Mastering Locum Tenens, Credentialing & Medical Recruitment

From the Latin phrase meaning "holding a place," locum tenens refers to physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and CRNAs who temporarily fulfill clinical duties in hospitals, clinics, and health systems to cover vacancies, leaves, or surges.

The rigorous process of validating a healthcare provider’s credentials—such as diplomas, residency training, medical licenses, board certifications, and DEA registration—directly with the original issuing institutions, mandated by Joint Commission standards.

An agreement among participating U.S. states and territories that offers an expedited pathway to medical licensure for qualifying physicians who wish to practice in multiple compact states.

A permanent repository established by the FSMB (Federation of State Medical Boards) that stores verified core credentials for physicians and physician assistants, simplifying state licensure and hospital credentialing applications.

An online database used by healthcare organizations and insurance payers to collect and maintain provider credentialing information in a standardized format, reducing repetitive paperwork.

The net financial loss incurred by a medical facility for every day a clinical position remains unfilled. COV includes lost patient service revenue, lost surgical capacity, referral leakage, and overtime burden on permanent staff.

Claims-Made policies cover professional liability only if the claim is made while the policy is active (requiring a Tail Coverage endorsement upon assignment completion). Occurrence policies cover any incident that occurs during the policy period, regardless of when the claim is filed.

An endorsement added to a claims-made malpractice insurance policy that protects clinicians against claims filed after the assignment or policy period has ended for incidents that took place during the coverage term.

Licensed healthcare professionals including Nurse Practitioners (NPs), Physician Assistants (PAs), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) who deliver high-level patient care independently or collaboratively.

A recruitment pathway where a clinician works on a temporary locum tenens basis with a facility before both parties decide whether to transition the arrangement into a full-time permanent direct-hire placement.

A web-based medical credentialing repository operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services containing reports on medical malpractice payments, adverse licensure actions, and privilege revocations.

An expedited privileging procedure utilized by hospitals during state-declared emergencies, surges, or critical staffing shortages to grant qualified locum clinicians temporary practice rights within 24 to 48 hours.