How to Quickly Fill Critical Physician Gaps Without Sacrificing Quality

7/24/25, 6:30 AM

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Healthcare providers are constantly attempting to strike a balance between meeting increasing patient demands with a tight staff. Such physician shortages are not only inconvenient in emergency departments, where the loss of one doctor can represent a significant portion of available coverage, but they are also life-threatening. Unfilled shifts leave the door open for patient care delays, staff burnout, and potential liability concerns. However, bringing on the wrong doctor too quickly can do more harm than good.

So, how does healthcare leadership staff open shifts in healthcare fast without sacrificing quality? That answer is being proactive, having the right staffing resources on hand, and taking advantage of the changing landscape for emergency physician staffing solutions.

Here’s what healthcare organizations need to know to navigate this challenge successfully.

The Growing Challenge of Physician Shortages

AAMC forecasts an 86,000 physician deficit in the U.S. by 2036. EDs are particularly susceptible to this with unpredictable volumes, seasonal surges, and burnout of the physician staff. When full-time providers call in sick, request time off, or quit without notice, administrators must work on short notice to fill open shifts in healthcare without interrupting patient care.

The downside, though, is that if you rush to fill staffing holes, you can end up hiring physicians who don’t fit well with your facility’s culture, protocols, or quality expectations. That’s why a quick fix must also be smart.

1. Why It’s Dangerous to Compromise on Quality

When hospitals accept “whoever is available” to fill emergency shifts, they are risking:

Unsatisfied patients: Bad bedside manner / broken flow in care, Demeaned / unmet expectations.
Medical errors: An unfamiliar doctor won’t be familiar with your system’s workflows or EMR, and the error rate may increase.
Decline in staff morale: Overworking core teams while bringing in unfit contingent workers is demotivating.
Reputational harm: A single poor patient outcome can lead to lawsuits, negative reviews, or a public relations crisis.

The idea then isn’t simply to fill physician gaps, but to fill them with the right providers.

How to Quickly Fill Critical Physician Gaps the Right Way

1. Work with a Reputable Locum Tenens Agency

Partner with a Quality Emergency Physician Staffing Company. One of the most valuable methods to cover emergency shifts is to form a partnership with an emergency physician staffing agency. Established locum tenens partners have their benches of vetted, credentialed EPs who can quickly fill in.

Look for agencies that:
· Specializing in emergency medicine staffing
· 1 Pre-Screen you for Board Certification, State License, and Licensure
· Handle credentialing and malpractice insurance
· Know your facility’s specific requirements and work practices

The right agency does not simply send bodies; they provide professionals who are a cultural and clinical fit.

2. Build a Pre-Vetted Pool of Backup Providers

Instead of reinventing the wheel every time there’s a vacancy, hone in on a pool of pre-vetted physicians you can call on when necessary. This can include:

· Part-time staff
· Semi-retired physicians
· Physicians open to per-diem shifts
· Past residents of your institution

Keeping your list up to date means you don't have to compromise quality to respond quickly when emergencies arise.

3. Use Advanced Workforce Management Tools

Contemporary healthcare staffing platforms leverage AI-powered algorithms to conduct real-time matching of physician availability and hospital demand. These tools can:

· Predict peak demand periods
· It would manage which clinicians are certified and their credentialing status.
· Send automatic shift notifications to the appropriate providers
· Optimize scheduling for better coverage

Leveraging technology also eliminates manual scheduling headaches and ensures your emergency medicine staffing plan is proactive rather than reactive.

4. Offer Incentives for Short-Notice Coverage

Occasionally, the easiest way to plug holes is to make the deal for your existing team or your part-timers a little sweeter. Consider offering:

Bonus pay for short-notice shifts
More PTO for fill-ins
Differential pay for nights, weekends, or holidays
Rewards will help keep your current employees engaged and demonstrate goodwill and loyalty, preventing a potential void in the future.

5. Streamline Credentialing and Onboarding

Credentialing represents one significant bottleneck to staffing emergency physicians. It is essential to process applications quickly, to avoid losing quality candidates who can no longer wait weeks to hear about job opportunities.

To avoid this:

· Conduct accelerated providers' credentialing for temporary providers
· Leverage digital credentialing solutions for less paperwork
· Keep a provider profile database so returning locums don’t have to start from scratch

A simplified onboarding process enables physicians to be up and running without compromising compliance.

6. Foster a Culture of Flexibility

Inflexible scheduling models exacerbate staff shortages. Drive a malleable, task-force style attitude, being willing and able to swap shifts, provide cross-coverage, and get creative with the schedule.
Options include:

· Split shifts or partial coverage
· Shared-call models
· Team-based shift management

There can be less disruption due to emergency staffing gaps with flexible staffing, as well as reduced burnout among core staff.

7. Prioritize Physician Wellness to Reduce Turnover

“Prevention of burnout is part of the long-term plan to prevent such staffing shortages,” the health care union study states. Hospitals that support physician well-being have fewer unanticipated absences and higher rates of retention.

Consider offering:

· Mental health services and resilience building
· Fair and transparent scheduling
· Professional development and mentorship opportunities

When you prioritize your team’s mental and physical well-being, you’re fostering a more stable staffing environment.

The Bottom Line: Speed + Quality = Sustainable Staffing

In high-intensity emergency medicine, filling clinical staffing is a must. But managing to do it without compromising quality is what distinguishes a well-run facility from one in constant crisis mode.

Utilize locum tenens relationships, establish an internal float pool, expedite credentialing, and invest in workforce management tools to optimize efficiency. By doing so, you can fill some short-term needs for providers when the time is right, without compromising the quality standards your patients deserve.

Healthcare executives who are ahead of the curve in planning for emergency physician staffing are not just insulating themselves from crisis, but also positioning themselves to be successful (and safe) over the long term.

Final Thoughts

No one is immune to staffing issues, and emergency medicine is no exception. However, if you have the right systems in place – if you know the right technology to deploy – it presents an opportunity to retool your staffing model in a more sustainable and scalable way.

If you’re looking for a way to increase your physician coverage without sacrificing quality of care, consider forming a partnership with a reliable staffing firm or making your improvements. Your team — and your patients — will appreciate your efforts.