Founded on the principle that hospitals are more than just medical facilities — rather, they are beacons of hope and comfort in our neighborhoods — National Hospital Week illuminates the extraordinary efforts of hospital workers who dedicate their lives to helping others.
Inspired by Florence Nightingale’s contribution to modern healthcare, the United States Congress has designated the second week in May as National Hospital Week. Since evolving from National Hospital Day to National Hospital Week in 1953, the American Hospital Association has sponsored this event to honor the 7 million employees who spend their working hours in more than 6,000 hospitals in the country.
Hospitals play an essential role in our communities, admitting more than 36 million patients annually. Given the 14.5% reduction in the number of hospitals since 1975, a trend that has led to increased patient loads and financial pressures on facilities, today’s healthcare personnel are working harder than ever to ensure patients receive the care they need.
Now, more than ever, locum tenens providers are an accepted and growing solution to this staffing conundrum.
The relentless drumbeat of statistics is sobering. The healthcare industry is bracing for a projected shortfall of 86,000 physicians by 2036, making locum tenens providers even more critical in enabling hospitals to provide uninterrupted quality care whenever a physician is on vacation or leave. Locum tenens physicians and advanced practice providers fill vital staffing gaps in overwhelmed hospitals by shoring up a depleted workforce. Their presence ensures continuity of care for patients across the nation.
“At Interim Physicians, our sole mission since our founding in 1979 has been to provide quality healthcare coverage to hospitals — big and small, rural and urban — which may be forced to turn patients away in the absence of the vital service firms like ours deliver. Every day, we admire our hospital clients and their selfless dedication to their clinical responsibilities and the health of the patients in their care,” said Shawn Mullen, president of Interim Physicians.
“We take our responsibility to their cause seriously. Every member of our team plays an important role in ensuring that our staffing partners have what they need to help their facility succeed. At the end of the day, it’s gratifying to know we made a difference,” he continued.
As the Interim Physicians team commemorates National Hospital Week, we acknowledge the vital work performed by all hospital staff, from custodial to cafeteria workers, lab techs to phlebotomists, billing specialists to administrators, hospitalists to surgeons, and so many more. Without each and every one of you, a patient somewhere in America wouldn’t receive potentially lifesaving care.
Thank you to our hospital partners for always being there for our families, friends, and neighbors. We are proud to honor you this week and every week.
