Providing locum tenens staffing on a commercial basis started in the early 1980′s. One of these firms was Locum Medical, established in 1987 by Dan Groth, CEO. Dan started Locum Medical Group on a very modest basis from the basement of his home. Within six months, the first Locum Medical office was established. At that time, the concept of locum tenens was still relatively unknown, even in the medical community. Each phone call was educational for both our clients and physicians as the recruiters at Locum Medical discussed this new idea.
Several years passed without much growth in the industry. Without the modern conveniences of e-mail and high costs of Federal Express, it sometimes took weeks to set up assignments. Also, medical malpractice insurance was extremely difficult to obtain.
In the early 1990′s, medical malpractice insurance became easier and less expensive for start-up locum tenens companies to secure nationwide policies from a wide variety of carriers. At that time, there were more than ten insurance companies offering nationwide coverage. Today, there are less than five. Locum tenens companies grew rapidly in the early 1990′s, but many of these companies went out of business when the insurance market hardened again in the late nineties.
In the late nineties, the established locum tenens companies saw a need for industry standards and protocols. More companies were meeting at the national tradeshows to get to know one another. This led to the creation of NALTO [National Association of Locum Tenens Organizations] of which Locum Medical was a founding member.
After 2000 locum tenens firms began to grow explosively. The concept of locum tenens was no longer foreign to physicians or healthcare facilities. Online documentation and e-mail led to quick turnaround on all assignments. Many physicians began to choose locum tenens as their preferred method of work. Many healthcare facilities realized the benefits of having locum tenens physicians at their locations.
Currently, you will find more than 45 locum tenens companies, some national and some regional, across the country. With the exception of only a few, Locum Medical has more experience in this industry than any other company. We will complete our 20th year in business in May, 2007. During the past 20 years we have weathered all the ups and downs of the industry and the market. We have a strong moral and ethical footing and treat our employees, contractors and client facilities with respect and professionalism. We are continually growing to ensure that we will be here for another 20 years to provide excellent service. Locum Medical continues to set the mark on how work should work.
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