As Demands Skyrocket Hospitalists Turn to Locum Tenens
It is a wonderful time to be a hospitalist. MGMA DataDive Provider Compensation reports that the median compensation for the 44,000 hospitalists working in 2016 was $278,471 annually. Hospitalists also saw an 18.78 percent increase in compensation since 2011, one of the highest increases in pay of all specialties. This trend will likely continue as the industry moves toward value-based payments because hospitalists have a proven ability to curtail hospital re-admissions. This meteoric rise in pay has a lot to do with skyrocketing demand. This demand is rooted in the amount of time and money a hospitalist can save a provider group. These hospital-based physicians oversee patients at the hospital, saving other physicians a time-consuming trip. Their specialized knowledge of in-patient care also optimizes resource application and improves patient outcomes. This ability to stretch…