "Being recognized by ASA as a leader in the craft of advertising is critical to our approach and how we do business."

ASA has a number of ways to help competition winners celebrate the recognition and multiply the marketing opportunities that a VOICE Award provides. The association created a special "award winner" graphic that companies can use on their Web sites, marketing materials, and more. ASA also publishes articles about the competition and winners in its Staffing Week newsletter and this magazine, and on the association's Web site. Award-winning entries are displayed at Staffing World®, the ASA annual convention and expo, and descriptions are featured in the program distributed to convention attendees.

"It is an honor to be recognized by our peers in the staffing industry," says Jim Young, director of marketing and advertising for top honoree Labor Ready. Young adds, "From our president on down, there is a sense of accomplishment in being involved in industry-leading communications efforts."

Entering: Easy as 1, 2, 3

"Creative professionals constantly struggle with questions about whether they're good enough," says Sasser. Recognition in this competition affirms that they are.

The 2010 ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition is open to ASA active member headquarters and provides 16 entry categories, including direct mail, social media, public service, and promotion of ASA membership, to celebrate successful communications campaigns.

To enter, simply

1. Download the call for entries from americanstaffing.net. Click on Members, then Awards and Recognition.
2. Prepare your materials according to the competition guidelines.
3. Send your entries to ASA before Aug. 2.

Advertising or public relations concepts designed and marketed, or publications issued since Aug. 1, 2009, are eligible. Entries will be judged in two classes: independent staffing firms and national staffing companies.

Certificates of excellence and merit are awarded to the best entries in individual categories. "Crystal" awards honor the top campaigns and entries in the overall competition:

• Communications Award: Best campaign in each class that advances the overall image of the industry
• Best of Show Award: Best single entry in each class regardless of category
• Judges' Award: Single entry recognized by the panel for exceptional achievement

And beyond the physical rewards your company could receive, one of the most fulfilling aspects of the competition is the team work involved. Stacey Burke, vice president of corporate communications for TrueBlue Inc., a "crystal" award winner in the 2009 competition, says the company is honored to be recognized for a campaign that involved its employees. The power of camaraderie is celebrated in the company's win, she adds, saying that the VOICE Award that TrueBlue received is a reflection of the hard work and participation of its employees—it is "a celebration of their voices."

For a complete set of instructions, category descriptions, and an entry form, visit the ASA Web site, americanstaffing.net. Entries and fees must be received in the ASA office by Aug. 2.

Questions? Contact Reem El-Khatib, public relations coordinator, at 703-253-2047 or relkhatib@americanstaffing.net.

Reem El-Khatib is public relations coordinator for the American Staffing Association. To comment on this article, e-mail success@americanstaffing.net.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – May 27, 2010 – The Delta Companies recently received a bronze Telly Award for its ‘Not That Casual Fridays’ video spot to help promote the company’s annual initiative to raise donations for Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. 

The video originally aired at the company’s first quarter meeting where employees were given the opportunity to donate five dollars per paycheck to the hospital for the right to dress casual every Friday for the remainder of 2010.  Employees of the staffing firm responded in turn, raising a total of $14,000 for the facility.

The Telly Awards honors the best in film, video, commercials and web production.  The awards receive over 13,000 entries in a number of categories annually from advertising agencies, production companies, TV & cable stations, and interactive agencies.  Entries are judged by a council of past winners.

To view the winning video, as well as other videos from The Delta Companies, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVSK0RzKf0I. 

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – April 9, 2010 – The Delta Companies recently published a white paper entitled “When a Need Turns Critical: The Delta Companies Therapy Recruitment & Staffing Survey,” highlighting the results from a survey of human resource and rehabilitation administrators who provided feedback on their most recent search for a therapist. 

The most notable data centers on therapy administrators’ timing expectations to fill their open position, finding that actual results average between 15 to 20 percent below expectations.  In addition, therapy administrators reported on the effects the vacancy had on their healthcare facility.  Respondents provided feedback on patient loss, remaining staff overtime, and loss of revenue.

For a copy of the white paper, please visit: http://www.tdcpeople.com/WhenANeedTurnsCritical.aspx.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.TDCpeople.com

Locum Life
March 2010

Hospital medicine continues to top the list of locum tenens assignments, up 63 percent versus one year ago, according to a recent study by The Delta Companies published in The Physician Recruiting Standard. 

“Approximately 60 percent of all U.S. hospitals and managed care organizations directly employ or use hospitalists through a locum tenens agency,” says Robert Goin, director of marketing for Delta Locum Tenens.

Hospital medicine has sustained its ranking as first in assignments since the second quarter of 2009.

Both the physician and facility benefit financially from a hospitalist program,” Goin says.

For more information on The Physician Recruiting Standard and to request a free copy, visit tdcpeople.com/standard.

Delta Locum Tenens announced today that it has been named to Inavero’s inaugural Best of Staffing™ list. Best of Staffing, presented in partnership with CareerBuilder, is the nation’s only client satisfaction award that recognizes exceptional client service in the staffing and recruiting industry. The 2010 Best of Staffing winners are truly set apart from the rest of the industry through their extraordinary level of client satisfaction.    

“We’re very excited to have Delta Locum Tenens make the inaugural Best of Staffing list based on our customer feedback.  It highlights our commitment to continually improve our customers’ experience with us as we work together to build long-term partnerships,” said Marc Bowles, chief marketing officer of The Delta Companies.

Staffing firms competing to make the Best of Staffing list underwent a rigorous client survey process followed by careful analysis of responses to determine satisfaction levels. Delta Locum Tenens received satisfaction ratings of 9 or 10 on a scale of 0 to 10 from over 69 percent of their clients, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 55 percent. Best of Staffing participants secured their place on the list by exceeding the national staffing industry benchmark for client satisfaction by more than 22 percent.  

“This is a time when clients of staffing firms can and should demand excellence from their recruiting partners,” Eric Gregg, managing partner of Inavero said. “The $86 billion staffing and recruiting industry currently puts more than 2.5 million people to work daily and has become a fundamental component of overall U.S. employment. Inavero’s Best of Staffing program presents an opportunity for firms to differentiate themselves from the rest of the industry, recognizes excellence, and also provides invaluable information about how to continue to meet and exceed client expectations.”

Inavero’s complete Best of Staffing list can be viewed at www.bestofstaffing.com. For more information about Inavero, visit www.inavero.com.  To learn more about Delta Locum Tenens, visit www.deltalocums.com.

About Inavero

Inavero designs and manages satisfaction surveys for a global list of clients in more than 15 countries, with 5 different languages represented. Inavero’s custom created technology platform gathers and reports staffing firm client and candidate satisfaction information through quick online surveys. Satisfaction feedback from more than 100,000 accounting, legal, and staffing firm clients and job candidates is analyzed by Inavero’s team. Inavero’s client feedback system protects more than $4.3 billion in professional service firm annual revenue.   Visit Inavero on the Web at: www.inavero.com.

About Delta Locum Tenens

Delta Locum Tenens is the temporary physician business unit of The Delta Companies, a recognized leader in healthcare staffing since 1997.  The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:               Marc Bowles

                Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                                Four Hickory Centre

                                1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                                Dallas, TX  75234

                                (800) 521-5060 x4102

                                PR@tdcpeople.com

                                http://www.TDCpeople.com

Access to government funding is helping to combat the shortage of healthcare providers in rural America, according to the most recent data published by The Delta Companies in The Healthcare Recruiting Standard. 

“The ability for rural health clinics and their providers to access federal funds is driving demand in small populations, especially in the Midwestern United States,” says Matt Robbins, director of marketing for Delta Healthcare Placement.

Placements of healthcare providers in communities with a population of less than 10,000 jumped 15 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009.

“Some states require nurse practitioners or physician assistants in rural clinics in order to keep their funding and candidates looking to expedite the pay-off of their student loans are relocating to these opportunities,” adds Robbins.

The Healthcare Recruiting Standard is a free, quarterly resource that provides a summary of current data and market trends in the recruitment of allied, rehabilitation and mid-level healthcare providers. 

For more information on The Healthcare Recruiting Standard and how to request your free copy, visit www.TDCpeople.com/standard.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – February 23, 2010 – Hospital medicine continues to top the list of locum tenens assignments, up 63 percent versus one year ago, according to the most recent data published by The Delta Companies in The Physician Recruiting Standard. 

“Approximately 60 percent of all U.S. hospitals and all managed care organizations directly employ or use hospitalists through a locum tenens agency,” says Robert Goin, director of marketing for Delta Locum Tenens.

Hospital medicine has sustained its ranking as first in assignments since the second quarter of 2009.

“Both the physician and facility benefit financially from a hospitalist program,” adds Goin. 

The Physician Recruiting Standard is a free, quarterly resource that provides a summary of current data and market trends in physician recruitment. 

For more information on The Physician Recruiting Standard and how to request your free copy, visit www.TDCpeople.com/standard.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.TDCpeople.com

Staffing Success Magazine (November–December 2009)

The Economy of Effective Communications

The winners of the 2009 ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition demonstrated that it is quite possible to "turn economic limitations into very successful communications solutions," said  Many staffing firms used humor, grassroots production, and teamwork to deliver efficient and cogent messages to target audiences.

Eric Gilpin, president of the recruiter business unit at CareerBuilder, was another judge for the 2009 competition. "It was great to see the participating firms leading the way in terms of effective communication to candidates and clients," he said.

The third competition judge was Chad Wandler, vice president of strategic services for communications firm Novak Birch. He noted that a competition like this, especially in times like these, serves as a reminder that creativity and strategy are the most important elements in standout campaigns.

"What the VOICE Awards competition provides is an insider's look into the staffing industry," said McFadin. He added that the winning companies "really know staffing, and really know their audiences, and their work reflects that."

The competition recognizes the vision, originality, innovation, creativity, and effectiveness (VOICE) of communications campaigns from ASA member firms in 16 categories, from direct mail to public service. A panel of judges evaluate the entries for

• General appeal and overall quality
• Content and message
• Originality of approach
• Target audience and objectives

In all, 13 staffing firms were honored in this year's competition. The award-winning entries were displayed at Staffing World^® 2009 in Orlando, FL, in October. The 2009 ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition was sponsored by CareerBuilder, an ASA corporate partner providing customized products and services to help staffing firms increase their exposure among candidates and potential clients.

Top Honors

Awards of excellence and merit celebrate achievements in individual categories in the competition. Entries that display superior qualities overall are honored with "crystal" awards and top honors in the competition: the Communications, Best of Show, and Judges' awards.

• The Communications Award honors the best campaign in each class that advances the overall image of the industry.
• The Best of Show Award recognizes the best single entry in each class, regardless of category, in the competition.
• The Judges' Award is conferred at the discretion of the panel for exceptional achievement.

"It's exciting to see the energy within the staffing industry and the high-caliber marketing plans being implemented," said Gilpin.

Communications Award

Independent

Arcus

It's very easy to remember a company's name when it's stamped on the pen or mug on your desk, or on the bag leaning against your drawer—and it will likely put a smile on your face when the company name is holding mints, telling you happy birthday, or delivering a chocolate bar. Such positive reinforcement of the corporate identity, supported by solid information about the firm, made Arcus' "high-touch" campaign a branding success. Information that can be reviewed and implemented when needed is important to the preservation of a campaign's shelf life, noted McFadin. It doesn't hurt if some of it can be digested too.

The company's signature red arc dresses its leave-behinds and crosses over seamlessly to its Web site, arcus.net. Clean and interactive, the site provides a user-friendly forum for job seekers, employers, and media professionals to learn about the company's history, services, projects, and company culture. Arcus "put time and energy into its Web site," noted Wandler, "and that makes a very strong impression of professionalism."

National

Labor Ready

Labor Ready "produces work that not only fits with its industry, but also maintains its character—you know it's Labor Ready," said McFadin.

That is key to creating a cohesive and successful campaign. Images that resonate with the company's key audience are complemented by Labor Ready's corporate blue in the firm's NASCAR advertisements, branch signage, and company publications. Clever correlations like these filter through to the firm's winning "20/20 Focus" campaign and celebratory posters, designed specifically for its 20th anniversary. Informative, multifaceted, and fun—and all tucked under a representative hard hat that would make anyone wearing one as a Labor Ready temporary or contract employee feel like a superhero super worker.

To honor its super corporate employees, the firm produced branch of the year videos that showcased well-performing branches and honored them as the company's role models. Labor Ready positions itself as a leader in the industry by providing its clients with Staffing Smarter, an interactive and easy-to-read newsletter that shares valuable information and success stories. The company also connected with its community in a public service event that brought its clients and suppliers together to raise funds for a local charity.

Overall, it's the consistency that makes Labor Ready projects easy to identify, whether they are created for employees, clients, or the community, said Wandler. "The campaign clearly delivers a very favorable impression of the company and the staffing industry overall."

Best of Show Award

Independent

PSG—Professional Staffing Group, Other Advertising

Bright gold, bold black, and big round PSG stamps dress the metropolis and direct Bostonians riding buses, taking taxis, or walking around town to the Professional Staffing Group for the "best jobs" and the "best people." The company strategically placed uniform ads on various forms of transportation media, such as bus decals and taxi toppers, to drive its brand and message all throughout the city.

The individual pieces of this campaign come together great as a whole, according to McFadin, and present "a clear objective with a clear solution." The PSG transportation ads come together great as a whole, according to McFadin, and present "a clear objective with a clear solution." Wandler concurred, adding that the PSG advertisements simply "gets noticed and gets the job done."

National

The Delta Cos., Company Publication

A standard often represents that which is common or status quo. But Delta's company publication, the Standard, stands out from the rest and serves as a benchmark for the best. With a bold and uncomplicated aesthetic, Delta places the focus on the invaluable information held inside. It further sets the Physician Recruiting Standard and Healthcare Recruiting Standard apart by providing them free: The company notes these are "the only free, quarterly resources in the health care industry with a summary of compensation, placement data, and trends in health care recruitment."

"This delivers a great service to clients and positions the company as an expert in its field," said Wandler. "This is a great example of strategic communications."

Judges' Award

TrueBlue Inc., Other Advertising

For TrueBlue Inc., the art of collaboration builds employee pride—and 3,000 employees working together created a beautiful and interactive poster that unified six brands into one "strong" company. The company contracted with collage artist Jason Mecier, who melded together employee submissions of photos, business cards, license plates, nail polish, and more to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art. "TrueBlue Inc. does an outstanding job at being aware of the importance of employee morale and taking the necessary steps to make sure morale stays high," said Wandler. The company found special way to illustrate true-blue teamwork.

Winners by Category and Award

Direct Mail

Independent

• Berks & Beyond Employment, excellence
• Clark Personnel Service, merit

National

• QPS Cos. Inc., merit
• Randstad, merit

Print Advertising

Independent

• Berks & Beyond Employment, merit

National

• Delta Locum Tenens (The Delta Cos.), excellence
• Labor Ready, merit

Specialty Advertising

National

• Delta Locum Tenens (The Delta Cos.), excellence
• Delta Physician Placement (The Delta Cos.), merit
• Select Staffing, excellence

Other Advertising

Independent

• PSG—Professional Staffing Group, excellence

National

• Labor Ready, excellence
• TrueBlue Inc., excellence

Company Web Site

Independent

• Arcus, excellence
• Berks & Beyond Employment, merit
• RealStreet Staffing, merit

National

• Atled Finance & Accounting (The Delta Cos.), merit
• Health Care Placement (The Delta Cos.), merit
• QPS Cos. Inc., excellence

Multimedia

National

• Delta Locum Tenens (The Delta Cos.), merit
• Labor Ready, excellence

Company Newsletter

Independent

• Contact 1 Inc., merit

National

• Labor Ready, merit
• Pridestaff, excellence

Company Publication

National

• The Delta Cos., excellence
• Labor Ready, merit

Company Identification

Independent

• Arcus, merit

National

• Delta Flex Travelers (The Delta Cos.), excellence
• Delta Locum Tenens (The Delta Cos.), excellence
• Labor Ready, excellence
• Select Staffing, merit
• TrueBlue Inc., excellence

Media Relations Program

National

• The Delta Cos., excellence
• Randstad, merit

Public Service

National

• The Delta Cos., merit
• Labor Ready, merit
• Randstad, excellence

The Judges A panel of three judges—two communications specialists and one representative of an ASA corporate partner—judged the 2009 ASA Staffing VOICE Awards competition. Eric Gilpin is president of the staffing and recruiting group at CareerBuilder (careerbuilder.com/staffing), an ASA corporate partner and the sponsor of the Staffing VOICE Awards. He has more than 10 years of experience in the staffing industry, which includes leading a CareerBuilder team in the creation of customized solutions for staffing and recruiting companies. Eric is responsible for developing sales teams and strategies to help clients meet their goals and to promote the staffing industry overall. With people development and industry awareness as priorities, Eric is focused on technology, social media, and product design as key growth drivers for the staffing and recruiting industry. Kevin McFadin is co-founder of Fan Works Design (fanworksdesign.com), which designs Staffing Success magazine, Staffing World® graphics and publications, and other materials for ASA. McFadin has nearly 20 years of professional experience as a graphic designer and illustrator for clients of all types and sizes, including start-ups, national corporations, and nonprofit organizations. His illustrations have been exhibited at the Illustrators Club of the Washington metropolitan area, showcased in juried exhibitions, and featured in trade magazines for the art industry. A portfolio of McFadin’s work is available at kevinmcfadin.com. Chad Wandler is vice president of strategic services for Novak Birch (novakbirch.com). He has 15 years of experience producing effective communications and public relations campaigns for Fortune 500 corporations, start-up firms, and associations—including ASA. Wandler has played major roles in the association’s National Staffing Employee of the Year program, "Hard Facts, Human Faces" public relations campaign, and other media outreach efforts. He previously had worked with a major Manhattan public relations firm and had served as deputy press secretary to Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT).

PrintThis     

The Delta Companies recently made the Dallas 100 list of fastest-growing private companies.  The healthcare staffing firm ranks 20th on the current list and has now made the list six out of the last seven years.

Companies who make the list are chosen solely on increased growth in sales over a three year period.  The Dallas 100 is compiled annually by The Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at the Southern Methodist University Cox School of Business and The Dallas Business Journal. 

For more information on the The Delta Companies, visit www.TDCpeople.com.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.TDCpeople.com

In a recent survey published by The Delta Companies, the majority of healthcare administrators who were polled acknowledged that they do not have a formal retention plan in place to accompany their 2010 recruitment efforts.

The survey was conducted at the Medical Group Management Association’s (MGMA) annual conference this past October in Denver, Colorado. 

To view results from The Delta Companies 2009 MGMA Conference Survey, please visit: http://www.tdcpeople.com/White_PaperMedical_Groups_Ready_To_Recruit.aspx.

About The Delta Companies 

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens, and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.TDCpeople.com

The Delta Companies recently exceeded their goal of $60,000 in donations for the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in 2009 and will donate a total of over $65,000 to the facility this holiday season. 

The donation will be split into three types of funding for the facility.  A portion of the donation will be provided in the form of a check to the hospital’s orthotics department to purchase custom-made orthoses to patients with special orthopedic needs.  Part of the donation will fund “Camp Just Like Me,” a one-week camp for patients who have been diagnosed with the rare congenital disorder arthrogryposis.  Finally, a percentage of the donation will be given in the form of educational toys delivered to the hospital by The Delta Companies employees. 

More than doubling the amount raised last year, employees of The Delta Companies raised donations for the hospital through a number of events this year.  Most recently the staffing firm held a silent auction with the help of over 100 local businesses, raising over a third of the total amount to be donated to the hospital. 

The toy delivery and check presentation will take place at the hospital on Friday, December 18, at 10:30a.m.  

For media coverage or to learn more about this event, please contact Mike Gianas, Communications Director at (214) 442-4113, or mgianas@tdcpeople.com.  Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is located at 2222 Welborn St., Dallas, Texas 75219.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

         Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                         Four Hickory Centre

                         1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                         Dallas, TX  75234

                         (800) 521-5060 x4102

                         PR@tdcpeople.com

                         http://www.TDCpeople.com

Nov 1, 2009
By: Meredith Bryan, Stefanie Nolen
Healthcare Traveler


Delta Flex Travelers recently surveyed healthcare facilities and providers across the nation regarding their views on supplemental staffing. Facility respondents consisted of those who hold hiring positions, including members of executive leadership, department leadership, and human resources departments. Provider respondents consisted of those in rehabilitation, allied, and midlevel specialties—some with healthcare travel experience, some without. Both groups answered their own set of four questions. The results contradict some common misconceptions, revealing what aspects of supplemental staffing are truly most important between them.

Assignment locations

One of the benefits of becoming a healthcare traveler is having the flexibility to experience new locations and practice settings on a regular basis. The majority of the healthcare providers responding to our survey stated that, when choosing a travel assignment location, it's not important to be in a metropolitan area. In fact, more than 85 percent of providers with travel experience and 68 percent of those with no travel experience confirmed they do not prefer to be in a metro location. This feedback is favorable for smaller-market communities that have been hit hardest by the healthcare-provider shortage.

The travel experience

When asked what aspects of traveling had the greatest influence on the overall travel experience, 52 percent of both experienced and non-experienced travelers ranked a smooth transition to a new assignment atop their list. In addition, facilities that are traveler-friendly ranked second-highest in importance among experienced travelers. These data support the significance of a traveler's first few weeks at a facility. Creating a smooth transition into a new assignment is affected by first impressions, full-time staff acceptance of a temporary worker, and worksite culture.

The largest discrepancies between experienced and inexperienced travelers can be found in many of the services that experienced providers have come to expect from supplemental staffing agencies. For instance, these travelers noted the importance of cleanliness of housing upon move-in, availability of their recruiter, and accuracy of payroll.

Having a retirement savings plan garnered the lowest response of all. Possible reasons include lack of importance to a group that primarily tends to be younger in age, or a shift in mind-set around financial planning that allows for more flexibility in compensation during the current harsh economic times.

Finally, providers were asked to weigh compensation against the overall travel experience. The vast majority of respondents stated that compensation is of equal importance with the overall experience. Only 13.5 percent of experienced travelers and 4 percent of non-experienced travelers ranked compensation as more important than the overall travel experience, challenging the common perception that travelers are primarily motivated by money.

Is making a profit the most important issue to healthcare facilities, or can this be a challenged perception, as well?

Importance of patient care

Patient care topped the list of concerns when facilities are understaffed, with more than 75 percent of those who took the survey giving that answer. Budget and financial performance was a distant third on the list of concerns, with less than 6.1 percent of respondents ranking this as a top concern when understaffed. Executive and department leadership answered almost identically to the question and listed patient care atop their list of concerns, even over their own staff morale. This viewpoint provides a basis for the use of supplemental staffing agencies when permanent personnel are unable to provide coverage.

Working with agencies

Healthcare facilities were asked what has the greatest effect on the overall experience in working with supplemental staffing, and the top three answers were quality of candidates, availability of the candidates, and price. Experience of the provider ranked a distant fourth in the survey. This supports the notion that facilities are finding value in using less-experienced healthcare professionals. Respondents seem willing to trade years of experience for younger, more passionate healthcare providers with the most recent training.

Cost vs. quality of provider

Finally, when healthcare leaders were asked about the importance of cost vs. quality of providers, all responded that cost is of equal importance to the quality of provider, or that cost is not as important as the overall quality of the provider. None of the respondents said that is more important than the overall quality of the provider.

Tips for bringing new docs on board

If bending over backward hasn’t always been part of the physician recruitment process, it certainly is today.  The physician shortage has put increasing pressure on hospitals to ratchet up their recruitment offerings, including sign-on bonuses, income guarantees, generous salaries, and housing assistance.

According to the 2009 Review of Physician and CRNA Recruiting Incentives, a Merritt Hawkins & Associates survey of 3,288 physician and certified RN anesthetist (CRNA) placement searches, more hospitals are offering monetary incentives to attract physicians.  For example, 1,650 hospitals offered sign-on bonuses to physicians in 2005–2006, and that number rose to 2,795 hospitals in 2008–2009, according to the survey.  Similarly, the average sign-on bonus increased from $20,000 to $24,000 in that same time period.

In addition, 31% of hospitals are currently offering hefty loan forgiveness packages compared to only 14% in 2004 through 2005.  Although hospital administration often has the final say when it comes to how much money the hospital spends on physician recruitment, medical staff leaders often influence recruiting decisions. Therefore, both hospital and medical staff leaders should have a solid understanding of current recruitment trends and what those trends mean for their facilities.  To find out what you need to know to make smart recruiting decisions, MSB spoke with several recruiting experts.

Do your homework on fair market value

When designing an attractive recruitment package for employed or private practice physicians, the first step is to determine what constitutes fair market value.  The hospital must analyze physician salary surveys and market comparisons from physician recruiting firms and the Medical Group Management Association.  Hospitals may also do their own research by surveying peer hospitals in their state or neighboring states to get a sense of what others are paying physicians, says Shannon Penney, director of recruiting at Delta Physician Placement in Dallas.

Fair market value is assessed on the entire benefits and compensation package—not just the individual pieces. Thus, if a hospital offers to employ a family practice physician for $140,000 per year, and the median fair market value for family physicians in that market is $160,000, it appears at first glance as though the hospital is low-balling.

However, if the hospital tacks on a $10,000 sign-on bonus and $10,000 in loan forgiveness, that brings the package up to par, says Penney. Staying within reasonable fair market value ranges will ensure that your facility doesn’t breach Stark Law, which limits funds that hospitals receive from physicians in an effort to ensure that neither physicians nor hospitals abuse business relationships for personal profit.

Fair market value should also be a consideration when a hospital offers a private practice physician a net income guarantee. A net income guarantee ensures private practice physicians that they will earn, at minimum, the average salary for their specialty for the first one to two years in a community, says Kirk Mathews, MD, CEO of Inpatient
Management, Inc., and author of HCPro’s PracticalGuide to Hospitalist Recruitment & Retention. “It basically means that as a hospital, we will guarantee that your salary never falls below X. If you make below X, we will write you a check for the difference,” says Mathews.

If there is one mistake that hospitals should avoid, it’s offering a noncompetitive compensation package. “If you’re going to err, err on the high side without breaching Stark regulations. Don’t be the highest out there, but be on the high side,” says Mathews.  However, there is a flip side to this coin: If the only card your facility has to play is the money card, it’s likely to see a lot of physician turnover. 

“If money is the only thing that brought a physician to your hospital, someone else will come along with more money,” Mathews says.

To find the right balance, chief financial officers, CEOs, physician recruiters, legal counselors, and medical staff leaders should work together to conduct market research and pinpoint appropriate compensation for each specialty in their given community.  Keep in mind that fair market value will vary not only by specialty, but also by market. For example, the average salary for family practice physicians practicing in the Eastern United States is $179,530, whereas family practice physicians in the Western United States average $208,996, according to the 2009 Physician Compensation Survey by the American Medical Group Association and Cejka Search.

Create a customized package

As long as a recruitment package is within fair market value range, hospitals can work with each applicant to create a customized package that meets his or her needs, says Machele Headington, MBA, vice president of communications and marketing at Yuma (AZ) Regional Medical Center.

For example, when Yuma Regional recruits a new physician to the community, it typically offers a net income guarantee. For physicians struggling to pay down their student loans or mortgages, Yuma may structure that income guarantee so that the physician receives a large chunk of the money right away. “Instead of getting the money at the end of 12 months, we might take the money we would give them during the 11th and 12th months and shift that to the beginning so that it looks more like a sign-on bonus,” Headington explains.

Hospitals can also offer physicians student loan forgiveness or housing assistance rather than a sign-on bonus or net income guarantee. Penney has noticed more hospitals offering physicians interest-free mortgages for a period of time by leveraging their relationships with local banks.

“I’ve seen housing assistance allowances, say $2,000, going either toward the physician’s current mortgage, a new mortgage, or rent during the relocation,” Penney says. “In the past five years, that has increased.”

According to the Merritt Hawkins survey, the number of hospitals offering relocation allowances increased from 2,815 to 3,222 between 2005 and 2006 and 2008 through 2009. The average amount offered for relocation has remained steady at around $10,000.

Offer nonmonetary perks at the start

When considering a new position, physicians often factor in how much effort they will need to dedicate toward building a new practice. Although income guarantees and sign-on bonuses often help alleviate those concerns, hospitals can help further by providing administrative services to get physicians off to a running start. Yuma Regional employs an office practice management support administrator dedicated to the task of helping physicians build a practice. This person helps the physician with everything from deciding what type of
insurance coverage to obtain to purchasing office furniture and hiring staff members.The office practice management support administrator also works closely with the physician’s family during their first year to ensure a smooth integration into the community. 

“That takes a lot of pressure off the physician in the beginning if they have that one person they can turn to and stay connected with,” says Headington.  Yuma Regional is also working closely with existing medical staff members who are in private practice to identify which ones are willing to accept a new physician into their practices. This practice is somewhat limited by Stark Law but has proven a successful recruitment strategy, as becoming part of an existing group provides new recruits the support they need to get started.
“We can’t pay any of the expenses of the current physician, but we can pay the new physician a portion of the startup expenses,” Headington says.

Consider the effect of recruitment on current medical staff members

When developing a recruitment package, hospitals need to take into consideration not only the needs of new recruits, but also of existing medical staff members.  If a long-time employed physician finds out that the hospital is paying a newly employed physician in the same specialty $25,000 more, leaders should expect an angry phone call. Leaders should address recruitment packages with existing medical staff members as soon as the hospital identifies a recruiting need.

Penney suggests putting a positive spin on recruiting a new physician. Frame the discussion around the benefits existing medical staff members will enjoy as a result of bringing on a new physician, such as more time at home and fewer nights on call.  But even that may not be enough; some hospitals will  inevitably have to sweeten the pot for existing medical  staff members by increasing employed physicians’ salaries  or writing private practice physicians a check.

“If the going rate has gone up, increasing the income of all the other physicians is going to eliminate turmoil and protect you from having your physicians recruited away from you. Recession or not, it is the cost of doing business,” says Mathews.

As you continue to recruit new physicians, carefully consider these tips to help you polish your physician recruiting strategy to make financially sound decisions for your organization and maintain collegiality within the medical staff.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – November 18, 2009 – The Delta Companies was recently honored by the American Staffing Association with the ASA Care Award for social responsibility.  The national award recognizes outstanding corporate social responsibility initiatives among ASA member companies that produce an overall positive effect on society.

Acknowledged for their partnership with the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, The Delta Companies is one of only six staffing firms to win the ASA Care Award in 2009.  Employees of The Delta Companies volunteer their time and resources throughout the year to participate in a number of events to raise donations, of which 100 percent of the proceeds are given to the hospital.

The Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children is one of the nation’s leading pediatric centers for the treatment of orthopedic conditions and neurological disorders.  There is no charge to families for treatment at the hospital which operates solely on donations to provide care to children under 18 years of age.   

The ASA Care Awards honor corporate social responsibility initiatives that involve employee training and professional development, community engagement, “green” business practices, philanthropy and more.  A panel of corporate social responsibility experts selects the winners.

ASA Care Awards winners were honored Oct. 23 at Staffing World^® 2009, the ASA convention and expo, in Orlando, Florida.

For more information on The Delta Companies, please visit www.TDCpeople.com.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – November 12, 2009 – The Delta Companies recently competed for the American Staffing Association’s VOICE (vision, originality, innovation, creativity, and effectiveness) awards, honoring the best communications campaigns in the staffing industry. 

The firm’s in-house advertising team took home 11 awards in eight categories and won Best of Show, given to the best overall single entry in each class.  The Delta Companies has taken the top honor twice in the last three years. 

The enterprise and each of The Delta Companies’ four healthcare staffing business units were recognized in the categories of print advertising, specialty advertising, multimedia, media relations, web site, public service, publication, and company identification.

No other staffing firm was honored with more awards in this year’s competition.  The Delta Companies has now won a total of 24 VOICE Awards in the last four years, including twice winning Best of Show.

ASA VOICE Awards winners were honored October 23^rd at Staffing World^® 2009, the ASA convention and expo, in Orlando, Florida.

For more information on The Delta Companies, please visit www.TDCpeople.com.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.TDCpeople.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DALLAS, TEXAS – November 9, 2009 – The Delta Companies recently released the third quarter edition of The Healthcare Recruiting Standard, a free quarterly resource that provides a summary of current data and market trends in the recruitment of allied, rehabilitation and mid-level healthcare providers. 

The most recent data suggests only a slight increase in compensation for therapists; however, facilities are utilizing additional incentives to lure and keep providers in a competitive job market and an economy which is still recovering. 

“Candidates are seeing more up-front money in the form of sign-on bonuses and student loan repayment.  Retention bonuses are also being offered, as a way to hold on to the provider long-term,” says Jaeson Babb, director of recruiting with Delta Healthcare Placement. 

“Facilities are also offering more creative incentives, such as temporary housing to attract candidates having trouble with relocation in a tough real estate market,” adds Babb.

In addition, therapists are experiencing additional coverage requests from larger hospitals than in the past.

“In the last edition we witnessed a jump in hospitals with greater than 200 beds requesting supplemental staffing.  This quarter the trend continued with another healthy uptick as the larger facilities continue to compete aggressively for both physical and occupational therapists,” says Bryan Davis, director of marketing for Delta Flex Travelers.

“Interestingly, hospitals in larger communities with a population greater than 100,000 increased their usage of supplemental therapists 12 points during the third quarter of 2009,” adds Davis. 

For more information on The Healthcare Recruiting Standard and how to request your free copy, visit www.TDCpeople.com/standard.

About The Delta Companies

The Delta Companies offer permanent and temporary staffing solutions nationwide for physicians and allied healthcare professionals through four companies:  Delta Physician Placement, Delta Healthcare Placement, Delta Locum Tenens and Delta Flex Travelers.

Contact:          Marc Bowles

        Chief Marketing Officer, The Delta Companies

                        Four Hickory Centre

                        1755 Wittington Place, Suite 175

                        Dallas, TX  75234

                        (800) 521-5060 x4102

                        PR@tdcpeople.com

                        http://www.TDCpeople.com