Locum Tenens Provider Spotlight Copy

by | Mar 12, 2021 | Providers

Physician Spotlight –

Dr. Ray

 

Specialty:  Anesthesiology

 

Home State: North Carolina

 

Number of Years Practicing Locum Tenens: First Year

What clients have to say about Dr. Ray: 

Dr. Ray has been a great addition to our locum tenens staff.  He has worked at two of our facilities and integrates well at both even though the culture at each is quite different.  His anesthesia skills are excellent and is so compliant with paperwork!  Really great to work with!

Getting to know Dr. Ray:

Q: Why did you first pursue locum tenens work?

A: Burn Out.   I left a busy, full-time hospital location after 22 years.  I saw an opportunity to leave the daily grind. After some time, I realized that I missed some aspects of the practice of anesthesiology and I started to look around to see what options were available.  I explained my situation to various recruiters and I found that MD Staff Pointe had some options that were ideal for me. As I mentioned to them “There are youngsters that can take the all-night call.  I’m too old now for busy call.”  Working locums allows me to evaluate different hospitals and practices to see if we’re a good match.  When I first got out of the Army in 1993, I started in a practice I did not enjoy, but it was close to home.  I was stuck because of contractual requirements.  I got the opportunity to move to North Carolina to join people I knew from the Army and spent 22 years with them.  I got to work with some great people and learned a lot.  But most importantly, I learned that different hospitals and communities have personalities of their own, and that’s where locums work is so great.  You can tap into those areas and see if it is a good fit for yourself.

Q: Describe the most unique experience you’ve had.

A:  By far the most unique assignment I’ve ever had was after my internship when I was in the Army.  I was assigned to HHB 56th Field Artillery in Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany.  Not only did I get to live in another country, but I was assigned as the Command Medical Officer to the Army’s Nuclear Missile Command during the time of the signing of the INF Nuclear Missile Treaty under President Reagan.  I got to see East Berlin before the Wall came down, eat real Borscht in a real Russian restaurant in East Berlin, go through Checkpoint Charlie, see Berlin, and all the other amazing sights, sounds, and the rest Germany had to offer.  And I got to ski in the Alps.  Nothing even comes close to that experience!

Q: Describe what medical advancements you would like to see in the next 5 years (or anything else relevant to your specialty).

A: I can’t imagine because there have been so many advancements over my short 35-year career.  Things we take for granted today like pulse oximetry and EtCO2 monitoring did not exist when I started, and are now standard usage and have revolutionized care.  But the past several years have shown the value of Ultrasound inpatient care.  What started as a big bulky box can now be held in your hand on your phone.  But more importantly, it has allowed the anesthesiologist to “see” the tip of their needle.  Surgeons have always said there is nothing worse than a blind surgeon, but anesthesiologists always were blind, we always “felt” our way to needle placement.  And there were many things I would not do because I felt that they were too dangerous.  Now Ultrasound allows precise needle placement to allow avoidance of other structures.

To learn more about MD Staff Pointe click  About MDSP

Provider Page: Providers

Provider Medicare Payments Extensions and Relief Continues

Provider Medicare Payments Extensions and Relief Continues

by | Oct 2, 2020 | Around MDSP

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services started a Accelerated and Advance Payment Program when the pandemic hit as admissions and office visits dropped. Big industry groups are advocating for more relief as hospitals and providers continue to struggle during COVID-19. Provider Medicare payments extensions and relief continues as President Trump signed a continuing resolution on Thursday, October 1st to extend the advanced payments during the pandemic. The new law will give providers a year before CMS will recoup the advanced payments paid during the emergency period with lower interest rates, and more favorable repayment terms aiming to preserve quality of care.

While lawmakers are looking to loan forgiveness as a long term solution to the repayments, CMS is unlikely to budge. Some of the funds used to assist hospitals and providers were from Medicare trust funds unlike the Provider Relief Funds which were paid from the federal government. With a depleted trust fund, Medicare is unlikely to allow loan forgiveness and many providers are encouraged to pay off they advanced payments before they turn into overpayments and begin accruing interest. Once this happens, the Department of Treasury can get involved to recoup on providers unwilling to pay what is owed via their tax refunds, for example.

While large healthcare industry groups advocate for further relief, Congress has stalled on make progress on a bill since the CARES Act. Talks will continue admits the Presidential election and pandemic developments.

Source: revcycleintelligence.com

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Neurosurgeons Fight Medicare’s 2021 Proposed Fee Schedule

by | Aug 27, 2020 | Around MDSP, Employers, Providers

Neurosurgeons Fight Medicare's Payment CutsNeurosurgeons fight Medicare’s payment cuts to preserve quality and access to care in an already stressed health care system due to COVID-19.

The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) are fighting the 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The uproar from the neurosurgery community comes from the estimated 7% payment cuts they will face at a time that our health care system is already under stressed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The reductions come from new policies for office and outpatient visits that the CMS will put into motion on January 1, 2021. The neurosurgery community argues that any cuts or changes to evaluation and management codes will compromise patient access to care and longer wait times.

According to Ann R. Stoink, MD, FAANS, a practicing neurosurgeon from Bloomington, Illinois, and chair for the AANS/CNS Washington Committee, states, “Now is not the time to reduce payments for surgical care, and if implemented as is, the Medicare payment rule will challenge an already fragile health care system.” Members from the Surgical Care Coalition and other groups are asking Congress to waive Medicare’s budget neutrality to prevent these cuts and to require that CMS apply an increase to the evaluation and management payments.

A survey conducted by the coalition found that: 74% of neurosurgeons are concerned about the finances of their practice. 38% have cut their own salary and 24% have taken on debt just to keep their doors open as a result of COVID-19. Over 76% are worried that they will have to cut employee’s salaries or permanently layoff employees.

“This was an ill-informed and dangerous policy for patients even before the pandemic started but could be even more detrimental as our health care system continues to weaken under COVID-19. If finalized, this proposal could result in neurosurgeons taking fewer Medicare patients leading to longer wait times and reduced access to care for older Americans, so Congress must act now to prevent this from happening,” Dr. Stroink concluded.

Source: Katie O. Orrico – American Association of Neurological Surgeons

MD Staff Pointe

For the latest opportunities in Neurosurgery go to our Jobs Page! 

For more about MD Staff Pointe go to: About MDSP

 

 

Honoring National Locum Tenens Week 2020

Honoring National Locum Tenens Week 2020

by | Aug 7, 2020 | Around MDSP, Employers, Providers

It’s National Locum Tenens Week and MD Staff Pointe recognizes locum tenens providers!

Irving, TX: MD Staff Pointe is honoring locum tenens providers and joining healthcare staffing agencies from across the industry in recognition of National Locum Tenens Week, August 10-14. “During unprecedented times of COVID-19, physicians are critical to the health of our population.  We must recognize the sacrifices they make on the front lines to help heal our family and friends” MD Staff Pointe’s mission to provide an experience to every candidate worth repeating is key to retaining their roster of physicians on assignment. National Locum Tenens Week occurs annually the second week in August. Led by the National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations® (NALTO®), the program’s annual platform provides a forum to collectively recognize locum tenens doctors and the contributions made by staffing agencies to the U.S. healthcare industry.

About NALTO® (www.NALTO.org): The National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations® (NALTO®) is the only professional association of temporary physician staffing firms committed to a code of ethics and to maintaining the highest industry standards.

About MD Staff Pointe (www.mdstaffpointe.com/about):

MD Staff Pointe is a Locum tenens and permanent placement physician staffing agency for all hospital-based specialties, consultants and surgeons since 2007.
Contact: Mike Zagami
Vice President
MD Staff Pointe
(214) 247-6695
mzagami@mdstaffpointe.com
Partners in Hospital Based Staffing – Inside Look

Partners in Hospital Based Staffing – Inside Look

by | Jul 16, 2020 | Around MDSP, Employers

MD Staff Pointe has been placing physicians and mid-levels in locum and permanent positions throughout the United States since 2007.  What sets them apart is their primary focus on sub-specialties. Anesthesiology, Cardiology, Critical Care, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Neurology, Pediatrics, Pulmonology, Surgery (across disciplines) and Urology are some of the core specialties to name a few.

Two of the leaders at MD Staff Pointe shared some of their experience working with clients in the Q&A below; with efforts to help the healthcare staffing industry and provide a look inside MD Staff Pointe.

Q: In your own words describe your role and its purpose.
  • A1: I am one of the bus drivers. My duty is to generate as many opportunities possible for MDSP to staff and help with physician shortages nationwide.
  • A2: Oversee and lead the team to partner with clients around the US who utilize our services.
Q: How long have you been in business development for Healthcare Staffing?
  • A1: 5 years
  • A2: 14 years
Q: What is your approach to getting to know the key players in the healthcare industry?
  • A1: I begin with Medical Staff Office. The MSO handle credentialing and typically know the department contacts.
  • A2: Storytelling, sharing experiences working with clients and specific placements at facilities.
Q: What are the kinds of clients you are looking to partner with?
  • A1: I work from the top down approach. I start with the health systems that feed into others. This type of partnership holds value with smaller sites.
  • A2: Single specialty and multi-specialty groups based in suburban areas.  Our core specialties cater to helping support these physicians and provide access to patients in their community.
Q: Describe the ideal client
  • A1: The ideal client utilizes most specialties and are not restricted to work with any one group. They also demonstrate favorable responsiveness.
  • A2: The ideal client would allow us to solve their staffing shortages first.
Q: Name 3 benefits clients can expect when they partner with you/MD Staff Pointe.
  • A1: Responsiveness, Integrity, Work ethic
  • A2: One point of contact throughout the search/placement process, full disclosure presentations, up-to-date communication
Q: What sets MD Staff Pointe apart?
  • A1: We are specialized and have a robust pipeline of subspecialty physicians and surgeons across the US.
  • A2: MDSP focuses on searching/placing hospital based specialties, consultants, and surgery

From small critical access hospitals, rural hospitals to large health system MD Staff Pointe is here for the expected, unexpected, and everything in between and strives to provide superior service during the search, placement, credentialing, and logistics phases of healthcare staffing.

For more information about how MD Staff Pointe can help your facility go to: Request Coverage page.

Or to find out more about us go to: About MDSP page

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