In today’s healthcare environment, managing patient demand while onboarding new clinicians can be a challenging balancing act. Long wait times for appointments, understaffed clinics, and the need to maintain high-quality care all contribute to the stress of healthcare management. Fortunately, there are effective strategies to address these issues, such as utilizing Incident-To billing and Locum Tenens providers. These methods not only optimize your schedule capacity but also help maintain continuity of care as new clinicians are onboarded.

In this article, I’ll explain how leveraging Incident-To and Locum Tenens providers can benefit your practice by reducing wait times, improving operational efficiency, and easing the transition for new clinicians.

What Is Incident-To Billing and How Can It Help?

Incident-To billing is a practice that allows non-physician providers, such as nurse practitioners (NPs) or physician assistants (PAs), to bill under a supervising physician’s National Provider Identifier (NPI). For many healthcare providers, especially in busy clinics, this method is a great way to increase capacity without needing additional physicians.

Key Features of Incident-To Billing:

• Direct Supervision: The supervising physician must be present in the office suite but doesn’t need to be directly involved in the patient’s care.
• Established Patient Relationships: Incident-To billing applies primarily to established patients, where the physician has an ongoing relationship with the patient and the services are within the scope of their practice.
• Scope of Services: Non-physician providers can perform a wide range of services under Incident-To, including patient assessments, treatment planning, and follow-up care.

Benefits of Incident-To Billing in Maximizing Schedule Capacity:

1. Increased Patient Volume: By allowing non-physician providers to handle certain tasks, you free up time for the physician to see more patients or perform higher-level tasks. This can significantly increase the number of appointments your clinic can manage.
2. Efficient Use of Resources: Incident-To billing helps to ensure that your non-physician providers can contribute to the clinic’s workflow without overloading the supervising physician.
3. Reduced Wait Times: As non-physician providers take on more routine or follow-up care, patients experience shorter wait times for appointments, improving patient satisfaction and retention.
4. Cost-Effectiveness: By leveraging the skills of NPs and PAs, practices can often reduce overhead costs associated with hiring additional physicians while still increasing productivity.

What Is Locum Tenens and How Can It Help?

Locum Tenens refers to temporary, short-term staffing solutions where a substitute physician, NP, or PA is hired to fill a gap in the workforce. These providers can be an invaluable resource when a permanent clinician is on vacation, on medical leave, or in the midst of the onboarding process.

Key Features of Locum Tenens:

• Temporary Coverage: Locums fill in for clinicians on a temporary basis, whether for a few days, weeks, or months.
• Flexibility: Locum Tenens providers can be scheduled to work full-time or part-time, depending on your clinic’s needs. They offer flexibility to ensure your practice remains operational without interruptions.
• Wide Range of Specialties: Locums can be used in almost any specialty, from primary care to highly specialized medical fields.

Benefits of Locum Tenens Providers in Maximizing Schedule Capacity:

1. Seamless Continuity of Care: Locums can ensure that your practice continues running smoothly, even during periods of staff turnover or clinician onboarding. This helps maintain patient care continuity without overburdening existing providers.
2. Reduced Wait Times: With Locum Tenens providers covering shifts, the clinic’s capacity remains intact, meaning fewer delays in patient appointments. This can help manage high patient volumes without causing significant disruption.
3. Onboarding Flexibility: Locums allow you to adjust your staffing levels as needed, providing temporary relief during the time it takes to onboard a new clinician. This way, new hires can transition into their roles without feeling overwhelmed by patient backlogs.
4. Cost Control: Locum Tenens providers are typically contracted for specific periods, which helps clinics manage costs. When utilized properly, they prevent the need for permanent hires during periods of uncertainty, thus maintaining financial flexibility.

How to Maximize Your Schedule Capacity Using Incident-To and Locums

Both Incident-To and Locum Tenens providers offer great flexibility, but integrating them into your practice requires planning and strategic implementation. Below are several tips for maximizing their effectiveness:

1. Strategically Assign Tasks:

• For Incident-To billing, designate routine tasks like patient education, follow-up visits, and chronic disease management to NPs or PAs, allowing physicians to focus on more complex cases.
• Locum Tenens providers can be used to cover shifts during peak times, such as evenings or weekends, or fill in when a clinician is on leave or transitioning into your practice.

2. Seamlessly Integrate Locums into Your Team:

• When onboarding new clinicians, having a Locum Tenens provider temporarily take over their schedule allows for smoother integration. This gives your new clinician time to adjust, shadow more experienced providers, and gradually take on a full caseload without the pressure of overwhelming patient demands.

3. Monitor Patient Flow:

• Implement a system to track which services are being handled by non-physician providers and which are being addressed by physicians. This will help maintain a balance in patient care while ensuring that the clinic’s workflow is as efficient as possible.

4. Communicate Clearly with Patients:

• Whether you’re using Incident-To or Locum Tenens providers, it’s important to manage patient expectations. Communicate with patients about who will be providing their care and the benefits of seeing an NP, PA, or Locum Tenens provider, ensuring they feel comfortable with the process.

5. Utilize Technology for Scheduling:

• Using scheduling software can help optimize clinician availability and ensure that each provider’s time is used efficiently. Automated reminders and real-time scheduling updates allow patients to see the first available appointment without overbooking or creating unnecessary bottlenecks.

Potential Challenges and How to Address Them

While using Incident-To and Locums can provide numerous benefits, there are a few challenges to keep in mind.

1. Maintaining Quality of Care: Some patients may be wary of seeing a non-physician provider. To address this, ensure that your non-physician providers are well-trained and can communicate effectively with patients about the benefits of their care.
2. Consistency in Care Delivery: With multiple providers involved, it’s important to maintain consistent treatment protocols. Clear documentation and strong communication between all team members are essential to ensuring high-quality patient care.
3. Billing Complexity: Incident-To billing can be tricky to navigate, especially when dealing with multiple providers and payer requirements. It’s important to have a knowledgeable billing team that can accurately apply the appropriate modifiers and codes.
4. Managing Patient Expectations: Some patients may expect to see a physician for every visit, so it’s important to set expectations early in the patient relationship. Clear communication about the roles of NPs, PAs, and Locum Tenens providers can help smooth over any concerns.

Conclusion

Utilizing Incident-To billing and Locum Tenens providers is a powerful way to maximize your schedule capacity, reduce wait times, and ensure a smooth onboarding process for new clinicians. By leveraging these strategies, you can create a more efficient, flexible, and patient-centered practice that thrives even during times of transition.

As healthcare providers, we face constant pressure to do more with less. The key to managing this challenge lies in optimizing our use of available resources. Incident-To and Locum Tenens providers offer flexible solutions to help meet patient demand while maintaining the high standards of care that your practice is known for. When implemented correctly, these strategies can make a significant difference in your practice’s ability to deliver timely care and seamlessly integrate new team members.

By adopting these approaches, your practice can be better equipped to manage patient needs without compromising the quality of care, ultimately leading to happier patients, a more efficient team, and a thriving practice.