Organizations normally go the traditional route when recruiting additional staff as hiring in-house employees has forever been the norm. However, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t any viable-or even better–alternative when hiring new staff members.
With the staffing struggles and challenges healthcare practices encounter, let’s look at why hiring a medical virtual assistant is a superior alternative to hiring in-office employees.
Beyond Patient Care
Aside from providing the best medical attention patients need, doctors and healthcare providers also have to deal with administrative workload that accompany running a practice. Clinics and practices won’t be able to function properly if these office tasks are not addressed properly.
Some of these admin tasks are:
- Appointment setting
- Medical billing and coding
- Patient communication
- EHR and documentation
When these areas are neglected, clinics can lose patients and revenue. However, physicians only have enough time on their hands. Tending to the day-to-day operations means reduced time for patient care and even self-care for healthcare providers themselves leading to stress and burnout.
The solution is to hire an extra hand, a reliable support to take on these administrative tasks. Which is the way to go? Hire an in-house staff, or outsource your tasks to a medical virtual assistant?
In-House Staffing Challenges
Recruiting in-house employees has become increasingly challenging that can be attributed to many factors.
Aging
There has been an increase in the demands of healthcare services thanks to an aging population among many others. However, the aging issue isnt just affecting patient numbers. Healthcare workers themselves face aging leading to difficulties in hiring.
An article reveals that over one-third of today’s physicians are aged 55 or older.
High-turnover Rate
Practices and healthcare companies would have to contend with the knowledge that an in-house staff may not stay with them for long.
According to a 2023 report an “alarming 60 percent of all healthcare support workers are expected to leave their job in the next five years.”
Increasing Labor Cost
Pay for healthcare workers is understandably not inexpensive. In California, the healthcare workforce minimum wage is $25 per hour thanks to new legislation. Domestically, healthcare labor costs are up 19 percent
Why Medical Virtual Assistants are a Superior Choice
With the increasing demand for healthcare services–and the administrative tasks it entails–doctors and practices would need all the help they can get to efficiently address patient concerns. Without which, their practice is at risk of getting its growth stunted, losing revenue, and physicians themselves getting overwhelmed
Medical VAs have posed themselves as a strategic and desirable alternative for practices looking for reliable support for a number of reasons.
Cost-effective Option
One of the primary advantages of hiring a remote assistant versus an in-house employee is cost efficiency. Remote staff don’t cost nearly as much compared to traditionally hiring on-site staff. Practices get to save on equipment expenses since medical VAs pay for their own device, internet and electricity providers, among others. Practices also get to avoid paying for mandatory benefits apart from hourly compensation.
Round-the-clock availability
With the remote work setup, practices can work with staff that’s from a different time zone. This is ideal for responding to after-hour (or even weekend) inquiries–meaning your business can keep running even without you at the helm.
Flexibility and Scalability
Hiring a Medical VA means you don’t have to commit to long-term contracts or business setup and you can even recruit based on your seasonal needs. That’s avoiding being understaffed or overstaffed because Medical VAs can commit full-time, part-time, or as project-based staff. With this kind of flexibility, your practice can save resources and strategically allot manpower when and where it’s most critical.
Are you looking for a solution to optimize your practice’s operations without necessarily breaking the bank and leaving you overwhelmed?
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