Urgent care clinics were once the place patients went for health conditions that needed immediate attention but weren’t quite serious enough for a trip to the emergency room. Now, they are often the primary source of healthcare for a wide swath of the American population.
It’s no surprise that a market once defined by independent, single-site clinics is now dominated by multi-location groups and regional chains. These groups gain a significant advantage in market share, but they suddenly face unique staffing problems. Many attempt to address these issues with staffing agencies located near each clinic.
Here’s a look at why this fragmented approach rarely works, and why centralized staffing partnerships are the real solution.
The Complexity of Multi-Site Workforce Management
Workforce management in multi-site urgent care operations is inherently complex due to the nature of the work. There are extreme seasonal volume swings to deal with, and high turnover rates in both clinical support roles and front-desk administrative positions. The constant pressure to provide weekend and after-hours coverage can lead some healthcare professionals to avoid urgent care altogether.
When regional administrators manage these challenges through internal placements and local staffing agencies, it can seem as though they never reach a stable point. Instead of focusing on facility growth and other goals, operations leaders find themselves acting more like high-stakes dispatchers, moving people around just to meet the daily demand.
Fragmented Staffing Models Don’t Fill Coverage Gaps
When you attempt to manage staffing on a location-by-location basis, the results are often inconsistent. A clinic in a larger city might have a reliable talent pipeline because the staffing agency it works with has a larger pool of healthcare professionals. Meanwhile, a clinic in a smaller town always seems to be understaffed.
This is why the fragmented staffing models can’t reliably fill coverage gaps. One clinic may get the professionals they need, but the other suffers. When you expand this problem to 20 or 30 clinics, it’s easy to see how keeping clinics staffed can eat up all your time.
Plus, the time required to manage multiple staffing contracts can itself be very costly. Administrators with high salaries end up with little time to consider operational improvements, let alone implement them. Instead of building a strong regional urgent care group, they are constantly on the phone with multiple staffing agencies, trying to fill the latest vacancies across the network.
Centralized Staffing Provides the Solution
Sensing the need in a rapidly evolving market, multi-location urgent care staffing is now a service offered by partners with a national presence. Local staffing partners may be able to help with individual clinics but lack the reach of nationwide agencies, leading to fragmented hiring that hinders the growth of urgent care groups. A centralized staffing partnership solves this problem by providing consistent coverage at every site, regardless of its volume.
The individual clinics that have found a centralized staffing partner enjoy consistent coverage, higher fill rates, and a single point of contact for all hiring needs. Having a single partner for multiple sites also allows regional managers to reclaim their time and focus on growing their business.
Finding a Partner for Multi-Site Success
While centralized staffing provides a clear solution, urgent care group leaders still need to do their due diligence. Not all nationwide staffing agencies are experienced in urgent care workforce management.
Some have a long history of providing healthcare workers to doctors’ offices, hospitals, and specialized practices. But without a deep understanding of the urgent care model, they are not equipped to help with the unique demands of this sector.
Snelling’s Solution to Multi-Location Urgent Care Staffing
Snelling has emerged as a leader in multi-location urgent care staffing. We know the ins and outs of this unique form of healthcare, where doctors can see anything and everything in a given workday. We understand that a vacancy at the front desk or a shortage of clinical support doesn’t just slow things down; it stops the flow of patient care. By combining our years of experience and nationwide presence, Snelling provides a consistent pipeline of pre-vetted candidates to keep every location in your network running at its peak.
Are you currently using a fragmented staffing model across your urgent care clinic network? If so, you likely know about the coverage gaps and the lack of coordination that comes from working with multiple staffing agencies. Snelling is ready to be your partner in multi-site urgent care. To get started, find a Snelling location near one of your clinics today.
