Whether you’re an acute or post-acute care provider, finding the right combination of staffing service and technology solutions can make all the difference in streamlining operations and maximizing efficiency, ultimately leading to improved patient care and internal employee satisfaction and retention. In a constantly evolving industry, agnostic technologies haven’t been the choice since agencies purchased most of the leading neutral VMS technologies 10-15 years ago. Since then, many of the top 20 agencies have followed the industry agency leaders by purchasing or building VMS technologies to support their vendor-led programs. There are advantages and disadvantages to both systems, but the emerging neutral VMS stands out as a game-changer, offering flexibility and transparency like never before. Let’s dive into how agnostic technology is shaping the future of healthcare staffing.
Neutral vs. Vendor Owned
In the realm of healthcare staffing technology, the debate between neutral and vendor-owned platforms is ongoing. Neutral agnostic technology operates independently, free from bias towards specific vendors or agencies. This neutrality allows for a more comprehensive view of available opportunities and resources. That said, MSP and hospital-managed programs can implement a good neutral VMS as they see fit; they can optimize their strongest supplier partners at the geographic, facility, or even unit level, rewarding the best vendor by giving them prioritized access to jobs. Alternatively, they can review their vendor panels regularly; moving vendors in and out of the top tier, which motivates the supplier to provide the best staff as quickly as possible at a competitive bill rate.
On the other hand, vendor-owned platforms may prioritize their own interests, potentially limiting access to certain job orders, or prioritizing their staff in the submission process. Simple economics would suggest that a vendor-led program might not be ideal, but in a difficult market, a loyal and attentive vendor who knows and understands the client best will prioritize their clients over third-party relationships, thus ensuring that the client maintains a high level of service and satisfactory fill rates.
Ultimately, the choice between neutral and vendor-owned technology comes down to transparency and fairness in job order distribution. Agnostic platforms offer a level playing field for all stakeholders in the supplier panel.
Fill Rate Transparency
Fill rate transparency plays a crucial role in ensuring a program has the information necessary to reward the best performers on their supplier panel. That visibility includes, but isn’t limited to time to submit, time to fill, on time starts, bill rate, and extensions awarded. Understanding these metrics and acting on them ensures the MSP or hospital is partnering with the best suppliers in their market, as agency performance can improve but also decline based on factors that the hospital or MSP might not have access to.
Having transparent fill rates allows healthcare facilities to track how effectively their job orders are being fulfilled, but they can also provide insights into areas that may need improvement, such as optimizing recruitment strategies, or adjusting internal processes.
By partnering with an agnostic technology platform that offers real-time data on fill rates, healthcare organizations can make informed decisions and better manage their staffing needs. Transparency fosters trust between all parties involved and promotes collaboration for achieving common goals.
Vendor Panel Depth
Many vendors don’t participate in the programs of their competitors. This isn’t an issue in a down market when one vendor-led MSP can fill most of their client needs, but when demand increases and stresses the candidate pool, having access to nurses from every vendor is beneficial. Additionally, just because your vendor-led program excels at filling nursing positions, an upswing in allied health or a particular specialty might leave the client without access to staff from a leading competitor of their vendor-led MSP partner. With agnostic technology, the MSP or health system can intelligently flex to give access to and prioritize job orders to suppliers best suited to fulfill those needs.
By utilizing algorithms and data analytics, agnostic technology ensures that critical positions are filled promptly while also considering the specific needs of each healthcare facility. This level of customization leads to better outcomes for both clients and candidates alike. In our fast-paced industry, using technology to quickly recognize a gap in the supply chain and filling it with the best vendor partner can make all the difference in keeping regular full-time staff content and attentive to the most important customer- the patient.
In summary, making an informed decision about your labor program can be challenging. Every agency, neutral MSP, vendor-led, and neutral VMS will attempt to influence that decision with data, technology full of bells and whistles, and the sometimes, flashy presentation performance. Only the client can decide what program works best for them. If you’re a multi-state system with hundreds of millions or even a few billion in contingent labor spend, the decision is easier as every supplier, MSP, and tech will do back flips to earn your business. Unfortunately, the other 90 percent isn’t so fortunate, and until recently, struggled for the last decade to build a program or find a partner where they could confidently state that they were getting the best staff from the best agency partners at the best rates. If you’re in that boat, an agnostic platform managed internally or by a neutral MSP will give you the best opportunity to reach what once seemed unattainable – an equitable, transparent, and thus satisfactory labor program.
