Physician workforce transitions can be disruptive for medical groups or hospitals, particularly in coverage-critical specialties such as radiology, anesthesia, emergency medicine, and hospital-based services. When long-standing external physician groups exit or exert leverage, organizations can feel handcuffed, facing immediate risks to patient access, revenue continuity, and community trust. This session explores a rural provider’s transition from an external radiology group to interim locum tenens coverage and, ultimately, to a stable, in-house team of radiologists. Moving beyond recruitment tactics alone, this session explores the operational sequencing, decisions, cost considerations, and coverage safeguards required to stabilize services in the short term while building long-term workforce sustainability. Attendees will explore how locum tenens can serve as a deliberate operational bridge, maintaining coverage while thoughtfully rebuilding physician teams aligned with culture, quality, and community mission. These lessons are applicable to practices of all sizes that need to reassess outsourced clinical coverage models amid rising costs and workforce volatility.
Learning Objectives:
Outline the operational risks associated with physician transitions in coverage-critical specialties
Examine how locum tenens coverage can be intentionally deployed as a transitional workforce strategy
Breakdown a staged physician transition plan that supports long-term team stability, community investment, and sustainable coverage
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