The final few months of the year can get busy quickly for healthcare organizations.

Holiday PTO, open positions, seasonal patient demand, and year-end planning can all happen at once. A little preparation now can make Q4 easier on your staffing team and your providers.

Here are a few things worth reviewing before the year comes to a close.

1. Review Your Current Coverage

Take a look at your schedules for the remainder of the year.

Are there open positions? Upcoming leaves? Holiday PTO requests? Providers already carrying additional shifts?

Identifying those gaps now gives you more options for addressing them.

2. Plan for Holiday Coverage

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's schedules can create unique coverage challenges.

If you anticipate needing additional support, begin the locum tenens process early rather than waiting until the schedule becomes urgent.

3. Check Credentialing Timelines

If you're bringing in a new provider, make sure credentialing, licensing, and onboarding timelines align with when you actually need coverage.

A provider can't help fill the schedule if they're still waiting to get cleared to start.

4. Prepare for Seasonal Demand

Consider whether flu season, holiday schedules, or other seasonal factors typically affect patient volume at your organization.

Looking at previous years can help you anticipate when additional provider support may be useful.

5. Check In With Your Permanent Team

Q4 is also a good time to ask how your permanent providers are doing.

If your team has spent months covering vacancies or taking on additional shifts, bringing in temporary support can provide some much-needed breathing room.

6. Look Ahead to 2027

Don't let January be the first time you think about next year's staffing needs.

Use Q4 to identify hard-to-fill specialties, anticipated vacancies, upcoming leaves, growth plans, and other areas where additional coverage may be needed.

Start the New Year Prepared

You can't predict every staffing challenge, but you can prepare for many of them.

At Alumni Staffing, we work with healthcare organizations to provide locum tenens physicians and advanced practice providers when additional coverage is needed.

Let's finish the year strong and head into the new year prepared.

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