Healthcare Staffing Transitions: How Leaders Protect Patient Care During Workforce Changes

In this episode of the MGMA Business Insights Podcast, Sr. Editor and Host Daniel Williams is joined by Amy Otto and Kyle Hadley of LocumTenens.com to explore how transition management can help healthcare organizations maintain continuity of care during periods of staffing change.

Together, they unpack why transitions — whether driven by rising subsidies, expiring contracts, workforce shortages, or service line realignment — represent high‑risk moments for patient care, finances, and staff morale. Drawing on real‑world examples from anesthesia and radiology, the conversation highlights how proactive, structured transition management transforms chaos into stability, protects patient access, and positions organizations for long‑term operational success.

Key Takeaways

• [01:50] Rising costs and loss of control often trigger transition discussions 
  Leaders most often explore transition management when facing escalating subsidies, outsourcing dissatisfaction, or limited transparency from practice management groups — especially in critical service lines like anesthesia and radiology.
• [03:32] Transitions are no longer rare events — they are the new normal 
  Staffing changes, leadership shifts, and service line realignments are happening across healthcare. Without proactive planning, organizations risk higher costs, staff burnout, and disruptions to patient care.
• [05:00] Reactive transitions drive higher costs and operational friction 
  When transitions aren’t managed proactively, organizations experience increased turnover, reduced productivity, credentialing delays, and financial inefficiencies that compound existing workforce stress.
• [06:12] Effective transition management turns disruption into stability — by design 
  A structured, customized transition playbook aligns leadership, clinicians, operations, contracting, and credentialing—ensuring patient volumes continue uninterrupted while change happens behind the scenes.
• [09:14] The discovery phase is the most critical step 
  Successful transitions begin with upfront evaluation: reviewing staffing models, coverage requirements, contracts, credentialing status, scheduling workflows, and stakeholder impact — before urgency takes over.
• [14:20] Stabilization requires centralized oversight and clear accountability
  Streamlined scheduling, onboarding, credentialing, and communication — managed through a single, coordinated process—reduces confusion, shortens timelines, and eases frontline staff burden.
• [16:14] Data builds trust and reduces anxiety during change 
  Transparent reporting on coverage, fill rates, patient access, quality indicators, and financial performance reassures teams that care continuity is protected and progress is on track.
• [20:32] Success means patients never notice the transition 
  True success is achieved when staffing stabilizes, financial performance normalizes, clinician confidence returns — and patient care continues seamlessly, without disruption or delay.

Resources 

• LocumTenens.com – Transition management and clinician staffing solutions
• Contact Amy Otto on LinkedIn
• Contact Kyle Hadley on LinkedIn
• Locum Tenens Physician Staffing Playbook (MGMA)

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.