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5 crazy old myths about VMS usage (now for locum tenens!)

in Vendor Performance

Creative-Keyboard-300x225There have been many wild claims and scare tactics to dissuade hospitals from adopting VMS technology over the years. It’s understandable.

Fear of the unknown in an established space tends to draw knee-jerk reactions.

But with 10+ years of the technology delivering favorable results, VMS is no longer “unknown.”

And yet — with VMS and MSP adoption for the management of locum tenen placement skyrocketing — the dust has been wiped off some old myths in an attempt to scare physician recruiters from adopting proven, more efficient labor management methods.

But it’s just the same old and often crazy myths that have been proven wrong again and again.

Crazy Old Myth #1: You lose your existing relationships with long-term suppliers of talent

VMS doesn’t dictate relationships. It’s a technology that improves efficiency and provides data to make smarter decisions. You can still pick up a phone and talk to your clients, go to lunch with them or invite them to happy hour.

VMS is designed as a vendor neutral solution that gives choice and transparency to health providers. If newfound transparency leads a hospital to drop a poor-performing supplier, blaming the tool that provided the data is akin to blaming the car for running into a tree.

VMS doesn’t dictate relationships….You can still pick up a phone and talk to your clients, go to lunch with them or invite them to happy hour.

Crazy Old Myth #2: VMS is only motivated to make money

One could easily turn this argument around and say that one-to-one relationships between a hospital and staffing agency offer more financial risk due to a lack of transparency into the open market.

But any business in any industry can be solely motivated by money. Just watch them crash and burn because of it.

The good companies (VMS, staffing agencies, etc.) deliver two-way value.  In cases specific to VMS, this has meant some combination of cost savings, efficiency improvements, transparency and compliance guarantees. That’s what VMS promises and that’s what the good ones deliver. Hospitals wouldn’t continually choose and stay with VMS if this wasn’t the case.

Crazy Old Myth #3: VMS raises bill rates

VMS by itself doesn’t affect bill rates. It simply automates a complex manual process.  Simultaneous to the implementation of a VMS tool, health systems often seek control over increasing bill rates.  This effort is not directly tied to the providers pay rate, however, as progressive health systems are working to ensure a lower cost staffing model which allows for the reduction of bill rates without needing to pass that on to the provider.

Staffing agencies that have not embraced VMS systems and have not made the investment in integrations, sales training, etc. will be less capable of navigating the modern staffing model. As such, they often point to VMS as the reason for a variety of negatives that are more likely associated with their lack of modernization.

It is worth considering if these suppliers — a vocal minority in the locum staffing industry — could both improve outcomes for providers and pass on much needed cost savings to health care by simply embracing change and technology.

Staffing agencies that have not embraced VMS systems and have not made the investment in integrations, sales training, etc. will be less capable of navigating the modern staffing model.

Crazy Old Myth #4: VMS is a faceless transactional technology, not a partner

Any healthcare provider using a quality VMS will tell you the exact opposite. It’s more than technology, it’s also service with a team of account managers, around the clock customer support and a development team that all respond to client needs.

ShiftWise VMS, as an endorsed solution of the American Hospital Association, is provided unique opportunities to speak with featured healthcare system leaders. They always talk about the critical significance of partnership amidst sweeping change in healthcare. The concept of partnership is at the backbone of our client relationships and should be for any VMS in the industry.

(VMS) is more than technology, it’s also service.

Crazy Old Myth #5: VMS increases liability risk

VMS helps improve the quality of labor provided. With compliance checks, staff grading and staff exclusion options, healthcare providers are given an added layer of protection. In addition to utilizing a trustworthy pool of staffing partners, hospitals can also use technology to quantify the quality of the locum tenen being provided. It’s essentially a safeguard that ensures quality through a submitting vendor.

If a staffing agency is making claims that the VMS won’t be there for you in the event of, say, a malpractice claim, that’s a clear sign that the agency isn’t confident in the quality of its workforce and that they are attempting to misdirect your attention.

Ultimately, it comes down to whether or not the hospital is getting value. This means higher quality in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible. VMS and agencies can (and do) work together to deliver that, offering a superb option that will improve efficiency, lower costs and ensure quality.

As long as VMS has now been around, these aren’t just hopeful claims, but proven facts in the marketplace.

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